Work around bad terminal color support.
Section: Terminal quirks and interpretation tips
Use monochrome when colors render poorly
bash
bash
htop -CExplanation
Helpful in minimal terminals, serial consoles, or screenshot tooling.
Learn the surrounding workflow
Compare similar commands or jump into common fixes when this command is part of a bigger troubleshooting path.
Related commands
Same sheet · prioritizing Terminal quirks and interpretation tips
Use a focused PID list in narrow terminals
Reduce clutter when columns wrap or truncate heavily.
Interpret CPU% carefully on multicore systems
One process can exceed 100% if it uses multiple cores.
Distinguish RES from VIRT
Resident memory and virtual size tell different stories.
Pair htop with vmstat during swap pressure
Cross-check memory pressure with a textual system tool.