{ "mode": "man", "parameter": "htop", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/htop/1/json", "generated": "2026-06-14T00:04:32Z", "synopsis": "htop [-dCFhpustvH]", "sections": { "NAME": { "content": "htop - interactive process viewer\n", "subsections": [] }, "SYNOPSIS": { "content": "htop [-dCFhpustvH]\n", "subsections": [] }, "DESCRIPTION": { "content": "htop is a cross-platform ncurses-based process viewer.\n\nIt is similar to top, but allows you to scroll vertically and horizontally, and interact us‐\ning a pointing device (mouse). You can observe all processes running on the system, along\nwith their command line arguments, as well as view them in a tree format, select multiple\nprocesses and acting on them all at once.\n\nTasks related to processes (killing, renicing) can be done without entering their PIDs.\n", "subsections": [] }, "COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS": { "content": "Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "-d --delay=DELAY", "content": "Delay between updates, in tenths of seconds. If the delay value is less than 1 it is\nincreased to 1, i.e. 1/10 second. If the delay value is greater than 100, it is de‐\ncreased to 100, i.e. 10 seconds.\n", "flag": "-d", "long": "--delay", "arg": "DELAY" }, { "name": "-C --no-color --no-colour", "content": "Start htop in monochrome mode\n", "flag": "-C", "long": "--no-colour" }, { "name": "-F --filter=FILTER", "content": "Filter processes by command\n", "flag": "-F", "long": "--filter", "arg": "FILTER" }, { "name": "-h --help", "content": "Display a help message and exit\n", "flag": "-h", "long": "--help" }, { "name": "-p --pid=PID,PID...", "content": "Show only the given PIDs\n", "flag": "-p", "long": "--pid", "arg": "PID,PID..." }, { "name": "-s --sort-key COLUMN", "content": "Sort by this column (use --sort-key help for a column list). This will force a list\nview unless you specify -t at the same time.\n", "flag": "-s", "long": "--sort-key", "arg": "COLUMN" }, { "name": "-u --user=USERNAME", "content": "Show only the processes of a given user\n", "flag": "-u", "long": "--user", "arg": "USERNAME" }, { "name": "-U --no-unicode", "content": "Do not use unicode but ASCII characters for graph meters\n", "flag": "-U", "long": "--no-unicode" }, { "name": "-M --no-mouse", "content": "Disable support of mouse control\n", "flag": "-M", "long": "--no-mouse" }, { "name": "-V --version", "content": "Output version information and exit\n", "flag": "-V", "long": "--version" }, { "name": "-t --tree", "content": "Show processes in tree view. This can be used to force a tree view when requesting a\nsort order with -s.\n", "flag": "-t", "long": "--tree" }, { "name": "-H --highlight-changes=DELAY", "content": "Highlight new and old processes\n", "flag": "-H", "long": "--highlight-changes", "arg": "DELAY" } ] }, "INTERACTIVE COMMANDS": { "content": "The following commands are supported while in htop:\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "Up, Alt-k", "content": "Select (highlight) the previous process in the process list. Scroll the list if neces‐\nsary.\n" }, { "name": "Down, Alt-j", "content": "Select (highlight) the next process in the process list. Scroll the list if necessary.\n" }, { "name": "Left, Alt-h", "content": "Scroll the process list left.\n" }, { "name": "Right, Alt-l", "content": "Scroll the process list right.\n" }, { "name": "PgUp, PgDn", "content": "Scroll the process list up or down one window.\n\nHome Scroll to the top of the process list and select the first process.\n\nEnd Scroll to the bottom of the process list and select the last process.\n" }, { "name": "Ctrl-A, ^", "content": "Scroll left to the beginning of the process entry (i.e. beginning of line).\n" }, { "name": "Ctrl-E, $", "content": "Scroll right to the end of the process entry (i.e. end of line).\n" }, { "name": "Space", "content": "Tag or untag a process. Commands that can operate on multiple processes, like \"kill\",\nwill then apply over the list of tagged processes, instead of the currently highlighted\none.\n\nc Tag the current process and its children. Commands that can operate on multiple pro‐\ncesses, like \"kill\", will then apply over the list of tagged processes, instead of the\ncurrently highlighted one.\n\nU Untag all processes (remove all tags added with the Space or c keys).\n\ns Trace process system calls: if strace(1) is installed, pressing this key will attach it\nto the currently selected process, presenting a live update of system calls issued by\nthe process.\n\nl Display open files for a process: if lsof(1) is installed, pressing this key will dis‐\nplay the list of file descriptors opened by the process.\n\nw Display the command line of the selected process in a separate screen, wrapped onto mul‐\ntiple lines as needed.\n\nx Display the active file locks of the selected process in a separate screen.