btop(1)
btop is a modern, interactive system monitor displaying CPU, memory, disk, and network usage with a colorful, user-friendly interface.
Synopsis
btop [OPTION]...Description
btop is a resource monitor that provides real-time visualization of system performance metrics including CPU usage by core, memory and swap consumption, disk I/O, and network throughput. It features an interactive terminal UI with mouse support, customizable themes, and the ability to sort and filter processes by various metrics.
Unlike traditional tools like top or htop, btop emphasizes visual clarity with graphs and percentage bars, making it easier to quickly assess system health at a glance.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-M, --monitor | Start in monitor mode (show only system stats, no process list) |
-u, --username USERNAME | Filter processes to show only those owned by the specified user |
-p, --pid PID | Filter processes to show only the specified process ID |
-b, --box-draw MODE | Set box-drawing characters mode (ascii, unicode, unicode_no_border) |
-t, --theme THEME | Start with the specified color theme |
--preset PRESET | Load a saved configuration preset by name |
-v, --version | Print version information and exit |
-h, --help | Display help message and exit |
Examples
Start btop with default settings showing full system and process overview
btopLaunch btop in monitor-only mode, displaying system metrics without the process list
btop -MShow only processes belonging to the specified user
btop -u usernameMonitor a specific process by its PID
btop -p 1234Start btop with the 'Default' color theme
btop -t DefaultLoad and use a saved configuration preset named 'minimal'
btop --preset minimal