{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "slabtop",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/slabtop/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-07-05T11:50:46Z",
    "synopsis": "slabtop [options]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "slabtop - display kernel slab cache information in real time\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "slabtop [options]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "slabtop  displays detailed kernel slab cache information in real time.  It displays a listing\nof the top caches sorted by one of the listed sort criteria.  It also displays  a  statistics\nheader filled with slab layer information.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "Normal  invocation  of  slabtop  does not require any options.  The behavior, however, can be\nfine-tuned by specifying one or more of the following flags:\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-d --delay",
                    "content": "Refresh the display every n in seconds.  By default, slabtop refreshes the display ev‐\nery three seconds.  To exit the program, hit q.\n",
                    "flag": "-d",
                    "long": "--delay"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-s --sort",
                    "content": "Sort by S, where S is one of the sort criteria.\n",
                    "flag": "-s",
                    "long": "--sort"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-o --once",
                    "content": "Display the output once and then exit.\n",
                    "flag": "-o",
                    "long": "--once"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-V --version",
                    "content": "Display version information and exit.\n",
                    "flag": "-V",
                    "long": "--version"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-h --help",
                    "content": "Display usage information and exit.\n",
                    "flag": "-h",
                    "long": "--help"
                }
            ]
        },
        "SORT CRITERIA": {
            "content": "The following are valid sort criteria used to sort the individual slab caches and thereby de‐\ntermine what are the \"top\" slab caches to display.  The default sort criteria is to  sort  by\nthe number of objects (\"o\").\n\nThe  sort  criteria  can  also be changed while slabtop is running by pressing the associated\ncharacter.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "character   description                header",
                    "content": "a           number of active objects   ACTIVE\nb           objects per slab           OBJ/SLAB\nc           cache size                 CACHE SIZE\nl           number of slabs            SLABS\nv           number of active slabs     N/A\nn           name                       NAME\no           number of objects          OBJS\np           pages per slab             N/A\ns           object size                OBJ SIZE\nu           cache utilization          USE\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "COMMANDS": {
            "content": "slabtop accepts keyboard commands from the user during use.  The following are supported.  In\nthe case of letters, both cases are accepted.\n\nEach of the valid sort characters are also accepted, to change the sort routine. See the sec‐\ntion SORT CRITERIA.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "<SPACEBAR>",
                    "content": "Refresh the screen.\n\nQ      Quit the program.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "/proc/slabinfo\nslab information\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "free(1), ps(1), top(1), vmstat(8)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "NOTES": {
            "content": "Currently, slabtop requires a 2.4 or later kernel  (specifically,  a  version  1.1  or  later\n/proc/slabinfo).  Kernel 2.2 should be supported in the future.\n\nThe  slabtop statistic header is tracking how many bytes of slabs are being used and is not a\nmeasure of physical memory.  The 'Slab' field in the /proc/meminfo file is tracking  informa‐\ntion about used slab physical memory.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHORS": {
            "content": "Written by Chris Rivera and Robert Love.\n\nslabtop was inspired by Martin Bligh's perl script, vmtop.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "REPORTING BUGS": {
            "content": "Please send bug reports to ⟨procps@freelists.org⟩\n\n\n\nprocps-ng                                     June 2011                                   SLABTOP(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "slabtop - display kernel slab cache information in real time",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-d",
            "long": "--delay",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Refresh the display every n in seconds. By default, slabtop refreshes the display ev‐ ery three seconds. To exit the program, hit q."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-s",
            "long": "--sort",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Sort by S, where S is one of the sort criteria."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-o",
            "long": "--once",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Display the output once and then exit."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-V",
            "long": "--version",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Display version information and exit."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-h",
            "long": "--help",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Display usage information and exit."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "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": "top",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/top/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "vmstat",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/vmstat/8/json"
        }
    ],
    "tldr": {
        "source": "official",
        "description": "Display kernel slab cache information in real time.",
        "examples": [
            {
                "description": "Start `slabtop`",
                "command": "sudo slabtop"
            },
            {
                "description": "Sort by [c]ache size",
                "command": "sudo slabtop {{-s|--sort}} c"
            },
            {
                "description": "Sort by number of [o]bjects",
                "command": "sudo slabtop {{-s|--sort}} o"
            },
            {
                "description": "Sort by object [s]ize",
                "command": "sudo slabtop {{-s|--sort}} s"
            },
            {
                "description": "Display once and then exit",
                "command": "sudo slabtop {{-o|--once}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Display help",
                "command": "slabtop {{-h|--help}}"
            }
        ]
    }
}