type="topic" style="task"

      id="process-identify-file">

  <info>

    <revision version="0.2" pkgversion="3.11" date="2014-01-26" status="review"/>

    <link type="guide" xref="index#processes-tasks" group="processes-tasks" />

    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>

    <credit type="author copyright">

      <name>Phil Bull</name>

      <email>philbull@gmail.com</email>

      <years>2011</years>

    </credit>

    <credit type="author copyright">

      <name>Michael Hill</name>

      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>

      <years>2011, 2014</years>

    </credit>

    <desc>Search for a file that's open to display which process is using it.</desc>

  </info>

  <title>Find which program is using a specific file</title>

  <comment>

    Phil Bull

    
Explain how you can search for a file (or part of a filename) and it will

    show which processes are using it. Explain why this might be useful.

  </comment>

  
Sometimes an error message will tell you a device (like the sound device or

 the DVD ROM) is busy, or the file you want to edit is in use. To find the

 process or processes responsible:

    <steps>

      <item>
Click

        <guiseq><gui>System Monitor</gui><gui>Search for Open Files</gui></guiseq>.

      </item>

      <item>
Enter a filename or part of a filename. This could be

        <file>/dev/snd</file> for the sound device or <file>/media/cdrom</file>

        for the DVD ROM.

      </item>

      <item>
Click <gui>Find</gui>.

      </item>

    </steps>

  
This will display a list of running processes that are currently accessing

 the file or files that match the search. Quitting the program should allow you

 to access the device or edit the file.

</page>