If the "top" command shows the correct result you can just use something like this:
top -b -n 1 | grep apache
Check "man top" for more information. I'm basically starting top in batch mode and running it for a single iteration.
You probably cheched this, but note that if the webpage loop is client-side your server will not get hurt.

i tried this command, and it shows a list of apache processes running at 0.0, and one of them at 0.1.

actually apache doesn't need any resources, unless you really have a big server load. so a CPU load of 0.0 seems ok to me (and if i run top, apache is so far at the bottom, that i cant see it).

but you can test your command like this: start a find to list all files; this eats a lot of CPU/IO:

find /

open another terminal and enter

ps -eo "%cpu %C %U %c %a" | grep find

gives me:

4.0 find pu 4.0 chris find find /

seems to work!

Chris

What about ps axu followed by | grep whatever?

tyler@localhost:~$ ps axuUSER       PID %CPU %MEM   VSZ  RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMANDroot         1  0.0  0.0  1528  528 ?        S    10:50   0:00 init [2]root         2  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        SN   10:50   0:00 [ksoftirqd/0]root         3  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   10:50   0:00 [events/0]root         4  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   10:50   0:00 [khelper]root        20  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   10:50   0:00 [kblockd/0]root        50  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [pdflush]root        51  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [pdflush]root        53  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   10:50   0:00 [aio/0]root        52  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [kswapd0]root       189  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [kseriod]root       210  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S<   10:50   0:00 [ata/0]root       304  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [kjournald]root       585  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:50   0:00 [khubd]root      2458  0.0  0.0  1700  696 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 dhclient -e -pf /daemon    2462  0.0  0.0  1640  444 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /sbin/portmaproot      2627  0.0  0.0  1584  624 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /sbin/syslogdroot      2630  0.0  0.1  2428 1444 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /sbin/klogdDebian-   2664  0.0  0.1  4212 1472 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/exim4 -tyler     2669  0.0  0.1  2904 1472 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/famd -Twnn       2673  0.0  0.3  5276 3944 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/Wnn4/jseroot      2680  0.0  0.0  1564  520 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/inetdroot      2687  0.0  0.1  3428 1444 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/sshdroot      2712  0.0  0.3  5016 3472 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/X11/xfsroot      2784  0.0  0.1  2760 1460 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /bin/bash /etc/rcroot      2785  0.0  0.1  2760 1460 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /bin/bash /etc/rcroot      2786  0.0  0.2  9020 2760 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/Xprt -acroot      2788  0.0  0.1  2760 1464 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /bin/bash /etc/rcdaemon    2795  0.0  0.0  1716  628 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/atdroot      2855  0.0  0.0  1788  732 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/sbin/cronroot      2861  0.0  0.2  8860 2324 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/gdmroot      2868  0.0  0.2  9204 2752 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/gdmroot      2870  0.0  0.0  1528  480 tty1     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400root      2873  0.0  0.0  1528  480 tty4     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400root      2875  0.0  0.0  1528  484 tty6     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400root      2971  5.8  6.5 81604 67912 ?       S<L  10:51   0:49 /usr/X11R6/bin/Xroot      3069  0.0  0.0     0    0 ?        S    10:51   0:00 [kapmd]root      3102  0.0  0.0  1528  484 tty3     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400root      3128  0.0  0.0  1528  484 tty5     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400tyler     3165  0.0  0.8 18660 9324 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/gnome-setyler     3229  0.0  0.0  3004  880 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/ssh-agentyler     3232  0.1  0.7 10776 7476 ?        S    10:51   0:01 /usr/lib/gconf2/gtyler     3234  0.0  0.0  2284 1020 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/bin/gnome-ketyler     3236  0.0  0.2  7112 2864 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 /usr/lib/bonobo-aroot      3237  0.0  0.0  1528  480 tty2     Ss+  10:51   0:00 /sbin/getty 38400tyler     3249  0.0  0.2  7728 2684 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 gnome-smproxy --styler     3251  0.0  0.8 20372 8592 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/lib/control-tyler     3288  0.1  0.7 13704 7400 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 metacity --sm-savtyler     3299  0.0  1.1 20952 12348 ?       Ss   10:51   0:00 gnome-panel --sm-tyler     3301  0.0  1.7 36076 17648 ?       Ss   10:51   0:00 nautilus --sm-contyler     3303  4.6  3.2 77188 34168 ?       Ss   10:51   0:38 /usr/bin/python /tyler     3305  0.1  0.7 46760 7636 ?        Ss   10:51   0:00 xmms --sm-client-tyler     3310  0.0  0.3 17368 3612 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-vftyler     3328  0.0  0.0  2220  764 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/lib/nautilustyler     3333  0.0  0.9 18220 9404 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-patyler     3335  0.0  0.9 18136 9668 ?        S    10:52   0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-patyler     3349  6.8  4.1 112656 42820 ?      S    10:52   0:54 /usr/lib/mozilla-tyler     3575  0.0  0.1  3816 1924 ?        S    10:56   0:00 /usr/bin/xscreenstyler     3781 17.5  1.2 31500 13248 ?       R    11:05   0:00 gnome-terminaltyler     3782  0.0  0.0  2236  672 ?        S    11:05   0:00 gnome-pty-helpertyler     3783  0.0  0.1  4824 1672 pts/1    Ss   11:05   0:00 bashtyler     3787  0.0  0.0  2528  848 pts/1    R+   11:05   0:00 ps axu