top and htop (live monitoring) in Linux CLI - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Monitor System Processes with top and htop

📖 Scenario: You are a system administrator who needs to check the current running processes and system resource usage on a Linux server. You will use the top and htop commands to monitor CPU, memory, and process information live.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to use the top command to view live system process information and then install and run htop for a more user-friendly interactive monitoring experience.

📋 What You'll Learn

Use the top command to display live system processes

Install htop using the package manager

Run htop to view interactive process monitoring

Exit both top and htop properly

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

System administrators and DevOps engineers use <code>top</code> and <code>htop</code> daily to monitor server health and troubleshoot performance issues.

💼 Career

Knowing how to monitor live system processes is essential for maintaining reliable and efficient servers in any IT or DevOps role.

1

Run the top command to view live system processes

Open your terminal and type top to start live monitoring of system processes. Let it run for a few seconds to observe CPU and memory usage.

Linux CLI

# Type top and observe the output
# Your code here

Need a hint?

The top command shows a live list of running processes and system resource usage. Just type top and press Enter.

2

Install htop for enhanced process monitoring

Use the package manager to install htop. If you are on Ubuntu or Debian, type sudo apt-get install htop. For CentOS or RHEL, use sudo yum install htop.

Linux CLI

top
# Install htop using the package manager
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use sudo apt-get install htop on Debian-based systems or sudo yum install htop on RedHat-based systems to install htop.

3

Run htop to view interactive process monitoring

After installing, type htop in the terminal to start the interactive process viewer. Notice the color-coded bars and easier navigation.

Linux CLI

top
sudo apt-get install htop
# Run htop to start interactive monitoring
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Simply type htop and press Enter to launch the interactive process viewer.

4

Exit top and htop properly

To exit top or htop, press the q key on your keyboard. This will return you to the normal terminal prompt.

Linux CLI

top
sudo apt-get install htop
htop
# Press q to exit both top and htop
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Pressing q quits the live monitoring tools and returns you to the command prompt.