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bashpidtor

How to get the true PID of portable TOR browser?

Getting and use the true PID of a installed programm like xed or Firefox are working fine p.e. on follow way:

#!/bin/bash

xed & PID=$! # Start xed and get PID for later
echo "$PID"

Running the xed some time

kill -15 "$PID" # Soft Kill of xed

Getting the PID of portable TOR browser give back a PID which looks like are not from TOR browser (possible from one of a TOR helper scripts inside the portable Tor browser folder)

The result of this is. The Tor browser cant be closed on follow way by the wrong TOR PID:

#!/bin/bash

/home/username/desktop/Tor_FF/start-tor-browser.desktop & PID=$! # Start xed and get PID for later
echo "$PID"

Running the xed some time

kill -15 "$PID" # Soft Kill of xed

Envirement:

  • Linux like Ubuntu 64, 20.x, Gnome
Solution

  • Based on input from Socowi, follow solution:

    #!/bin/bash

TOR_PID=$(pgrep -o firefox.real); echo "$TOR_PID"

# running TOR a little bit

kill -15 "$TOR_PID" # Soft Kill of xed

    Some remarks:

    Check onetime by hand what the name of the Tor process is by:

    • start the mobile version of TOR
    • pstree and top

    Get the PID by processname:

    TOR_PID=$(pgrep -o firefox.real); echo "$TOR_PID"

    Doublecheck by the follow the PID are realy the right one from TOR:

    • check by pstree and top

    Check the PID by follow:

    kill -15 "$TOR_PID" # Soft Kill of TOR browser