bottom(1)
A cross-platform graphical process/system monitor with an intuitive terminal UI showing CPU, memory, disks, networks, and processes.
Synopsis
bottom [OPTIONS]Description
bottom (also invoked as btm) is a system monitor that displays real-time information about your system's performance in an easy-to-read terminal interface. It shows CPU usage, memory/swap consumption, disk I/O, network activity, and a sortable process list.
Unlike traditional tools like top or htop, bottom provides a modern, visually organized dashboard with configurable layouts, process filtering, and search capabilities—all without requiring root privileges for basic functionality.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-c, --config <PATH> | use a custom configuration file instead of the default |
-r, --rate <MILLISECONDS> | set the update interval (default 250ms); lower values = more frequent updates |
-p, --process-command | show the full command line for each process instead of just the program name |
-u, --user <USER> | filter the process list to show only processes from a specific user |
-d, --disk | enable disk I/O statistics display |
--battery | show battery information (if available) |
-a, --hide-time | hide the current time display |
--disable-click | disable mouse click interactions |
-v, --version | display the version and exit |
Examples
start bottom with default settings and display the system monitor dashboard
bottomrun bottom with a 1-second update interval (slower refresh for reduced CPU usage)
btm -r 1000monitor only processes running under the specified user account
bottom -u usernamedisplay the full command line for each process in the process list
bottom -pstart bottom using a custom configuration file for layout and colors
bottom -c ~/.config/bottom/bottom.tomlshow battery status along with other system metrics (on laptops)
bottom --battery