View Firefox process using ps-ef

[cam17]

When I used ps-ef|grep firefox I received a strange result a shown below on my 16.04.4LTS desktop can anyone tell me what the numeric values are?

ps -ef|grep firefox
mac 5427 1487 4 14:57 ? 00:00:37 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox
mac 5478 5427 1 14:57 ? 00:00:07 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox -contentproc -childID 1 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 6:50|7:-1|19:0|34:1000|42:20|43:5|44:10|51:0|57:128|58:100 00|63:0|65:400|66:1|67:0|68:0|69:100|74:0|75:120|7 6:120|159:2|160:1|164:60|165:30|166:512000|175:500 0|177:6|191:8192|192:524288|193:5|206:10000|227:24 |228:32768|230:1|231:2|240:5|244:1048576|246:100|2 47:5000|249:600|250:4|251:1|260:2000|277:3|290:600 00|308:300|309:30| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:0|4:1|5:0|24:1|27:0|28:1|29:1|31:1|32:1|33:1 |36:0|37:0|38:1|41:1|45:1|46:0|47:0|48:1|49:1|50:1 |52:0|55:1|56:1|59:0|60:0|61:0|62:0|64:0|70:1|71:1 |72:0|73:1|77:1|78:1|79:0|80:0|81:1|82:1|83:0|84:1 |87:0|88:0|91:1|92:1|96:1|97:1|98:0|99:1|100:0|101 :0|103:0|104:0|105:1|106:1|107:1|110:1|111:1|112:1 |113:1|114:1|115:0|116:0|117:0|119:0|120:1|121:1|1 22:0|123:0|124:0|125:0|127:1|128:0|129:1|130:1|131 :1|132:0|133:0|134:1|135:1|136:1|137:1|138:0|139:1 |140:1|141:1|142:1|143:1|144:1|145:0|146:1|147:1|1 48:0|149:1|150:0|152:0|153:0|154:0|155:1|156:1|157 :1|158:1|161:1|162:0|172:0|173:0|174:1|178:0|180:1 |181:0|182:1|184:1|186:0|187:0|190:0|194:1|195:0|1 96:1|197:1|198:0|201:1|205:1|207:1|208:0|210:1|213 :0|225:0|226:0|229:1|232:1|234:1|235:1|237:1|238:0 |245:1|248:1|253:0|254:0|255:0|256:1|257:1|258:0|2 59:1|264:0|267:1|268:1|269:1|270:1|271:1|272:0|273 :0|279:1|282:0|283:0|284:1|285:1|286:0|287:1|288:1 |289:1|291:0|292:0|294:0|303:1|304:1|305:0|306:0|3 07:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|151:0;|212:3;1.0|223:332; ¼½¾ǃː??։֊׃״؉؊٪۔܁܂܃܄ᅟ᜵           ???‐’․‧??????? ‹›⁁ ⁄⁒ ⅓⅔⅕⅖⅗⅘⅙⅚?⅜⅝⅞⅟∕∶⎮╱⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻　。〔〕〳゠ㅤ㈝㈞㎮㎯㏆㏟꞉ ︔︕︿﹝﹞?．／｡ﾠ???�|224:4;high| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja -appomni /usr/lib/firefox/browser/omni.ja -appdir /usr/lib/firefox/browser 5427 true tab
mac 5519 5427 0 14:57 ? 00:00:06 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox -contentproc -childID 2 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 6:50|7:-1|19:0|34:1000|42:20|43:5|44:10|51:0|57:128|58:100 00|63:0|65:400|66:1|67:0|68:0|69:100|74:0|75:120|7 6:120|159:2|160:1|164:60|165:30|166:512000|175:500 0|177:6|191:8192|192:524288|193:5|206:10000|227:24 |228:32768|230:1|231:2|240:5|244:1048576|246:100|2 47:5000|249:600|250:4|251:1|260:2000|277:3|290:600 00|308:300|309:30| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:0|4:1|5:0|24:1|27:0|28:1|29:1|31:1|32:1|33:1 |36:0|37:0|38:1|41:1|45:1|46:0|47:0|48:1|49:1|50:1 |52:0|55:1|56:1|59:0|60:0|61:0|62:0|64:0|70:1|71:1 |72:0|73:1|77:1|78:1|79:0|80:0|81:1|82:1|83:0|84:1 |87:0|88:0|91:1|92:1|96:1|97:1|98:0|99:1|100:0|101 :0|103:0|104:0|105:1|106:1|107:1|110:1|111:1|112:1 |113:1|114:1|115:0|116:0|117:0|119:0|120:1|121:1|1 22:0|123:0|124:0|125:0|127:1|128:0|129:1|130:1|131 :1|132:0|133:0|134:1|135:1|136:1|137:1|138:0|139:1 |140:1|141:1|142:1|143:1|144:1|145:0|146:1|147:1|1 48:0|149:1|150:0|152:0|153:0|154:0|155:1|156:1|157 :1|158:1|161:1|162:0|172:0|173:0|174:1|178:0|180:1 |181:0|182:1|184:1|186:0|187:0|190:0|194:1|195:0|1 96:1|197:1|198:0|201:1|205:1|207:1|208:0|210:1|213 :0|225:0|226:0|229:1|232:1|234:1|235:1|237:1|238:0 |245:1|248:1|253:0|254:0|255:0|256:1|257:1|258:0|2 59:1|264:0|267:1|268:1|269:1|270:1|271:1|272:0|273 :0|279:1|282:0|283:0|284:1|285:1|286:0|287:1|288:1 |289:1|291:0|292:0|294:0|303:1|304:1|305:0|306:0|3 07:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|151:0;|212:3;1.0|223:332; ¼½¾ǃː??։֊׃״؉؊٪۔܁܂܃܄ᅟᅠ᜵           ???‐’․‧??????? ‹› ⁁⁄⁒ ⅓⅔⅕⅖⅗⅘⅙⅚?⅜⅝⅞⅟∕∶⎮╱⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻　。〔〕〳゠ㅤ㈝㈞㎮㎯㏆㏟ ꞉︔︕︿﹝﹞?．／｡ﾠ???�|224:4;high| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja -appomni /usr/lib/firefox/browser/omni.ja -appdir /usr/lib/firefox/browser 5427 true tab
mac 5668 5427 1 15:07 ? 00:00:01 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox -contentproc -childID 3 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 6:50|7:-1|19:0|34:1000|42:20|43:5|44:10|51:0|57:128|58:100 00|63:0|65:400|66:1|67:0|68:0|69:100|74:0|75:120|7 6:120|159:2|160:1|164:60|165:30|166:512000|175:500 0|177:6|191:8192|192:524288|193:5|206:10000|227:24 |228:32768|230:1|231:2|240:5|244:1048576|246:100|2 47:5000|249:600|250:4|251:1|260:2000|277:3|290:600 00|308:300|309:30| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:0|4:1|5:0|24:1|27:0|28:1|29:1|31:1|32:1|33:1 |36:0|37:0|38:1|41:1|45:1|46:0|47:0|48:1|49:1|50:1 |52:0|55:1|56:1|59:0|60:0|61:0|62:0|64:0|70:1|71:1 |72:0|73:1|77:1|78:1|79:0|80:0|81:1|82:1|83:0|84:1 |87:0|88:0|91:1|92:1|96:1|97:1|98:0|99:1|100:0|101 :0|103:0|104:0|105:1|106:1|107:1|110:1|111:1|112:1 |113:1|114:1|115:0|116:0|117:0|119:0|120:1|121:1|1 22:0|123:0|124:0|125:0|127:1|128:0|129:1|130:1|131 :1|132:0|133:0|134:1|135:1|136:1|137:1|138:0|139:1 |140:1|141:1|142:1|143:1|144:1|145:0|146:1|147:1|1 48:0|149:1|150:0|152:0|153:0|154:0|155:1|156:1|157 :1|158:1|161:1|162:0|172:0|173:0|174:1|178:0|180:1 |181:0|182:1|184:1|186:0|187:0|190:0|194:1|195:0|1 96:1|197:1|198:0|201:1|205:1|207:1|208:0|210:1|213 :0|225:0|226:0|229:1|232:1|234:1|235:1|237:1|238:0 |245:1|248:1|253:0|254:0|255:0|256:1|257:1|258:0|2 59:1|264:0|267:1|268:1|269:1|270:1|271:1|272:0|273 :0|279:1|282:0|283:0|284:1|285:1|286:0|287:1|288:1 |289:1|291:0|292:0|294:0|303:1|304:1|305:0|306:0|3 07:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|151:0;|212:3;1.0|223:332; ¼½¾ǃː??։֊׃״؉؊٪۔܁܂܃܄ᅟᅠ᜵           ???‐’․‧??????? ‹› ⁁⁄⁒ ⅓⅔⅕⅖⅗⅘⅙⅚?⅜⅝⅞⅟∕∶⎮╱⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻　。〔〕〳゠ㅤ㈝㈞㎮㎯㏆㏟ ꞉︔︕︿﹝﹞?．／｡ﾠ???�|224:4;high| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja -appomni /usr/lib/firefox/browser/omni.ja -appdir /usr/lib/firefox/browser 5427 true tab
mac 5723 2447 0 15:09 pts/4 00:00:00 grep --color=auto firefox