\n" }, { "name": "F1, h, ?", "content": "Go to the help screen\n" }, { "name": "F2, S", "content": "Go to the setup screen, where you can configure the meters displayed at the top of the\nscreen, set various display options, choose among color schemes, and select which col‐\numns are displayed, in which order.\n" }, { "name": "F3, /", "content": "Incrementally search the command lines of all the displayed processes. The currently se‐\nlected (highlighted) command will update as you type. While in search mode, pressing F3\nwill cycle through matching occurrences. Pressing Shift-F3 will cycle backwards.\n\nAlternatively the search can be started by simply typing the command you are looking\nfor, although for the first character normal key bindings take precedence.\n" }, { "name": "F4, \\", "content": "Incremental process filtering: type in part of a process command line and only processes\nwhose names match will be shown. To cancel filtering, enter the Filter option again and\npress Esc.\n" }, { "name": "F5, t", "content": "Tree view: organize processes by parenthood, and layout the relations between them as a\ntree. Toggling the key will switch between tree and your previously selected sort view.\nSelecting a sort view will exit tree view.\n" }, { "name": "F6, <, >", "content": "Selects a field for sorting, also accessible through < and >. The current sort field is\nindicated by a highlight in the header.\n" }, { "name": "F7, ]", "content": "Increase the selected process's priority (subtract from 'nice' value). This can only be\ndone by the superuser.\n" }, { "name": "F8, [", "content": "Decrease the selected process's priority (add to 'nice' value)\n" }, { "name": "F9, k", "content": "\"Kill\" process: sends a signal which is selected in a menu, to one or a group of pro‐\ncesses. If processes were tagged, sends the signal to all tagged processes. If none is\ntagged, sends to the currently selected process.\n" }, { "name": "F10, q", "content": "Quit\n\nI Invert the sort order: if sort order is increasing, switch to decreasing, and vice-\nversa.\n\n+, - When in tree view mode, expand or collapse subtree. When a subtree is collapsed a \"+\"\nsign shows to the left of the process name.\n" }, { "name": "a (on multiprocessor machines)", "content": "Set CPU affinity: mark which CPUs a process is allowed to use.\n\nu Show only processes owned by a specified user.\n\nN Sort by PID.\n\nM Sort by memory usage (top compatibility key).\n\nP Sort by processor usage (top compatibility key).\n\nT Sort by time (top compatibility key).\n\nF \"Follow\" process: if the sort order causes the currently selected process to move in the\nlist, make the selection bar follow it. This is useful for monitoring a process: this\nway, you can keep a process always visible on screen. When a movement key is used, \"fol‐\nlow\" loses effect.\n\nK Hide kernel threads: prevent the threads belonging the kernel to be displayed in the\nprocess list. (This is a toggle key.)\n\nH Hide user threads: on systems that represent them differently than ordinary processes\n(such as recent NPTL-based systems), this can hide threads from userspace processes in\nthe process list. (This is a toggle key.)\n\np Show full paths to running programs, where applicable. (This is a toggle key.)\n\nZ Pause/resume process updates.\n\nm Merge exe, comm and cmdline, where applicable. (This is a toggle key.)\n" }, { "name": "Ctrl-L", "content": "Refresh: redraw screen and recalculate values.\n" }, { "name": "Numbers", "content": "PID search: type in process ID and the selection highlight will be moved to it.\n" } ] }, "COLUMNS": { "content": "The following columns can display data about each process. A value of '-' in all the rows in‐\ndicates that a column is unsupported on your system, or currently unimplemented in htop. The\nnames below are the ones used in the \"Available Columns\" section of the setup screen. If a\ndifferent name is shown in htop's main screen, it is shown below in parenthesis.\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "Command", "content": "The full command line of the process (i.e. program name and arguments). If the option\n'Merge exe, comm and cmdline in Command' (toggled by the 'm' key) is set, and if read‐\nable, the executable path (/proc/[pid]/exe) and the command name (/proc/[pid]/comm) are\nalso shown merged with the command line.\n\nComm The command name of the process obtained from /proc/[pid]/comm, if readable.\n\nExe The abbreviated basename of the executable of the process, obtained from\n/proc/[pid]/exe, if readable. htop is able to read this file on linux for ALL the pro‐\ncesses only if it has the capability CAPSYSPTRACE or root privileges.\n\nPID The process ID.\n" }, { "name": "STATE (S)", "content": "The state of the process:\nS for sleeping (idle)\nR for running\nD for disk sleep (uninterruptible)\nZ for zombie (waiting for parent to read its exit status)\nT for traced or suspended (e.g by SIGTSTP)\nW for paging\n\nPPID The parent process ID.\n\nPGRP The process's group ID.