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  1. TOP(1) Linux User's Manual TOP(1)
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5. NAME
  6. top - display Linux tasks
  7.  
  8.  
  9.  
  10. SYNOPSIS
  11. top -hv | -bcHisS -d delay -n iterations -p pid [, pid ...]
  12.  
  13. The traditional switches '-' and whitespace are optional.
  14.  
  15.  
  16.  
  17. DESCRIPTION
  18. The top program provides a dynamic real-time view of a running
  19. system. It can display system summary information as well as a
  20. list of tasks currently being managed by the Linux kernel. The
  21. types of system summary information shown and the types, order and
  22. size of information displayed for tasks are all user configurable
  23. and that configuration can be made persistent across restarts.
  24.  
  25. The program provides a limited interactive interface for process
  26. manipulation as well as a much more extensive interface for per‐
  27. sonal configuration -- encompassing every aspect of its opera‐
  28. tion. And while top is referred to throughout this document, you
  29. are free to name the program anything you wish. That new name,
  30. possibly an alias, will then be reflected on top's display and
  31. used when reading and writing a configuration file.
  32.  
  33.  
  34.  
  35. OVERVIEW
  36. Documentation
  37. The remaining Table of Contents
  38. 1. COMMAND-LINE Options
  39. 2. FIELDS / Columns
  40. a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
  41. b. SELECTING and ORDERING Columns
  42. 3. INTERACTIVE Commands
  43. a. GLOBAL Commands
  44. b. SUMMARY Area Commands
  45. c. TASK Area Commands
  46. d. COLOR Mapping
  47. 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode
  48. a. WINDOWS Overview
  49. b. COMMANDS for Windows
  50. 5. FILES
  51. a. SYSTEM Configuration File
  52. b. PERSONAL Configuration File
  53. 6. STUPID TRICKS Sampler
  54. a. Kernel Magic
  55. b. Bouncing Windows
  56. c. The Big Bird Window
  57. 7. BUGS, 8. HISTORY Former top, 9. AUTHOR, 10. SEE ALSO
  58.  
  59.  
  60. Operation
  61. When operating top, the two most important keys are help ('h' or
  62. '?') and quit ('q') key. Alternatively, you could simply use the
  63. traditional interrupt key ('^C') when you're done.
  64.  
  65. When you start top for the first time, you'll be presented with
  66. the traditional screen elements: 1) Summary Area; 2) Mes‐
  67. sage/Prompt Line; 3) Columns Header; 4) Task Area. There will,
  68. however, be some differences when compared to the former top.
  69.  
  70.  
  71. Highlighting
  72. Summary_Area: There is no highlighting for load/uptime and only
  73. values are highlighted for other elements.
  74.  
  75. Task_Area: Tasks running (or ready to run) will be highlighted,
  76. and bold is only one way of emphasizing such processes.
  77.  
  78.  
  79. Content/Labels
  80. Summary_Area: The program name is shown, perhaps a symlink or
  81. alias. The Cpu(s) state label hints at other possibilities.
  82. The memory stats use a lower case 'k'.
  83.  
  84. Columns_Header: Will show a new field and some changed labels.
  85. More new fields will be found as you customize your top.
  86.  
  87.  
  88. Note: the width of top's display will be limited to 512 positions.
  89. Displaying all fields requires a minimum of 160 characters. The
  90. remaining width could be used for the 'Command' column.
  91.  
  92.  
  93. Startup Defaults
  94. The following startup defaults assume no configuration file, thus
  95. no user customizations. Even so, items shown with an asterisk
  96. ('*') could be overridden through the command-line.
  97.  
  98. Global_defaults
  99. 'A' - Alt display Off (full-screen)
  100. * 'd' - Delay time 3.0 seconds
  101. 'I' - Irix mode On (no, 'solaris' smp)
  102. * 'p' - PID monitoring Off
  103. * 's' - Secure mode Off (unsecured)
  104. 'B' - Bold enable Off
  105. Summary_Area_defaults
  106. 'l' - Load Avg/Uptime On (thus program name)
  107. 't' - Task/Cpu states On (1+1 lines, see '1')
  108. 'm' - Mem/Swap usage On (2 lines worth)
  109. '1' - Single Cpu On (thus 1 line if smp)
  110. Task_Area_defaults
  111. 'b' - Bold hilite On (not 'reverse')
  112. * 'c' - Command line Off (name, not cmdline)
  113. * 'H' - Threads Off (show all threads)
  114. * 'i' - Idle tasks On (show all tasks)
  115. 'R' - Reverse sort On (pids high-to-low)
  116. * 'S' - Cumulative time Off (no, dead children)
  117. 'x' - Column hilite Off (no, sort field)
  118. 'y' - Row hilite On (yes, running tasks)
  119. 'z' - color/mono Off (no, colors)
  120.  
  121.  
  122.  
  123. 1. COMMAND-LINE Options
  124. The command-line syntax for top consists of:
  125.  
  126. -hv | -bcHisS -d delay -n iterations -p pid [,pid...]
  127.  
  128. The typically mandatory switches ('-') and even whitespace are
  129. completely optional.
  130.  
  131.  
  132. -b : Batch mode operation
  133. Starts top in 'Batch mode', which could be useful for sending
  134. output from top to other programs or to a file. In this
  135. mode, top will not accept input and runs until the iterations
  136. limit you've set with the '-n' command-line option or until
  137. killed.
  138.  
  139.  
  140. -c : Command line/Program name toggle
  141. Starts top with the last remembered 'c' state reversed.
  142. Thus, if top was displaying command lines, now that field
  143. will show program names, and visa versa. See the 'c' inter‐
  144. active command for additional information.
