LinuxCommandLibrary

btop

Monitor system resource usage

TLDR

Start btop

$ btop
copy

Start btop with the specified settings preset
$ btop --preset [0..9]
copy

Start btop in TTY mode using 16 colors and TTY-friendly graph symbols
$ btop --tty_on
copy

Start btop in 256-color mode instead of 24-bit color mode
$ btop --low-color
copy

Set the update rate to 500 milliseconds
$ btop --update 500
copy

Exit btop
$ <q>
copy

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

SYNOPSIS

btop [options]

PARAMETERS

-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.

DESCRIPTION

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.

CONFIGURATION

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.

KEYBINDINGS

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

HISTORY

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.

SEE ALSO

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

Copied to clipboard