UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

ps -lu username

#!/bin/sh
#
# Warn if a user consumes too much memory (RSS)
# ARG 1: limit (MB)
#

set -f
export PATH
PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin

limit=${1:-5700}
check=`ps -e -o uid= -o rss= | awk '
BEGIN {limit='$limit'*1024}
{m[$1]+=$2}
END {for (i in m) if (m[i]>max) {max=m[i]; uid=i} if (max>limit) print "uid="uid,"max="int(max/1024)}
'`
if [ -z "$check" ]
then
  echo "OK: all users below $limit MB resident memory"
  exit 0
else
  eval $check
  user=`getent passwd $uid | cut -f1 -d:`
  echo "WARNING: user $user ($uid) uses $max MB resident memory"
  exit 1
fi

$ man ps

...
       sz          SZ        size in physical pages of the core image of the
                             process.  This includes text, data, and stack
                             space.  Device mappings are currently excluded;
                             this is subject to change.  See vsz and rss.
...