  145.  
  146.  
  147. -d : Delay time interval as: -d ss.tt (seconds.tenths)
  148. Specifies the delay between screen updates, and overrides the
  149. corresponding value in one's personal configuration file or
  150. the startup default. Later this can be changed with the 'd'
  151. or 's' interactive commands.
  152.  
  153. Fractional seconds are honored, but a negative number is not
  154. allowed. In all cases, however, such changes are prohibited
  155. if top is running in 'Secure mode', except for root (unless
  156. the 's' command-line option was used). For additional infor‐
  157. mation on 'Secure mode' see topic 5a. SYSTEM Configuration
  158. File.
  159.  
  160.  
  161.  
  162. -h : Help
  163. Show library version and the usage prompt, then quit.
  164.  
  165.  
  166. -H : Threads toggle
  167. Starts top with the last remembered 'H' state reversed. When
  168. this toggle is On, all individual threads will be displayed.
  169. Otherwise, top displays a summation of all threads in a
  170. process.
  171.  
  172.  
  173. -i : Idle Processes toggle
  174. Starts top with the last remembered 'i' state reversed. When
  175. this toggle is Off, tasks that are idled or zombied will not
  176. be displayed.
  177.  
  178.  
  179. -n : Number of iterations limit as: -n number
  180. Specifies the maximum number of iterations, or frames, top
  181. should produce before ending.
  182.  
  183.  
  184. -u : Monitor by user as: -u somebody
  185. Monitor only processes with an effective UID or user name
  186. matching that given.
  187.  
  188.  
  189. -U : Monitor by user as: -U somebody
  190. Monitor only processes with a UID or user name matching that
  191. given. This matches real, effective, saved, and filesystem
  192. UIDs.
  193.  
  194.  
  195. -p : Monitor PIDs as: -pN1 -pN2 ... or -pN1, N2 [,...]
  196. Monitor only processes with specified process IDs. This
  197. option can be given up to 20 times, or you can provide a
  198. comma delimited list with up to 20 pids. Co-mingling both
  199. approaches is permitted.
  200.  
  201. This is a command-line option only. And should you wish to
  202. return to normal operation, it is not necessary to quit and
  203. and restart top -- just issue the '=' interactive command.
  204.  
  205.  
  206. -s : Secure mode operation
  207. Starts top with secure mode forced, even for root. This mode
  208. is far better controlled through the system configuration
  209. file (see topic 5. FILES).
  210.  
  211.  
  212. -S : Cumulative time mode toggle
  213. Starts top with the last remembered 'S' state reversed. When
  214. 'Cumulative mode' is On, each process is listed with the cpu
  215. time that it and its dead children have used. See the 'S'
  216. interactive command for additional information regarding this
  217. mode.
  218.  
  219.  
  220. -v : Version
  221. Show library version and the usage prompt, then quit.
  222.  
  223.  
  224.  
  225. 2. FIELDS / Columns
  226. 2a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
  227. Listed below are top's available fields. They are always associ‐
  228. ated with the letter shown, regardless of the position you may
  229. have established for them with the 'o' (Order fields) interactive
  230. command.
  231.  
  232. Any field is selectable as the sort field, and you control whether
  233. they are sorted high-to-low or low-to-high. For additional infor‐
  234. mation on sort provisions see topic 3c. TASK Area Commands.
  235.  
  236.  
  237. a: PID -- Process Id
  238. The task's unique process ID, which periodically wraps, though
  239. never restarting at zero.
  240.  
  241.  
  242. b: PPID -- Parent Process Pid
  243. The process ID of a task's parent.
  244.  
  245.  
  246. c: RUSER -- Real User Name
  247. The real user name of the task's owner.
  248.  
  249.  
  250. d: UID -- User Id
  251. The effective user ID of the task's owner.
  252.  
  253.  
  254. e: USER -- User Name
  255. The effective user name of the task's owner.
  256.  
  257.  
  258. f: GROUP -- Group Name
  259. The effective group name of the task's owner.
  260.  
  261.  
  262. g: TTY -- Controlling Tty
  263. The name of the controlling terminal. This is usually the
  264. device (serial port, pty, etc.) from which the process was
  265. started, and which it uses for input or output. However, a
  266. task need not be associated with a terminal, in which case
  267. you'll see '?' displayed.
  268.  
  269.  
  270. h: PR -- Priority
  271. The priority of the task.
  272.  
  273.  
  274. i: NI -- Nice value
  275. The nice value of the task. A negative nice value means higher
  276. priority, whereas a positive nice value means lower priority.
  277. Zero in this field simply means priority will not be adjusted
  278. in determining a task's dispatchability.
  279.  
  280.  
  281. j: P -- Last used CPU (SMP)
  282. A number representing the last used processor. In a true SMP
  283. environment this will likely change frequently since the kernel
  284. intentionally uses weak affinity. Also, the very act of run‐
  285. ning top may break this weak affinity and cause more processes
  286. to change CPUs more often (because of the extra demand for cpu
  287. time).
  288.  
  289.  
  290. k: %CPU -- CPU usage
  291. The task's share of the elapsed CPU time since the last screen
  292. update, expressed as a percentage of total CPU time. In a true
  293. SMP environment, if 'Irix mode' is Off, top will operate in
  294. 'Solaris mode' where a task's cpu usage will be divided by the
  295. total number of CPUs. You toggle 'Irix/Solaris' modes with the
  296. 'I' interactive command.
  297.  
  298.  
