Linux – Determine process using a port, without sudo

Short answer: you can't. Ports below 1024 can be opened only by root. As per comment - well, you can, using CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE, but that approach, applied to java bin will make any java program to be run with this setting, which is undesirable, if not a security risk.

The long answer: you can redirect connections on port 80 to some other port you can open as normal user.

Run as root:

# iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 80 -j REDIRECT --to-port 8080

As loopback devices (like localhost) do not use the prerouting rules, if you need to use localhost, etc., add this rule as well (thanks @Francesco):

# iptables -t nat -I OUTPUT -p tcp -d 127.0.0.1 --dport 80 -j REDIRECT --to-ports 8080

NOTE: The above solution is not well suited for multi-user systems, as any user can open port 8080 (or any other high port you decide to use), thus intercepting the traffic. (Credits to CesarB).

EDIT: as per comment question - to delete the above rule:

# iptables -t nat --line-numbers -n -L

This will output something like:

Chain PREROUTING (policy ACCEPT)
num  target     prot opt source               destination         
1    REDIRECT   tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:8080 redir ports 8088
2    REDIRECT   tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:80 redir ports 8080

The rule you are interested in is nr. 2, so to delete it:

# iptables -t nat -D PREROUTING 2

The problem might be the way how Apache starts the sub-processes. They might get spawned by forking and letting the cloned Apache processes become other processes. Every clone inherits all open file-handles of the parent process, including the open handle of TCP port 80.

Netstat only shows one application associated with the open file handle, while three processes keep the handle open.

Possible solutions to your problem:

1. If it is important to keep the sub-processes running during a Apache restart, the simplest solution would be to start the 3 Processes as separate system-services.

2. If they depend on a running Apache, a 'apache stop' command should also terminate them. This could be achieved by editing the /etc/init.d/apache script.

3. If you are forced to start them from Apache, you need to start them as real "daemon processes"!

I wrote a daemon creator for a PyQt-app inspired by http://code.activestate.com/recipes/278731-creating-a-daemon-the-python-way/. You could start this script from Apache, call exec_as_daemon for each of your sub-processes and close it.

# Copyright: (c) 2011 phobie <pydaemon.phobie@safersignup.com>
# License: CC-by-sa 3.0
import os
def exec_as_daemon(s_path_cmd, l_args=[]):
    i_pid = os.fork()
    if i_pid != 0:
        # Always remember to gobble your zombie children
        os.wait()
        # Back to parent
        return
    # Detach from parent
    os.setsid()
    # Do not block any mounts
    os.chdir('/')
    # Reset file creation rights
    os.umask(0)
    i_pid = os.fork()
    if i_pid != 0:
        # Close the direct child process
        os._exit(0)
    # Get the maximum count of open file handles
    try:
        import resource
        i_fd_max = resource.getrlimit(resource.RLIMIT_NOFILE)[1]
        if i_fd_max == resource.RLIM_INFINITY:
            i_fd_max = 1024
    except ImportError:
        i_fd_max = 1024
    # Try to close all possible file handles
    for i_cur_fd in range(0, i_fd_max):
        try:
            os.close(i_cur_fd)
        except OSError:
            pass
    # Assosiate STDIN with /dev/null
    os.open(os.devnull if hasattr(os, "devnull") else '/dev/null', os.O_RDWR)
    # STDOUT to /dev/null
    os.dup2(0, 1)
    # STDERR to /dev/null
    os.dup2(0, 2)
    l_args.insert(0, s_path_cmd)
    # Let the clone become a other process
    os.execv(s_path_cmd, l_args)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    exec_as_daemon('/usr/bin/java', ['-jar', '/usr/local/bin/apache_helper_daemon.jar'])
    exec_as_daemon('/usr/local/bin/apache_helper_daemon.py')