user@host ~ $ cat ps PID TTY TIME CMD 29417 pts/27 00:00:00 bash 29422 pts/27 00:00:00 ps user@host ~ $ cut -c 7- ps # outputs characters starting from the seventh TTY TIME CMD pts/27 00:00:00 bash pts/27 00:00:00 ps user@host ~ $ cut -b 4,25 ps # fourth and twenty-fifth byte IC 1b 2p user@host ~ $ cut -f 2 -d ' ' ps # the first line of the ps file starts with two spaces, hence the 'empty' f pts/27 pts/27