  299. l: TIME -- CPU Time
  300. Total CPU time the task has used since it started. When 'Cumu‐
  301. lative mode' is On, each process is listed with the cpu time
  302. that it and its dead children has used. You toggle 'Cumulative
  303. mode' with 'S', which is a command-line option and an interac‐
  304. tive command. See the 'S' interactive command for additional
  305. information regarding this mode.
  306.  
  307.  
  308. m: TIME+ -- CPU Time, hundredths
  309. The same as 'TIME', but reflecting more granularity through
  310. hundredths of a second.
  311.  
  312.  
  313. n: %MEM -- Memory usage (RES)
  314. A task's currently used share of available physical memory.
  315.  
  316.  
  317. o: VIRT -- Virtual Image (kb)
  318. The total amount of virtual memory used by the task. It
  319. includes all code, data and shared libraries plus pages that
  320. have been swapped out.
  321.  
  322. VIRT = SWAP + RES.
  323.  
  324.  
  325. p: SWAP -- Swapped size (kb)
  326. The swapped out portion of a task's total virtual memory image.
  327.  
  328.  
  329. q: RES -- Resident size (kb)
  330. The non-swapped physical memory a task has used.
  331.  
  332.  
  333. r: CODE -- Code size (kb)
  334. The amount of virtual memory devoted to executable code, also
  335. known as the 'text resident set' size or TRS.
  336.  
  337.  
  338. s: DATA -- Data+Stack size (kb)
  339. The amount of virtual memory devoted to other than executable
  340. code, also known as the 'data resident set' size or DRS.
  341.  
  342.  
  343. t: SHR -- Shared Mem size (kb)
  344. The amount of shared memory used by a task. It simply reflects
  345. memory that could be potentially shared with other processes.
  346.  
  347.  
  348. u: nFLT -- Page Fault count
  349. The number of major page faults that have occurred for a task.
  350. A page fault occurs when a process attempts to read from or
  351. write to a virtual page that is not currently present in its
  352. address space. A major page fault is when backing storage
  353. access (such as a disk) is involved in making that page avail‐
  354. able.
  355.  
  356.  
  357. v: nDRT -- Dirty Pages count
  358. The number of pages that have been modified since they were
  359. last written to disk. Dirty pages must be written to disk
  360. before the corresponding physical memory location can be used
  361. for some other virtual page.
  362.  
  363.  
  364. w: S -- Process Status
  365. The status of the task which can be one of:
  366. 'D' = uninterruptible sleep
  367. 'R' = running
  368. 'S' = sleeping
  369. 'T' = traced or stopped
  370. 'Z' = zombie
  371.  
  372. Tasks shown as running should be more properly thought of as
  373. 'ready to run' -- their task_struct is simply represented on
  374. the Linux run-queue. Even without a true SMP machine, you may
  375. see numerous tasks in this state depending on top's delay
  376. interval and nice value.
  377.  
  378.  
  379. x: Command -- Command line or Program name
  380. Display the command line used to start a task or the name of
  381. the associated program. You toggle between command line and
  382. name with 'c', which is both a command-line option and an
  383. interactive command.
  384.  
  385. When you've chosen to display command lines, processes without
  386. a command line (like kernel threads) will be shown with only
  387. the program name in parentheses, as in this example:
  388. ( mdrecoveryd )
  389.  
  390. Either form of display is subject to potential truncation if
  391. it's too long to fit in this field's current width. That width
  392. depends upon other fields selected, their order and the current
  393. screen width.
  394.  
  395. Note: The 'Command' field/column is unique, in that it is not
  396. fixed-width. When displayed, this column will be allocated all
  397. remaining screen width (up to the maximum 512 characters) to
  398. provide for the potential growth of program names into command
  399. lines.
  400.  
  401.  
  402. y: WCHAN -- Sleeping in Function
  403. Depending on the availability of the kernel link map ('Sys‐
  404. tem.map'), this field will show the name or the address of the
  405. kernel function in which the task is currently sleeping. Run‐
  406. ning tasks will display a dash ('-') in this column.
  407.  
  408. Note: By displaying this field, top's own working set will be
  409. increased by over 700Kb. Your only means of reducing that
  410. overhead will be to stop and restart top.
  411.  
  412.  
  413. z: Flags -- Task Flags
  414. This column represents the task's current scheduling flags
  415. which are expressed in hexadecimal notation and with zeros sup‐
  416. pressed. These flags are officially documented in
  417. <linux/sched.h>. Less formal documentation can also be found
  418. on the 'Fields select' and 'Order fields' screens.
  419.  
  420.  
  421. 2b. SELECTING and ORDERING Columns
  422. After pressing the interactive commands 'f' (Fields select) or 'o'
  423. (Order fields) you will be shown a screen containing the current
  424. fields string followed by names and descriptions for all fields.
  425.  
  426. Here is a sample fields string from one of top's four win‐
  427. dows/field groups and an explanation of the conventions used:
  428.  
  429. - Sample fields string:
  430. ANOPQRSTUVXbcdefgjlmyzWHIK
  431.  
  432. - The order of displayed fields corresponds to the order of the
  433. letters in that string.
  434.  
  435. - If the letter is upper case the corresponding field itself will
  436. then be shown as part of the task display (screen width permit‐
  437. ting). This will also be indicated by a leading asterisk
  438. ('*'), as in this excerpt:
  439. ...
  440. * K: %CPU = CPU usage
  441. l: TIME = CPU Time
  442. m: TIME+ = CPU Time, hundredths
  443. * N: %MEM = Memory usage (RES)
  444. * O: VIRT = Virtual Image (kb)
  445. ...
  446.  
  447.  
