top
Display real-time dynamic view of running processes and system resource usage.
Synopsis
top [OPTION]...
Examples
top
top -bn1 | head -20
top -u www-data
top -d 2 -p 1234,5678
Common options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| -d | Delay between updates in seconds |
| -n | Number of iterations before exit |
| -p | Monitor specific PIDs |
| -u | Show only processes for user |
| -b | Batch mode for scripting |
About top
The `top` command display real-time dynamic view of running processes and system resource usage. Process management commands let you monitor, control, and schedule running processes.
Linux is a multitasking operating system, and understanding how to list processes, send signals, adjust priorities, and manage background jobs is vital for system administration and debugging performance issues. The command accepts 5 commonly used flags shown above, though the full set of options is available in the man page (`man top`).
The 4 examples on this page cover typical real-world usage patterns that you can copy and adapt for your own workflows.
Related commands
More Process Management Commands
Other commands in the Process Management category