bash
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y htopNotes
Useful on Debian, Ubuntu, and compatible systems.
Htop Launch, Install, and Startup Flags
Core htop installation and launch commands, including startup options for delay, sorting, tree view, and PID filtering.
Export
Copy the compact sheet, download it, or print it.
Download
`D` dense toggle · `C` copy all
Install and start
Package-manager and startup examples for common Linux systems.
bash
sudo dnf install -y htopNotes
Common on Fedora and modern RHEL-family distributions.
bash
sudo pacman -S htopNotes
Standard package-manager install for Arch-based systems.
bash
htopNotes
Shows CPU, memory, and process information in an interactive full-screen UI.
Set update delay in tenths of a second
Control refresh cadence from the command line.
bashANYdelayrefresh
bash
htop -d 20Notes
A value of 20 refreshes about every 2 seconds.
bash
htop -p 1,1234,5678Notes
Useful when watching a small set of services or worker processes.
bash
htop -u www-dataNotes
Handy when investigating app-server or container-user processes.
bash
htop --sort-key=PERCENT_CPUNotes
Helpful when you want CPU-heavy tasks surfaced immediately.
Startup modes
Launch into special views such as tree mode or read-only mode.
bash
htop -tNotes
Useful for seeing parent-child relationships immediately.
bash
htop --readonlyNotes
Good on shared systems when you only need visibility, not renice or kill actions.
bash
htop -CNotes
Useful in limited terminals or for screenshots with minimal color noise.
Start tree view with an explicit sort key
Combine tree mode and sorting from the command line.
bashANYtreesortmemory
bash
htop -t --sort-key=PERCENT_MEMNotes
Tree sorting applies among direct children within each subtree.
Focus on a process after startup
Use PID filter for targeted monitoring of a service.
bashANYpidpgrepservice
bash
htop -p "$(pgrep -d, -f 'gunicorn|uvicorn')"Notes
Creates a focused watch list for matching service processes.
Run inside a container shell
Inspect processes visible inside the current container namespace.
bashANYdockercontainer
bash
docker exec -it my-container htopNotes
Useful when htop is installed in the container image.
More in htop
Htop Troubleshooting and FAQ Recipes
Troubleshooting recipes for missing visibility, permission issues, terminal quirks, and common htop interpretation mistakes.
Htop Batch Alternatives, Exports, and Companion Commands
Practical command-line companions and non-interactive alternatives to htop for logs, scripts, and copyable output.
Htop Remote, Container, and Server Recipes
Common htop workflows for SSH sessions, containers, services, and production troubleshooting on Linux hosts.
Htop Config, Persistence, and Theming
Persist htop settings, edit configuration files, and manage practical theming and display preferences across sessions.
Htop Columns, Meters, Threads, and Display Options
Customize meters, visible columns, threads, kernel tasks, and display density for different monitoring scenarios.
Htop Process Actions, Signals, and Priority Changes
Use htop to renice, kill, tag, and inspect processes, including shortcuts for signals, strace, lsof, and affinity-related workflows.