  448. Fields select screen -- the 'f' interactive command
  449. You toggle the display of a field by simply pressing the corre‐
  450. sponding letter.
  451.  
  452.  
  453. Order fields screen -- the 'o' interactive command
  454. You move a field to the left by pressing the corresponding
  455. upper case letter and to the right with the lower case letter.
  456.  
  457.  
  458. 2c. CPU States
  459. The CPU states are shown in the Summary Area. They are always
  460. shown as a percentage and are for the time between now and the
  461. last refresh.
  462.  
  463.  
  464. us -- User CPU time
  465. The time the CPU has spent running users' processes that are
  466. not niced.
  467.  
  468.  
  469. sy -- System CPU time
  470. The time the CPU has spent running the kernel and its pro‐
  471. cesses.
  472.  
  473.  
  474. ni -- Nice CPU time
  475. The time the CPU has spent running users' proccess that have
  476. been niced.
  477.  
  478.  
  479. wa -- iowait
  480. Amount of time the CPU has been waiting for I/O to complete.
  481.  
  482.  
  483. hi -- Hardware IRQ
  484. The amount of time the CPU has been servicing hardware inter‐
  485. rupts.
  486.  
  487.  
  488. si -- Software Interrupts
  489. The amount of time the CPU has been servicing software inter‐
  490. rupts.
  491.  
  492.  
  493. st -- Steal Time
  494. The amount of CPU 'stolen' from this virtual machine by the
  495. hypervisor for other tasks (such as running another virtual
  496. machine).
  497.  
  498.  
  499. 3. INTERACTIVE Commands
  500. Listed below is a brief index of commands within categories. Some
  501. commands appear more than once -- their meaning or scope may
  502. vary depending on the context in which they are issued.
  503.  
  504. 3a. GLOBAL_Commands
  505. <Ret/Sp> ?, =, A, B, d, G, h, I, k, q, r, s, W, Z
  506. 3b. SUMMARY_Area_Commands
  507. l, m, t, 1
  508. 3c. TASK_Area_Commands
  509. Appearance: b, x, y, z
  510. Content: c, f, H, o, S, u
  511. Size: #, i, n
  512. Sorting: <, >, F, O, R
  513. 3d. COLOR_Mapping
  514. <Ret>, a, B, b, H, M, q, S, T, w, z, 0 - 7
  515. 4b. COMMANDS_for_Windows
  516. -, _, =, +, A, a, G, g, w
  517.  
  518.  
  519. 3a. GLOBAL Commands
  520. The global interactive commands are always available in both
  521. full-screen mode and alternate-display mode. However, some of
  522. these interactive commands are not available when running in
  523. 'Secure mode'.
  524.  
  525. If you wish to know in advance whether or not your top has been
  526. secured, simply ask for help and view the system summary on the
  527. second line.
  528.  
  529.  
  530. <Enter> or <Space> :Refresh_Display
  531. These commands do nothing, they are simply ignored. How‐
  532. ever, they will awaken top and following receipt of any
  533. input the entire display will be repainted.
  534.  
  535. Use either of these keys if you have a large delay interval
  536. and wish to see current status,
  537.  
  538.  
  539. <?> or <h> :Help
  540. There are two help levels available. The first will pro‐
  541. vide a reminder of all the basic interactive commands. If
  542. top is secured, that screen will be abbreviated.
  543.  
  544. Typing 'h' or '?' on that help screen will take you to help
  545. for those interactive commands applicable to alternate-dis‐
  546. play mode.
  547.  
  548.  
  549. <=> :Exit_Task_Limits
  550. Removes restrictions on which tasks are shown. This com‐
  551. mand will reverse any 'i' (idle tasks) and 'n' (max tasks)
  552. commands that might be active. It also provides for an
  553. 'exit' from PID monitoring. See the '-p' command-line
  554. option for a discussion of PID monitoring.
  555.  
  556. When operating in alternate-display mode this command has a
  557. slightly broader meaning.
  558.  
  559.  
  560. <A> :Alternate_Display_Mode_toggle
  561. This command will switch between full-screen mode and
  562. alternate-display mode. See topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY
  563. Mode and the 'G' interactive command for insight into ´cur‐
  564. rent' windows and field groups.
  565.  
  566.  
  567. <B> :Bold_Disable/Enable_toggle
  568. This command will influence use of the 'bold' terminfo
  569. capability and alters both the summary area and task area
  570. for the ´current' window. While it is intended primarily
  571. for use with dumb terminals, it can be applied anytime.
  572.  
  573. Note: When this toggle is On and top is operating in mono‐
  574. chrome mode, the entire display will appear as normal text.
  575. Thus, unless the 'x' and/or 'y' toggles are using reverse
  576. for emphasis, there will be no visual confirmation that
  577. they are even on.
  578.  
  579.  
  580. * <d> or <s> :Change_Delay_Time_interval
  581. You will be prompted to enter the delay time, in seconds,
  582. between display updates.
  583.  
  584. Fractional seconds are honored, but a negative number is
  585. not allowed. Entering 0 causes (nearly) continuous
  586. updates, with an unsatisfactory display as the system and
  587. tty driver try to keep up with top's demands. The delay
  588. value is inversely proportional to system loading, so set
  589. it with care.
  590.  
  591. If at any time you wish to know the current delay time,
  592. simply ask for help and view the system summary on the sec‐
  593. ond line.
  594.  
  595.  
  596. <G> :Choose_Another_Window/Field_Group
  597. You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 des‐
  598. ignating the window/field group which should be made the
  599. ´current' window. You will soon grow comfortable with
  600. these 4 windows, especially after experimenting with alter‐
  601. nate-display mode.
