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procps' watch together with ps command truncates command lines

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The setup is I have two folders now under my current directory, busybox-1.36.1 and procps-4.0.4, and I also have a service languagetool running with DynamicUser=yes. Now observe the different behaviour: Legend: ✅ Doesn't truncate; ❌ truncates. ### busybox watch & busybox ps ✅
./busybox-1.36.1/bin/watch './busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool'
Every 2.0s: ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool                                                                           2025-03-17 23:20:02

1026972 61534    39:36 java ...languagetool...
4053857 mathiass  0:00 ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/watch ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
4053882 mathiass  0:00 sh -c -- ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
4053884 mathiass  0:00 grep languagetool
### busybox watch & procps ps ✅
./busybox-1.36.1/bin/watch './procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool'
Every 2.0s: ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool

languag+ 1026972  0.1 13.6 14468788 4464816 ?    Ssl  Mar04  39:38 java ...languagetool...
mathias+ 4057218  0.0  0.0   4676  2244 pts/32   S+   23:35   0:00 ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/watch ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
mathias+ 4057222  0.0  0.0 231736  3788 pts/32   S+   23:35   0:00 sh -c -- ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
mathias+ 4057224  0.0  0.0 230732  2520 pts/32   S+   23:35   0:00 grep languagetool
### procps watch & procps ps ❌
./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch './procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool'
Every 2.0s: ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool

mathias+ 4056463  0.0  0.0 230836  3320 pts/32   S+   23:31   0:00 ./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
mathias+ 4056540  0.0  0.0 230836  1532 pts/32   S+   23:32   0:00 ./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
mathias+ 4056541  0.0  0.0 231736  3556 pts/32   S+   23:32   0:00 sh -c -- ./procps-4.0.4/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
mathias+ 4056543  0.0  0.0 230732  2244 pts/32   S+   23:32   0:00 grep languagetool
### procps watch & busybox ps ✅
./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch './busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool'
Every 2.0s: ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool                                                                nixos: Mon Mar 17 23:33:31 2025

1026972 61534    39:38 java ...languagetool...
4056826 mathiass  0:00 ./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
4056831 mathiass  0:00 ./procps-4.0.4/bin/watch ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
4056832 mathiass  0:00 sh -c -- ./busybox-1.36.1/bin/ps aux | grep languagetool
4056834 mathiass  0:00 grep languagetool
## Question It seems odd that in every other case the commands behave as I expect them to, except when trying to use both ps and watch from procps. Does anybody know what is going on here?
Asked by Mathias Sven (273 rep)
Mar 17, 2025, 11:41 PM
Last activity: Mar 18, 2025, 01:56 PM