open files

When working on Linux, understanding what files and sockets are currently open can be crucial, whether you're a system administrator, a security specialist, or a software developer. The lsof command, which stands for "List Open Files," is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in the Linux toolbox. In this article, we'll explore how to install and use lsof to monitor and manage your system's resources effectively. lsof is a unix-like command line utility that provides detailed information about files opened by processes. An "open file" may be a regular file, a directory, a block special file, a character special file, an executing text reference, a library, a stream, or a network file (Internet socket, NFS file or UNIX domain socket.