  602.  
  603.  
  604. <I> :Irix/Solaris_Mode_toggle
  605. When operating in 'Solaris mode' ('I' toggled Off), a
  606. task's cpu usage will be divided by the total number of
  607. CPUs. After issuing this command, you'll be informed of
  608. the new state of this toggle.
  609.  
  610.  
  611. <u> :select a user
  612. You will be prompted for a UID or username. Only processes
  613. belonging to the selected user will be displayed. This
  614. option matches on the effective UID.
  615.  
  616.  
  617. <U> :select a user
  618. You will be prompted for a UID or username. Only processes
  619. belonging to the selected user will be displayed. This
  620. option matches on the real, effective, saved, and filesys‐
  621. tem UID.
  622.  
  623.  
  624. * <k> :Kill_a_task
  625. You will be prompted for a PID and then the signal to send.
  626. The default signal, as reflected in the prompt, is SIGTERM.
  627. However, you can send any signal, via number or name.
  628.  
  629. If you wish to abort the kill process, do one of the fol‐
  630. lowing depending on your progress:
  631. 1) at the pid prompt, just press <Enter>
  632. 2) at the signal prompt, type 0
  633.  
  634.  
  635. <q> :Quit
  636.  
  637.  
  638. * <r> :Renice_a_Task
  639. You will be prompted for a PID and then the value to nice
  640. it to. Entering a positive value will cause a process to
  641. lose priority. Conversely, a negative value will cause a
  642. process to be viewed more favorably by the kernel.
  643.  
  644.  
  645. <W> :Write_the_Configuration_File
  646. This will save all of your options and toggles plus the
  647. current display mode and delay time. By issuing this com‐
  648. mand just before quitting top, you will be able restart
  649. later in exactly that same state.
  650.  
  651.  
  652. <Z> :Change_Color_Mapping
  653. This key will take you to a separate screen where you can
  654. change the colors for the ´current' window, or for all win‐
  655. dows. For details regarding this interactive command see
  656. topic 3d. COLOR Mapping.
  657.  
  658.  
  659. * The commands shown with an asterisk ('*') are not available in
  660. 'Secure mode', nor will they be shown on the level-1 help
  661. screen.
  662.  
  663.  
  664. 3b. SUMMARY Area Commands
  665. The summary area interactive commands are always available in both
  666. full-screen mode and alternate-display mode. They affect the
  667. beginning lines of your display and will determine the position of
  668. messages and prompts.
  669.  
  670. These commands always impact just the ´current' window/field
  671. group. See topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode and the 'G' interac‐
  672. tive command for insight into ´current' windows and field groups.
  673.  
  674.  
  675. <l> :Toggle_Load_Average/Uptime -- On/Off
  676. This is also the line containing the program name (possibly
  677. an alias) when operating in full-screen mode or the ´cur‐
  678. rent' window name when operating in alternate-display mode.
  679.  
  680.  
  681. <m> :Toggle_Memory/Swap_Usage -- On/Off
  682. This command affects two summary area lines.
  683.  
  684.  
  685. <t> :Toggle_Task/Cpu_States -- On/Off
  686. This command affects from 2 to many summary area lines,
  687. depending on the state of the '1' toggle and whether or not
  688. top is running under true SMP.
  689.  
  690.  
  691. <1> :Toggle_Single/Separate_Cpu_States -- On/Off
  692. This command affects how the 't' command's Cpu States por‐
  693. tion is shown. Although this toggle exists primarily to
  694. serve massively-parallel SMP machines, it is not restricted
  695. to solely SMP environments.
  696.  
  697. When you see 'Cpu(s):' in the summary area, the '1' toggle
  698. is On and all cpu information is gathered in a single line.
  699. Otherwise, each cpu is displayed separately as: 'Cpu0,
  700. Cpu1, ...'
  701.  
  702.  
  703. Note: If the entire summary area has been toggled Off for any win‐
  704. dow, you would be left with just the message line. In that way,
  705. you will have maximized available task rows but (temporarily) sac‐
  706. rificed the program name in full-screen mode or the ´current' win‐
  707. dow name when in alternate-display mode.
  708.  
  709.  
  710. 3c. TASK Area Commands
  711. The task area interactive commands are always available in
  712. full-screen mode.
  713.  
  714. The task area interactive commands are never available in alter‐
  715. nate-display mode if the ´current' window's task display has been
  716. toggled Off (see topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode).
  717.  
  718.  
  719. APPEARANCE of task window
  720. The following commands will also be influenced by the state of
  721. the global 'B' (bold disable) toggle.
  722.  
  723.  
  724. <b> :Bold/Reverse_toggle
  725. This command will impact how the 'x' and 'y' toggles are
  726. displayed. Further, it will only be available when at
  727. least one of those toggles is On.
  728.  
  729.  
  730. <x> :Column_Highlight_toggle
  731. Changes highlighting for the current sort field. You prob‐
  732. ably don't need a constant visual reminder of the sort
  733. field and top hopes that you always run with 'column high‐
  734. light' Off, due to the cost in path-length.
  735.  
  736. If you forget which field is being sorted this command can
  737. serve as a quick visual reminder.
  738.  
  739.  
  740. <y> :Row_Highlight_toggle
  741. Changes highlighting for "running" tasks. For additional
  742. insight into this task state, see topic 2a. DESCRIPTIONS of
  743. Fields, Process Status.
  744.  
  745. Use of this provision provides important insight into your
  746. system's health. The only costs will be a few additional
  747. tty escape sequences.
  748.  
  749.  