\n" }, { "name": "SESSION (SID)", "content": "The process's session ID.\n\nTTYNR (TTY)\nThe controlling terminal of the process.\n\nTPGID\nThe process ID of the foreground process group of the controlling terminal.\n\nMINFLT\nThe number of page faults happening in the main memory.\n\nCMINFLT\nThe number of minor faults for the process's waited-for children (see MINFLT above).\n\nMAJFLT\nThe number of page faults happening out of the main memory.\n\nCMAJFLT\nThe number of major faults for the process's waited-for children (see MAJFLT above).\n" }, { "name": "UTIME (UTIME+)", "content": "The user CPU time, which is the amount of time the process has spent executing on the\nCPU in user mode (i.e. everything but system calls), measured in clock ticks.\n" }, { "name": "STIME (STIME+)", "content": "The system CPU time, which is the amount of time the kernel has spent executing system\ncalls on behalf of the process, measured in clock ticks.\n" }, { "name": "CUTIME (CUTIME+)", "content": "The children's user CPU time, which is the amount of time the process's waited-for chil‐\ndren have spent executing in user mode (see UTIME above).\n" }, { "name": "CSTIME (CSTIME+)", "content": "The children's system CPU time, which is the amount of time the kernel has spent execut‐\ning system calls on behalf of all the process's waited-for children (see STIME above).\n" }, { "name": "PRIORITY (PRI)", "content": "The kernel's internal priority for the process, usually just its nice value plus twenty.\nDifferent for real-time processes.\n" }, { "name": "NICE (NI)", "content": "The nice value of a process, from 19 (low priority) to -20 (high priority). A high value\nmeans the process is being nice, letting others have a higher relative priority. The\nusual OS permission restrictions for adjusting priority apply.\n" }, { "name": "STARTTIME (START)", "content": "The time the process was started.\n" }, { "name": "PROCESSOR (CPU)", "content": "The ID of the CPU the process last executed on.\n\nMVIRT (VIRT)\nThe size of the virtual memory of the process.\n\nMRESIDENT (RES)\nThe resident set size (text + data + stack) of the process (i.e. the size of the\nprocess's used physical memory).\n\nMSHARE (SHR)\nThe size of the process's shared pages.\n\nMTRS (CODE)\nThe text resident set size of the process (i.e. the size of the process's executable in‐\nstructions).\n\nMDRS (DATA)\nThe data resident set size (data + stack) of the process (i.e. the size of anything ex‐\ncept the process's executable instructions).\n\nMLRS (LIB)\nThe library size of the process.\n\nMDT (DIRTY)\nThe size of the dirty pages of the process.\n\nMSWAP (SWAP)\nThe size of the process's swapped pages.\n\nMPSS (PSS)\nThe proportional set size, same as MRESIDENT but each page is divided by the number of\nprocesses sharing it.\n\nMMPSSWP (PSSWP)\nThe proportional swap share of this mapping, unlike MSWAP this does not take into ac‐\ncount swapped out page of underlying shmem objects.\n\nSTUID (UID)\nThe user ID of the process owner.\n\nPERCENTCPU (CPU%)\nThe percentage of the CPU time that the process is currently using.\n\nPERCENTMEM (MEM%)\nThe percentage of memory the process is currently using (based on the process's resident\nmemory size, see MRESIDENT above).\n\nUSER The username of the process owner, or the user ID if the name can't be determined.\n" }, { "name": "TIME (TIME+)", "content": "The time, measured in clock ticks that the process has spent in user and system time\n(see UTIME, STIME above).\n\nNLWP The number of threads in the process.\n\nTGID The thread group ID.\n\nCTID OpenVZ container ID, a.k.a virtual environment ID.\n\nVPID OpenVZ process ID.\n\nVXID VServer process ID.\n\nRCHAR (RDCHAR)\nThe number of bytes the process has read.\n\nWCHAR (WRCHAR)\nThe number of bytes the process has written.\n\nSYSCR (RDSYSC)\nThe number of read(2) syscalls for the process.\n\nSYSCW (WRSYSC)\nThe number of write(2) syscalls for the process.\n\nRBYTES (IORBYTES)\nBytes of read(2) I/O for the process.\n\nWBYTES (IOWBYTES)\nBytes of write(2) I/O for the process.\n\nCNCLWB (IOCANCEL)\nBytes of cancelled write(2) I/O.\n\nIOREADRATE (DISK READ)\nThe I/O rate of read(2) in bytes per second, for the process.\n\nIOWRITERATE (DISK WRITE)\nThe I/O rate of write(2) in bytes per second, for the process.\n\nIORATE (DISK R/W)\nThe I/O rate, IOREADRATE + IOWRITERATE (see above).\n\nCGROUP\nWhich cgroup the process is in.\n\nOOM OOM killer score.\n\nCTXT Incremental sum of voluntary and nonvoluntary context switches.\n\nIOPRIORITY (IO)\nThe I/O scheduling class followed by the priority if the class supports it:\nR for Realtime\nB for Best-effort\nid for Idle\n\nPERCENTCPUDELAY (CPUD%)\nThe percentage of time spent waiting for a CPU (while runnable). Requires CAPNETADMIN.\n\nPERCENTIODELAY (IOD%)\nThe percentage of time spent waiting for the completion of synchronous block I/O. Re‐\nquires CAPNETADMIN.\n\nPERCENTSWAPDELAY (SWAPD%)\nThe percentage of time spent swapping in pages. Requires CAPNETADMIN.