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[ Linux Command Manual](#) * * * ## What is htop htop is an interactive process viewer for Linux systems, providing richer functionality and a more user-friendly interface than the traditional top command. ### Main Features of htop * **Color Display**: Different colors distinguish different types of processes and system statuses * **Visual Layout**: Intuitive display of CPU, memory, and swap usage * **Mouse Support**: Direct mouse click operations supported * **Process Tree View**: View hierarchical relationships between processes * **Custom Sorting**: Sort processes by various metrics * **Process Operations**: Directly terminate, adjust priority, etc. * * * ## Installing htop ### On Debian/Ubuntu-based Systems sudo apt update sudo apt install htop ### On RHEL/CentOS-based Systems sudo yum install epel-release # Install EPEL repository first sudo yum install htop ### On Arch Linux-based Systems sudo pacman -S htop * * * ## htop Basic Interface Analysis To start htop, simply enter in the terminal: htop The interface is mainly divided into the following parts: 1. **Top Area**: System overview information * CPU usage (displayed by core) * Memory usage * Swap space usage * System uptime and average load 2. **Middle Area**: Process list * PID: Process ID * USER: Process owner * PRI: Process priority * NI: nice value * VIRT: Virtual memory usage * RES: Physical memory usage * SHR: Shared memory size * S: Process status (running, sleeping, etc.) * CPU%: CPU usage rate * MEM%: Memory usage rate * TIME+: CPU time * COMMAND: Command name 3. **Bottom Area**: Function key hints * * * ## htop Common Shortcuts | Shortcut | Function Description | | --- | --- | | F1 or h | Show help | | F2 or S | Enter setup menu | | F3 or / | Search for process | | F4 or | Filter processes | | F5 or t | Show process tree | | F6 or < | Select sort field | | F7 or [ | Decrease process priority | | F8 or ] | Increase process priority | | F9 or k | Kill process | | F10 or q | Quit htop | | Space | Tag/untag process | | u | Show specific user's processes | | H | Show/hide user threads | | K | Show/hide kernel threads | | P | Sort by CPU usage | | M | Sort by memory usage | | T | Sort by running time | * * * ## htop Advanced Features ### 1. Process Tree View Press `F5` or `t` to switch to process tree view, displaying parent-child relationships between processes. ### 2. Process Filtering Press `F4` or `` to enter filter conditions, showing only processes that match the criteria. ### 3. Multi-select Operations After marking multiple processes with the space key, you can perform batch operations (such as termination). ### 4. Custom Display Press `F2` to enter the setup menu, where you can: * Adjust displayed columns * Change color themes * Set refresh interval * Configure other display options ### 5. System Monitoring The top area of htop provides rich system monitoring information: * CPU usage (by core) * Memory and swap space usage * System load averages * * * ## htop vs top Command Comparison | Feature | htop | top | | --- | --- | --- | | Interface | Color, intuitive | Monochrome, basic | | Mouse Support | Yes | No | | Process Tree View | Supported | Not supported | | Sorting Methods | Multiple, dynamically adjustable | Limited | | Process Operations | Richer | Basic | | Customization | Highly configurable | Limited | | Resource Usage | Slightly higher | Lower | * * * ## Practical Application Examples ### Example 1: Find and Terminate High CPU Usage Process 1. Start htop 2. Press `P` to sort by CPU usage 3. Find the target process 4. Press `F9` to select termination signal (usually 15 SIGTERM) 5. Press Enter to confirm ### Example 2: Monitor Specific User's Processes 1. Start htop 2. Press `u` key 3. Select the username to monitor 4. Only that user's processes are displayed ### Example 3: Set Refresh Interval 1. Press `F2` to enter setup 2. Select "Display options" 3. Modify "Delay" value (seconds) 4. Press `F10` to save and exit * * * ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Q1: Which is better, htop or top? htop provides richer functionality and a friendlier interface, suitable for interactive use; top is lighter weight, suitable for use in scripts. ### Q2: Why do some processes appear green/red? Green usually indicates normally running processes, red may indicate high resource usage or zombie processes. ### Q3: How to view the full command line? Press `F2` to enter setup, and adjust the "Show program path" option in "Display options". ### Q4: What does the memory information in htop mean? * **VIRT**: Total virtual memory used by the process * **RES**: Physical memory used by the process * **SHR**: Shared memory used by the process [ Linux Command Manual](#)