  750. <z> :Color/Monochrome_toggle
  751. Switches the ´current' window between your last used color
  752. scheme and the older form of black-on-white or white-on-
  753. black. This command will alter both the summary area and
  754. task area but does not affect the state of the 'x', 'y' or
  755. 'b' toggles.
  756.  
  757.  
  758. CONTENT of task window
  759. <c> :Command_Line/Program_Name_toggle
  760. This command will be honored whether or not the 'Command'
  761. column is currently visible. Later, should that field come
  762. into view, the change you applied will be seen.
  763.  
  764. <f> and <o> :Fields_select or Order_fields
  765. These keys display separate screens where you can change
  766. which fields are displayed and their order. For additional
  767. information on these interactive commands see topic 2b.
  768. SELECTING and ORDERING Columns.
  769.  
  770. <S> :Cumulative_Time_Mode_toggle
  771. When this toggle is On, all individual threads will be dis‐
  772. played. Otherwise, top displays a summation of all threads
  773. in a process.
  774.  
  775. ´S´ :Cumulative_Time_Mode_toggle
  776. When 'Cumulative mode' is On, each process is listed with
  777. the cpu time that it and its dead children have used.
  778.  
  779. When Off, programs that fork into many separate tasks will
  780. appear less demanding. For programs like 'init' or a shell
  781. this is appropriate but for others, like compilers, perhaps
  782. not. Experiment with two task windows sharing the same
  783. sort field but with different 'S' states and see which rep‐
  784. resentation you prefer.
  785.  
  786. After issuing this command, you'll be informed of the new
  787. state of this toggle. If you wish to know in advance
  788. whether or not 'Cumulative mode' is in effect, simply ask
  789. for help and view the window summary on the second line.
  790.  
  791. <u> :Show_Specific_User_Only
  792. You will be prompted to enter the name of the user to dis‐
  793. play. Thereafter, in that task window only matching User
  794. ID's will be shown, or possibly no tasks will be shown.
  795.  
  796. Later, if you wish to monitor all tasks again, re-issue
  797. this command but just press <Enter> at the prompt, without
  798. providing a name.
  799.  
  800. SIZE of task window
  801. <i> :Idle_Processes_toggle
  802. Displays all tasks or just active tasks. When this toggle
  803. is Off, idled or zombied processes will not be displayed.
  804.  
  805. If this command is applied to the last task display when in
  806. alternate-display mode, then it will not affect the win‐
  807. dow's size, as all prior task displays will have already
  808. been painted.
  809.  
  810. <n> or <#> :Set_Maximum_Tasks
  811. You will be prompted to enter the number of tasks to dis‐
  812. play. The lessor of your number and available screen rows
  813. will be used.
  814.  
  815. When used in alternate-display mode, this is the command
  816. that gives you precise control over the size of each cur‐
  817. rently visible task display, except for the very last. It
  818. will not affect the last window's size, as all prior task
  819. displays will have already been painted.
  820.  
  821. Note: If you wish to increase the size of the last visible
  822. task display when in alternate-display mode, simply
  823. decrease the size of the task display(s) above it.
  824.  
  825. SORTING of task window
  826. For compatibility, this top supports most of the former top sort
  827. keys. Since this is primarily a service to former top users,
  828. these commands do not appear on any help screen.
  829. command sorted field supported
  830. A start time (non-display) No
  831. M %MEM Yes
  832. N PID Yes
  833. P %CPU Yes
  834. T TIME+ Yes
  835.  
  836. Before using any of the following sort provisions, top suggests
  837. that you temporarily turn on column highlighting using the 'x'
  838. interactive command. That will help ensure that the actual sort
  839. environment matches your intent.
  840.  
  841. The following interactive commands will only be honored when the
  842. current sort field is visible. The sort field might not be vis‐
  843. ible because:
  844. 1) there is insufficient Screen Width
  845. 2) the 'f' interactive command turned it Off
  846.  
  847. <<> :Move_Sort_Field_Left
  848. Moves the sort column to the left unless the current sort
  849. field is the first field being displayed.
  850.  
  851. <>> :Move_Sort_Field_Right
  852. Moves the sort column to the right unless the current sort
  853. field is the last field being displayed.
  854.  
  855. The following interactive commands will always be honored
  856. whether or not the current sort field is visible.
  857.  
  858. <F> or <O> :Select_Sort_Field
  859. These keys display a separate screen where you can change
  860. which field is used as the sort column.
  861.  
  862. If a field is selected which was not previously being dis‐
  863. played, it will be forced On when you return to the top
  864. display. However, depending upon your screen width and the
  865. order of your fields, this sort field may not be dis‐
  866. playable.
  867.  
  868. This interactive command can be a convenient way to simply
  869. verify the current sort field, when running top with column
  870. highlighting turned Off.
  871.  
  872. <R> :Reverse/Normal_Sort_Field_toggle
  873. Using this interactive command you can alternate between
  874. high-to-low and low-to-high sorts.
  875.  
  876. Note: Field sorting uses internal values, not those in column
  877. display. Thus, the TTY and WCHAN fields will violate strict
  878. ASCII collating sequence.
  879.  
  880. 3d. COLOR Mapping
  881. When you issue the 'Z' interactive command, you will be presented
  882. with a separate screen. That screen can be used to change the
  883. colors in just the ´current' window or in all four windows before
  884. returning to the top display.
  885.  
  886. Available interactive commands
  887. 4 upper case letters to select a target
  888. 8 numbers to select a color
  889. normal toggles available
  890. 'B' :bold disable/enable
  891. 'b' :running tasks "bold"/reverse
  892. 'z' :color/mono
  893. other commands available
  894. 'a'/'w' :apply, then go to next/prior
  895. <Enter> :apply and exit
  896. 'q' :abandon current changes and exit
  897.  
