Linux top: Here's how to customize it

[hydn]

Read the full article: Linux top: Here’s how to customize it

The top command – referred to below as Linux top – is a command on Unix and Unix-like systems such as Linux, which provides a dynamic real-time overview of a running system. It can display system summary information and a list of processes or threads currently managed by the Linux kernel. The types of system… continue reading.

[hydn]

Here’s a more htop-looking customized top as discussed here:

[Cmdr]

I’d like to learn more about how to use the Alternate display mode with the “A” hotkey.

I’ve found references to and explored the commands for working with it, and know the mechanics but I still have questions, such as:

Are the four sections just for me to have 4 different sortings or sets of fields displayed? Are the names of these 4 categories customizable? Can I use just 2 or 3 instead of all 4 at once? Can I use this to see real-time view of connections hitting my server? Similar to I think “net stat” or such on Windows?

So far what I’ve got isn’t very customized for any purpose, just exploring what I could do.

[hydn]

Hi @Cmdr

This is beautiful. I was not aware of this despite reading through man. Things are so much more complete when ideas are shared multidirectional. Thanks for sharing this!

Going to look into this as well!

Welcome to the forums; honored to have you!

[jesusguevarautomotri]

Here is mine, window view, highlighted columns, sorted by highest or lowest values depending on whats needed. May be top is underrated.

[hydn]

Looks amazing! Welcome to the forums. Yes, for sure. top is so flexible. I’m guilty of not utilizing it to the full for many years.

[hydn]

I’ve updated the article with my latest customized top:

This is using Debian testing (Kali) latest top from procps-ng 4.0.4:

Note older version (left):

Newer builds of top expose more fields (ioR, ioW, nDRT, PSS, cgroup/namespace columns, etc.). If you run an older version of procps-ng (or an old distro that ships an older procps package), those fields simply don’t exist yet. That’s why copying and pasting toprc often does not work.

That said, here’s mine for v4 procps-ng top:

top's Config File (Linux processes with windows)
Id:k, Mode_altscr=1, Mode_irixps=1, Delay_time=3.0, Curwin=0
Def	fieldscur=  75   77   81  102  104  119  123  129  136  110  114  155  197  195  121  163  139  117   78   82 
		    84   86   88   90   92   94   96   98  100  106  108  112  124  126  130  132  134  140  142  144 
		   146  148  150  152  156  158  160  164  166  168  170  172  174  176  178  180  182  184  186  188 
		   190  192  198  200  202  204  206  208  210  212  214  216  218  220  222  224  226  228  230  232 
		   234  236  238  240  242  244  246  248  250  252  254  256  258  260  262  264  266  268  270  272 
	winflags=326452, sortindx=21, maxtasks=0, graph_cpus=0, graph_mems=0, double_up=0, combine_cpus=0, core_types=0
	summclr=15, msgsclr=3, headclr=2, taskclr=10
Job	fieldscur=  75   77   81  116  103  105  118  122  128  120   78  150  115  137  223  225  109  107  113  139 
		   111   82   84   86   88   90   92   94   96   98  100  124  126  130  132  134  140  142  144  146 
		   148  152  154  156  158  160  162  164  166  168  170  172  174  176  178  180  182  184  186  188 
		   190  192  194  196  198  200  202  204  206  208  210  212  214  216  218  220  226  228  230  232 
		   234  236  238  240  242  244  246  248  250  252  254  256  258  260  262  264  266  268  270  272 
	winflags=326196, sortindx=18, maxtasks=0, graph_cpus=0, graph_mems=0, double_up=0, combine_cpus=0, core_types=0
	summclr=15, msgsclr=6, headclr=44, taskclr=14
Mem	fieldscur=  75   77   81  118  110  116  122  124  126  128  131  154  133  156  135  136  102  104  179  181 
		   209  213  207  139  211  120   78   82   84   86   88   90   92   94   96   98  100  106  108  112 
		   114  140  142  144  146  148  150  152  158  160  162  164  166  168  170  172  174  176  182  184 
		   186  188  190  192  194  196  198  200  202  204  214  216  218  220  222  224  226  228  230  232 
		   234  236  238  240  242  244  246  248  250  252  254  256  258  260  262  264  266  268  270  272 
	winflags=326452, sortindx=68, maxtasks=0, graph_cpus=0, graph_mems=0, double_up=0, combine_cpus=0, core_types=0
	summclr=15, msgsclr=3, headclr=4, taskclr=12
Usr	fieldscur=  75   77   78   81   84   96  114  116  137  132  130  134  206  210  208  215  216  109  151  186 
		   105  103  107  221  113  111  139  141  212   82   86   88   90   92   94   98  100  118  120  122 
		   124  126  128  142  144  146  148  152  154  156  158  160  162  164  166  168  170  172  174  176 
		   178  180  182  184  188  190  192  194  196  198  200  202  204  218  222  224  226  228  230  232 
		   234  236  238  240  242  244  246  248  250  252  254  256  258  260  262  264  266  268  270  272 
	winflags=326452, sortindx=33, maxtasks=0, graph_cpus=0, graph_mems=0, double_up=0, combine_cpus=0, core_types=0
	summclr=15, msgsclr=3, headclr=5, taskclr=5
Fixed_widest=0, Summ_mscale=2, Task_mscale=1, Zero_suppress=0, Tics_scaled=0

Example server top via procps-ng 3.3.16 (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS):

toprc location: Look first here: ~/.config/procps/toprc then here: ~/.toprc