How to Check if a Python Script is Running in the Background

There are several common ways to check if a Python script is running in the background. The specific commands will vary depending on the operating system you are using (Linux, macOS, or Windows).

1. Linux / macOS

On Linux and macOS, you can use the ps and grep commands to inspect processes.

• ps command: Lists currently running processes.
• grep command: Used to filter the output of the ps command, showing only lines that contain a specific keyword (like your script’s name).

The most common command combination is:

ps aux | grep python

• ps aux: This command lists all processes for all users (a), all terminals (x), with detailed information (u).
• |: This is a pipe, which takes the output of ps aux and uses it as the input for the grep command.
• grep python: This command searches the input for all lines containing the keyword “python”.

To be more precise and find your specific script, you can add the script’s filename:

ps aux | grep your_script_name.py

Tip: Use grep -v grep to exclude the grep process itself for cleaner results.

ps aux | grep your_script_name.py | grep -v grep

If the command returns a result, your script is running. If it returns nothing, the script is not running.

Linux: Running, Viewing, and Killing Python Processes in the Background

View a Process

ps -ef | grep python

Run a Python Script in the Background

nohup python -u xxx.py > out.log 2>&1 &

View Script Logs

tail -1000f out.log

Kill a Process

kill -9 26879

2. Windows

On a Windows system, you can use the tasklist command in Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell.

• tasklist command: Lists all currently running tasks and processes.

In CMD:

tasklist | findstr python.exe

• tasklist: Lists all processes.
• |: A pipe.
• findstr python.exe: Searches for lines containing “python.exe”.

In PowerShell, it’s more common to use Get-Process or its alias ps:

Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like "*python*"}

Alternatively, if you know your script is running through the Python interpreter, you can search for the interpreter process directly:

Get-Process python

If the command returns process information that includes your Python script, it is running in the background.

Summary

• Linux/macOS: Use ps aux | grep [your script or keyword].
• Windows: Use tasklist | findstr python.exe or Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like "*python*"} in PowerShell.

These methods will help you quickly confirm whether your Python script is executing in the background.