  898. If your use 'a' or 'w' to cycle the targeted window, you will have
  899. applied the color scheme that was displayed when you left that
  900. window. You can, of course, easily return to any window and reap‐
  901. ply different colors or turn colors Off completely with the 'z'
  902. toggle.
  903.  
  904. The Color Mapping screen can also be used to change the ´current'
  905. window/field group in either full-screen mode or alternate-display
  906. mode. Whatever was targeted when 'q' or <Enter> was pressed will
  907. be made current as you return to the top display.
  908.  
  909.  
  910. 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode
  911. 4a. WINDOWS Overview
  912. Field Groups/Windows:
  913. In full-screen mode there is a single window represented by
  914. the entire screen. That single window can still be changed
  915. to display 1 of 4 different field groups (see the 'G'
  916. interactive command, repeated below). Each of the 4 field
  917. groups has a unique separately configurable summary area
  918. and its own configurable task area.
  919.  
  920. In alternate-display mode, those 4 underlying field groups
  921. can now be made visible simultaneously, or can be turned
  922. Off individually at your command.
  923.  
  924. The summary area will always exist, even if it's only the
  925. message line. At any given time only one summary area can
  926. be displayed. However, depending on your commands, there
  927. could be from zero to four separate task displays currently
  928. showing on the screen.
  929.  
  930. Current Window:
  931. The ´current' window is the window associated with the sum‐
  932. mary area and the window to which task related commands are
  933. always directed. Since in alternate-display mode you can
  934. toggle the task display Off, some commands might be
  935. restricted for the ´current' window.
  936.  
  937. A further complication arises when you have toggled the
  938. first summary area line Off. With the loss of the window
  939. name (the 'l' toggled line), you'll not easily know what
  940. window is the ´current' window.
  941.  
  942. 4b. COMMANDS for Windows
  943. <-> and <_> :Show/Hide_Window(s)_toggles
  944. The '-' key turns the ´current' window's task display On
  945. and Off. When On, that task area will show a minimum of
  946. the columns header you've established with the 'f' and 'o'
  947. commands. It will also reflect any other task area
  948. options/toggles you've applied yielding zero or more tasks.
  949.  
  950. The '_' key does the same for all task displays. In other
  951. words, it switches between the currently visible task dis‐
  952. play(s) and any task display(s) you had toggled Off. If
  953. all 4 task displays are currently visible, this interactive
  954. command will leave the summary area as the only display
  955. element.
  956.  
  957. * <=> and <+> :Equalize_(re-balance)_Window(s)
  958. The '=' key forces the ´current' window's task display to
  959. be visible. It also reverses any 'i' (idle tasks) and 'n'
  960. (max tasks) commands that might be active.
  961.  
  962. The '+' key does the same for all windows. The four task
  963. displays will reappear, evenly balanced. They will also
  964. have retained any customizations you had previously
  965. applied, except for the 'i' (idle tasks) and 'n' (max
  966. tasks) commands.
  967.  
  968. * <A> :Alternate_Display_Mode_toggle
  969. This command will switch between full-screen mode and
  970. alternate-display mode.
  971.  
  972. The first time you issue this command, all four task dis‐
  973. plays will be shown. Thereafter when you switch modes, you
  974. will see only the task display(s) you've chosen to make
  975. visible.
  976.  
  977. * <a> and <w> :Next_Window_Forward/Backward
  978. This will change the ´current' window, which in turn
  979. changes the window to which commands are directed. These
  980. keys act in a circular fashion so you can reach any desired
  981. ´current' window using either key.
  982.  
  983. Assuming the window name is visible (you have not toggled
  984. 'l' Off), whenever the ´current' window name loses its
  985. emphasis/color, that's a reminder the task display is Off
  986. and many commands will be restricted.
  987.  
  988. * <G> :Choose_Another_Window/Field_Group
  989. You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 des‐
  990. ignating the window/field group which should be made the
  991. ´current' window.
  992.  
  993. In full-screen mode, this command is necessary to alter the
  994. ´current' window. In alternate-display mode, it is simply
  995. a less convenient alternative to the 'a' and 'w' commands.
  996.  
  997. <g> :Change_Window/Field_Group_Name
  998. You will be prompted for a new name to be applied to the
  999. ´current' window. It does not require that the window name
  1000. be visible (the 'l' toggle to be On).
  1001.  
  1002. * The interactive commands shown with an asterisk ('*') have use
  1003. beyond alternate-display mode.
  1004. '=', 'A', 'G' are always available
  1005. 'a', 'w' act the same when color mapping
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008. 5. FILES
  1009. 5a. SYSTEM Configuration File
  1010. The presence of this file will influence which version of the
  1011. 'help' screen is shown to an ordinary user. More importantly, it
  1012. will limit what ordinary users are allowed to do when top is run‐
  1013. ning. They will not be able to issue the following commands.
  1014. k Kill a task
  1015. r Renice a task
  1016. d or s Change delay/sleep interval
  1017.  
  1018. The system configuration file is not created by top. Rather, you
  1019. create this file manually and place it in the /etc directory. Its
  1020. name must be 'toprc' and must have no leading '.' (period). It
  1021. must have only two lines.
  1022.  
  1023. Here is an example of the contents of /etc/toprc:
  1024. s # line 1: 'secure' mode switch
  1025. 5.0 # line 2: 'delay' interval in seconds
  1026.  
