btop

Start btop

$ btop

$ btop --preset [0..9]

$ btop --tty_on

$ btop --low-color

$ btop --update 500

$ <q>

$ btop [[-h|--help]]

btop [options]

-v, --version
    Show version info and quit.

-h, --help
    Show help message and quit.

-t, --theme
    Use theme with given name.

-p, --pid
    Show specific pid.

-c, --config
    Use a specific configuration file. Overrides default location.

btop is a resource monitor displaying usage and statistics for processor, memory, disks, network and processes. It's a modern, visually appealing, and user-friendly alternative to classic tools like top and htop.

btop aims to be easy to use, with a game inspired menu system. It uses single character key presses for most operations. It is designed to be highly configurable, allowing users to tailor the display to their specific needs. It offers customization in terms of displayed metrics, color schemes, refresh intervals, and even the way processes are sorted.

btop is written in C++ and is designed to be cross-platform compatible. Its features include process filtering, sending signals to processes, and detailed network information. Its intuitive interface makes it a great tool for both system administrators and general users who want to keep track of their system's performance.

btop stores its configuration in a file typically located in ~/.config/btop/btop.conf. This file can be modified to customize various aspects of the program, such as color themes, update intervals, and displayed metrics. The command line flag '-c, --config' allows the user to specify an alternate configuration file.

btop employs single-key shortcuts for navigation and control. Pressing '?' will display the keybindings to the user.

btop is a continuation of the bashtop and bpytop projects. It evolved from a bash script (bashtop) into a python script (bpytop), finally being rewritten in C++ for improved performance and cross-platform capabilities. The goal was to create a visually appealing and efficient system monitor that is easy to use and configure. Development continues to focus on adding new features, improving performance, and ensuring compatibility across different operating systems.

top(1), htop(1), vmstat(8), iostat(1)