How to specify more spaces for the delimiter using cut?

Question

Is there any way to specify a field delimiter for more spaces with the cut command? (like \" \"+) ? For example: In the following string, I like to reach value \'3744\', wha

Answer 1

If you want to pick columns from a ps output, any reason to not use -o?

e.g.

ps ax -o pid,vsz
ps ax -o pid,cmd

Minimum column width allocated, no padding, only single space field separator.

ps ax --no-headers -o pid:1,vsz:1,cmd

3443 24600 -bash
8419 0 [xfsalloc]
8420 0 [xfs_mru_cache]
8602 489316 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
12821 497240 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
12824 497132 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start

Pid and vsz given 10 char width, 1 space field separator.

ps ax --no-headers -o pid:10,vsz:10,cmd

  3443      24600 -bash
  8419          0 [xfsalloc]
  8420          0 [xfs_mru_cache]
  8602     489316 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
 12821     497240 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
 12824     497132 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start

Used in a script:-

oldpid=12824
echo "PID: ${oldpid}"
echo "Command: $(ps -ho cmd ${oldpid})"