Follow-up Comment #6, bug #38092 (project findutils): The --process_slot_var is documented in later findutils-4.5.x releases (you can look at the latest version of the manpage here: http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/findutils.git/tree/xargs/xargs.1).
It looks to me like your requirements would be met by: TOT_RANKS=# some decimal value ARGS_PER_RANK=# another decimal value xargs --process_slot_var=RANK -P $TOT_RANKS -n $ARGS_PER_RANK sh -c 'mpirun -n $RANK yourcommand "$@"' dollarzero The other obvious - and more readable - way to do this is to split the argument file into however many chunks you need. Then just run for chunk in $total_chunks; do xargs -a chunks/$chunk mpirun -n $chunk yourcommmand done _______________________________________________________ Reply to this item at: <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?38092> _______________________________________________ Message sent via/by Savannah http://savannah.gnu.org/