\n\nCOMM The command name for the process. Requires Linux kernel 2.6.33 or newer.\n\nEXE The executable file of the process as reported by the kernel. Requires CAPSYSPTRACE\nand PTRACEMODEREADFSCRED.\n" }, { "name": "All other flags", "content": "Currently unsupported (always displays '-').\n" } ] }, "EXTERNAL LIBRARIES": { "content": "While htop depends on most of the libraries it uses at build time there are two noteworthy\nexceptions to this rule. These exceptions both relate to data displayed in meters displayed\nin the header of htop and were intentionally created as optional runtime dependencies in‐\nstead. These exceptions are described below:\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "libsystemd", "content": "The bindings for libsystemd are used in the SystemD meter to determine the number of\nactive services and the overall system state. Looking for the functions to determine\nthese information at runtime allows for builds to support these meters without forcing\nthe package manager to install these libraries on systems that otherwise don't use\nsystemd.\n\nSummary: no build time dependency, optional runtime dependency on libsystemd via dy‐\nnamic loading, with systemctl(1) fallback.\n" }, { "name": "libsensors", "content": "The bindings for libsensors are used for the CPU temperature readings in the CPU usage\nmeters if displaying the temperature is enabled through the setup screen. In order for\nhtop to show these temperatures correctly though, a proper configuration of libsensors\nthrough its usual configuration files is assumed and that all CPU cores correspond to\ntemperature sensors from the coretemp driver with core 0 corresponding to a sensor la‐\nbelled \"Core 0\". The package temperature may be given as \"Package id 0\". If missing it\nis inferred as the maximum value from the available per-core readings.\n\nSummary: build time dependency on libsensors(3) C header files, optional runtime de‐\npendency on libsensors(3) via dynamic loading.\n" } ] }, "CONFIG FILE": { "content": "By default htop reads its configuration from the XDG-compliant path ~/.config/htop/htoprc.\nThe configuration file is overwritten by htop's in-program Setup configuration, so it should\nnot be hand-edited. If no user configuration exists htop tries to read the system-wide con‐\nfiguration from /etc/htoprc and as a last resort, falls back to its hard coded defaults.\n\nYou may override the location of the configuration file using the $HTOPRC environment vari‐\nable (so you can have multiple configurations for different machines that share the same home\ndirectory, for example).\n", "subsections": [] }, "MEMORY SIZES": { "content": "Memory sizes in htop are displayed in a human-readable form. Sizes are printed in powers of\n1024. (e.g., 1023M = 1072693248 Bytes)\n\nThe decision to use this convention was made in order to conserve screen space and make mem‐\nory size representations consistent throughout htop.\n", "subsections": [] }, "SEE ALSO": { "content": "proc(5), top(1), free(1), ps(1), uptime(1) and limits.conf(5).\n", "subsections": [] }, "AUTHORS": { "content": "htop was originally developed by Hisham Muhammad. Nowadays it is maintained by the community\nat .\n\n\n\nhtop 3.0.5 2020 HTOP(1)", "subsections": [] } }, "summary": "htop - interactive process viewer", "flags": [], "examples": [], "see_also": [ { "name": "proc", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/proc/5/json" }, { "name": "top", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/top/1/json" }, { "name": "free", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/free/1/json" }, { "name": "ps", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ps/1/json" }, { "name": "uptime", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uptime/1/json" }, { "name": "limits.conf", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/limits.conf/5/json" } ], "tldr": { "source": "official", "description": "Display dynamic real-time information about running processes.", "examples": [ { "description": "Start `htop`", "command": "htop" }, { "description": "Start `htop` displaying processes owned by a specific user", "command": "htop {{-u|--user}} {{username}}" }, { "description": "Display processes hierarchically in a tree view to show the parent-child relationships", "command": "htop {{-t|--tree}}" }, { "description": "Sort processes by a specified `sort_item` (use `htop --sort help` for available options)", "command": "htop {{-s|--sort}} {{sort_item}}" }, { "description": "Start `htop` with the specified delay between updates, in tenths of a second (i.e. 50 = 5 seconds)", "command": "htop {{-d|--delay}} {{50}}" }, { "description": "Disable all system and process changing features", "command": "htop --readonly" }, { "description": "See interactive commands while running `htop`", "command": "{{|}}" }, { "description": "Switch to a different tab", "command": "" } ] } }