  1027. 5b. PERSONAL Configuration File
  1028. This file is written as '$HOME/.your-name-4-top' + 'rc'. Use the
  1029. 'W' interactive command to create it or update it.
  1030.  
  1031. Here is the general layout:
  1032. global # line 1: the program name/alias notation
  1033. " # line 2: id,altscr,irixps,delay,curwin
  1034. per ea # line a: winname,fieldscur
  1035. window # line b: winflags,sortindx,maxtasks
  1036. " # line c: summclr,msgsclr,headclr,taskclr
  1037.  
  1038. If the $HOME variable is not present, top will try to write the
  1039. personal configuration file to the current directory, subject to
  1040. permissions.
  1041.  
  1042.  
  1043. 6. STUPID TRICKS Sampler
  1044. Many of these 'tricks' work best when you give top a scheduling
  1045. boost. So plan on starting him with a nice value of -10, assuming
  1046. you've got the authority.
  1047.  
  1048. 6a. Kernel Magic
  1049. For these stupid tricks, top needs full-screen mode.
  1050.  
  1051. -*- The user interface, through prompts and help, intentionally
  1052. implies that the delay interval is limited to tenths of a
  1053. second. However, you're free to set any desired delay. If
  1054. you want to see Linux at his scheduling best, try a delay of
  1055. .09 seconds or less.
  1056.  
  1057. For this experiment, under x-windows open an xterm and maxi‐
  1058. mize it. Then do the following:
  1059. . provide a scheduling boost and tiny delay via:
  1060. nice -n -10 top -d.09
  1061. . keep sorted column highlighting Off to minimize
  1062. path length
  1063. . turn On reverse row highlighting for emphasis
  1064. . try various sort columns (TIME/MEM work well),
  1065. and normal or reverse sorts to bring the most
  1066. active processes into view
  1067.  
  1068. What you'll see is a very busy Linux doing what he's always
  1069. done for you, but there was no program available to illus‐
  1070. trate this.
  1071.  
  1072. -*- Under an xterm using 'white-on-black' colors, try setting
  1073. top's task color to black and be sure that task highlighting
  1074. is set to bold, not reverse. Then set the delay interval to
  1075. around .3 seconds.
  1076.  
  1077. After bringing the most active processes into view, what
  1078. you'll see are the ghostly images of just the currently run‐
  1079. ning tasks.
  1080.  
  1081. -*- Delete the existing rcfile, or create a new symlink. Start
  1082. this new version then type 'T' (a secret key, see topic 3c.
  1083. TASK Area Commands, Sorting) followed by 'W' and 'q'.
  1084. Finally, restart the program with -d0 (zero delay).
  1085.  
  1086. Your display will be refreshed at three times the rate of the
  1087. former top, a 300% speed advantage. As top climbs the TIME
  1088. ladder, be as patient as you can while speculating on whether
  1089. or not top will ever reach the top.
  1090.  
  1091. 6b. Bouncing Windows
  1092. For these stupid tricks, top needs alternate-display mode.
  1093.  
  1094. -*- With 3 or 4 task displays visible, pick any window other than
  1095. the last and turn idle processes Off. Depending on where you
  1096. applied 'i', sometimes several task displays are bouncing and
  1097. sometimes it's like an accordion, as top tries his best to
  1098. allocate space.
  1099.  
  1100. -*- Set each window's summary lines differently: one with no mem‐
  1101. ory; another with no states; maybe one with nothing at all,
  1102. just the message line. Then hold down 'a' or 'w' and watch a
  1103. variation on bouncing windows -- hopping windows.
  1104.  
  1105. -*- Display all 4 windows and for each, in turn, set idle pro‐
  1106. cesses to Off. You've just entered the "extreme bounce"
  1107. zone.
  1108.  
  1109. 6c. The Big Bird Window
  1110. This stupid trick also requires alternate-display mode.
  1111.  
  1112. -*- Display all 4 windows and make sure that 1:Def is the ´cur‐
  1113. rent' window. Then, keep increasing window size until the
  1114. all the other task displays are "pushed out of the nest".
  1115.  
  1116. When they've all been displaced, toggle between all visi‐
  1117. ble/invisible windows. Then ponder this:
  1118. is top fibbing or telling honestly your imposed truth?
  1119.  
  1120.  
  1121. 7. BUGS
  1122. Send bug reports to:
  1123. Albert D. Cahalan, <albert@users.sf.net>
  1124.  
  1125.  
  1126. 8. HISTORY Former top
  1127. The original top was written by Roger Binns, based on Branko
  1128. Lankester's <lankeste@fwi.uva.nl> ps program.
  1129.  
  1130. Robert Nation <nation@rocket.sanders.lockheed.com> adapted it for
  1131. the proc file system.
  1132.  
  1133. Helmut Geyer <Helmut.Geyer@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de> added support
  1134. for configurable fields.
  1135.  
  1136. Plus many other individuals contributed over the years.
  1137.  
  1138.  
  1139. 9. AUTHOR
  1140. This entirely new and enhanced replacement was written by:
  1141. Jim / James C. Warner, <warnerjc@worldnet.att.net>
  1142.  
  1143. With invaluable help from:
  1144. Albert D. Cahalan, <albert@users.sf.net>
  1145. Craig Small, <csmall@small.dropbear.id.au>
  1146.  
  1147.  
  1148. 10. SEE ALSO
  1149. free(1), ps(1), uptime(1), atop(1), slabtop(1), vmstat(8), w(1).
  1150.  
  1151.  
  1152.  
  1153.  
  1154.  
  1155.  
  1156. Linux September 2002 TOP(1)
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