[TheFu]

remove the grep and use more or less as the pager. That will show the headers. Then you can put the grep back.

[cam17]

Why should I use anything other than Ps-ef? The output is incorrect and has no meaning. Is this a Ubuntu corruption?

[TheFu]

Sorry, my misunderstanding. I thought you were looking for the headers from the ps command. My answer would tell you those.

But I think you are asking about firefox command line parameters instead. https://blog.mozilla.org/nnethercote/2018/02/22/nicer-commands-for-content-processes/ says FF v60 should clean up the startup parameters in the process table. It hasn't been released.

More on FF startup options: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Command_Line_Options

This has nothing to do with ps. It is all Firefox.

[kazakore]

https://blog.mozilla.org/nnethercote/2018/02/22/nicer-commands-for-content-processes/[/URL] says FF v60 should clean up the startup parameters in the process table. It hasn't been released.



Saying even 18.04 only has FF59 in its repos where are you getting FF60 from???

[TheFu]

Saying even 18.04 only has FF59 in its repos where are you getting FF60 from???
Read the link.

[kazakore]

Read the link.

My apologies. I see it says it will be released in one week. Weird, as I went to install the British English language pack this morning (as I'm on a fresh install) and it came up with a message saying I needed to have FF60 to install it so I assumed it must be out already! Rather odd that they have addons only compatible with versions not even released yet!!

[cam17]

Is this a bug? when I perform a ps-ef I can see all process clearly. Only when I look at Firefox specifically does it produce all that unreadable junk.

[TheFu]

My best guess explanation ...

A terminal is an output device. Different terminals will handle odd characters differently. Same for different filters like grep, more, less, anything that accepts either stdin or stderr as inputs.

I tested this on my desktop with firefox in an xterm - this is a terminal program from the 1990s. less and more don't handle the odd output the same as grep. When I used 'more', some output cause it to display the help for the program. The firefox odd characters also did this. I don't think it is a bug, at least not in ps. Different terminals handle different characters differently too.

That's all I got.