linux - Check if a program in a specific path is running

Question

I am trying to check if a process is running with the code below:

SERVICE="./yowsup/yowsup-cli"
RESULT=`ps aux | grep $SERVICE`

if [ "${RESULT:-null}" = null ]; then
    echo "not running"
else
    echo "running"
fi

But it keeps echoing it is running although it is not. I realized that the grep itself comes as a result and that is the issue.

How can I skip the grep and just check for the process?

Answer 1

Use pgrep:

if pgrep "$SERVICE" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
    echo "$SERVICE is running"
fi

or, more reliable:

if pgrep -f "/path/to/$SERVICE" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
    echo "$SERVICE is running"
fi