Finding JVM arguments easily from the shell

You know the score, you're asked 'oh just check what the Xmx is on that JVM'... easy huh...

$ pgrep -fl java
17506 /bin/bash /Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/nbexec --userdir /Users/someuser/Library/Application Support/NetBeans/8.0.2 --cachedir /Users/someuser/Library/Caches/NetBeans/8.0.2 --jdkhome -J-Dcom.apple.mrj.application.apple.menu.about.name=NetBeans -J-Xdock:name=NetBeans -J-Xdock:icon=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/nb/netbeans.icns --branding nb --clusters /Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/nb:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/ergonomics:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/ide:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/extide:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/java:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/apisupport:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/webcommon:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/websvccommon:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/enterprise:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/mobility:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/profiler:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/python:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/php:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/identity:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/harness:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/cnd:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/dlight:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/groovy:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/extra:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/javacard:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/javafx: -J-Dnetbeans.importclass=org.netbeans.upgrade.AutoUpgrade -J-Dnetbeans.accept_license_class=org.netbeans.license.AcceptLicense -L-XX:MaxPermSize=384m -J-Xmx1024m -J-client -J-Xss2m -J-Xms32m -J-XX:PermSize=32m -J-Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=true -J-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=true -J-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -J-Dsun.java2d.dpiaware=true -J-Dsun.zip.disableMemoryMapping=true SHELL=/bin/bash
17758 /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java -Djdk.home=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0.jdk/Contents/Home -classpath /Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/boot.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/org-openide-modules.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/org-openide-util-lookup.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/org-openide-util.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/boot_ja.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/boot_pt_BR.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/boot_ru.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/boot_zh_CN.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-modules_ja.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-modules_pt_BR.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-modules_ru.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-modules_zh_CN.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util-lookup_ja.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util-lookup_pt_BR.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util-lookup_ru.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util-lookup_zh_CN.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util_ja.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util_pt_BR.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util_ru.jar:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform/lib/locale/org-openide-util_zh_CN.jar:/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/dt.jar:/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/tools.jar -Dnetbeans.default_userdir_root=/Users/someuser/Library/Application Support/NetBeans -Dnetbeans.dirs=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/nb:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/ergonomics:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/ide:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/extide:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/java:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/apisupport:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/webcommon:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/websvccommon:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/enterprise:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/mobility:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/profiler:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/python:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/php:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/identity:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/harness:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/cnd:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/dlight:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/groovy:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/extra:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/javacard:/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/javafx: -Dnetbeans.home=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/platform -Dcom.apple.mrj.application.apple.menu.about.name=NetBeans -Xdock:name=NetBeans -Xdock:icon=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans 8.0.2.app/Contents/Resources/NetBeans/nb/netbeans.icns -Dnetbeans.importclass=org.netbeans.upgrade.AutoUpgrade -Dnetbeans.accept_license_class=org.netbeans.license.AcceptLicense -Xmx1024m -client -Xss2m -Xms32m -XX:PermSize=32m -Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=true -Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=true -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -Dsun.java2d.dpiaware=true -Dsun.zip.disableMemoryMapping=true -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath=/Users/someuser/Library/Application Support/NetBeans/8.0.2/var/log/heapdump.hprof org.netbeans.Main --cachedir /Users/someuser/Library/Caches/NetBeans/8.0.2 --userdir /Users/someuser/Library/Application Support/NetBeans/8.0.2 --branding nb

Did you see it?

It then sinks in, its all on one line! You can't grep Xmx (well you can I guess if you have grep with colour highlighting - believe me, not everyone gets that luxury in the workplace!). Its still gonna be fun to find in that lot!

Help is at hand...

$ pgrep -fl java | tr -s " " "\n" | grep "Xmx"
-J-Xmx1024m
-Xmx1024m

Or perhaps you want all the -arguments...?<

$ pgrep -fl java | tr -s " " "\n" | grep "^-"

--userdir

--cachedir

--jdkhome

-J-Dcom.apple.mrj.application.apple.menu.about.name=NetBeans

-J-Xdock:name=NetBeans

-J-Xdock:icon=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans

--branding

--clusters

-J-Dnetbeans.importclass=org.netbeans.upgrade.AutoUpgrade

-J-Dnetbeans.accept_license_class=org.netbeans.license.AcceptLicense

-L-XX:MaxPermSize=384m

-J-Xmx1024m

-J-client

-J-Xss2m

-J-Xms32m

-J-XX:PermSize=32m

-J-Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=true

-J-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=true

-J-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true

-J-Dsun.java2d.dpiaware=true

-J-Dsun.zip.disableMemoryMapping=true

-Djdk.home=/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0.jdk/Contents/Home

-classpath

-Dnetbeans.default_userdir_root=/Users/someuser/Library/Application

-Dnetbeans.dirs=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans

-Dnetbeans.home=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans

-Dcom.apple.mrj.application.apple.menu.about.name=NetBeans

-Xdock:name=NetBeans

-Xdock:icon=/Applications/NetBeans/NetBeans

-Dnetbeans.importclass=org.netbeans.upgrade.AutoUpgrade

-Dnetbeans.accept_license_class=org.netbeans.license.AcceptLicense

-Xmx1024m

-client

-Xss2m

-Xms32m

-XX:PermSize=32m

-Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=true

-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=true

-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true

-Dsun.java2d.dpiaware=true

-Dsun.zip.disableMemoryMapping=true

-XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError

-XX:HeapDumpPath=/Users/someuser/Library/Application

--cachedir

--userdir

--branding