Phil Bull
philbull@gmail.com 2011
Michael Hill
mdhillca@gmail.com 2011, 2014
Search for a file that's open to display which process is using it.

# Find which program is using a specific file

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:

Click System Monitor Search for Open Files.

Enter a filename or part of a filename. This could be /dev/snd for the sound device or /media/cdrom for the DVD ROM.

Click Find.

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.