`top` command

Watch processes and CPU and memory use live.

Processes & services
Package procps
5 options · 5 examples

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Syntax
Common options
Examples
Tips
Guides
Related commands

Syntax

top [options]

Provided by the procps package. Run man top for the full manual.

Common options

Option	What it does
`-u USER`	Only that user's processes
`-p PID`	Only these process IDs
`-d N`	Refresh every N seconds
`-b`	Batch mode for scripts
`-n N`	Stop after N refreshes

Examples

Start top
```
top
```
Only one user's processes
```
top -u www-data
```
Watch one process
```
top -p 1234
```
One snapshot for a script
```
top -b -n 1 | head -20
```
Refresh every 5 seconds
```
top -d 5
```

Tips

Inside top: P sorts by CPU, M by memory, k kills a process, 1 shows each CPU, q quits.

top guides

Understanding the Top Command Output in Linux Linux Commands · Updated Apr 2025
Top Command in Linux (System & Process Monitoring) Linux Commands · Updated Apr 2025

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