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How to Monitor Resource Usage in Linux with htop

FAQ – Resource Monitoring with htop​

What is htop?​

htop is an interactive process monitor for Linux that shows, in real time, the consumption of CPU, RAM memory, swap and active system processes.

How to install htop?​

Installation varies depending on the distribution:

  • Ubuntu / Debian

apt update && apt install htop -y

  • CentOS / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux

dnf install htop -y

How to open htop?​

Once installed, run the command:

htop

What do the CPU bars at the top of the screen mean?​

The bars represent the usage of each processor core. Colors indicate different types of usage, such as system processes, user processes, and waiting tasks.

How to check RAM and swap memory usage?​

At the top of htop, the Mem and Swap indicators show the system's current RAM and swap memory consumption.

How to identify processes that are consuming a lot of CPU or RAM?​

You can order the processes:

  • Press F6 and choose CPU% or MEM%
  • The heaviest processes will appear at the top of the list

Is it possible to terminate a process using htop?​

Yes. Select the process, press F9 and choose the desired signal (usually SIGTERM or SIGKILL).

Does the use of swap mean that the server has a problem?​

Not necessarily. Swap is used to support RAM memory, but excessive use may indicate a lack of RAM or poorly optimized applications.

Does htop consume a lot of server resources?​

No. htop is lightweight and can be safely used in production environments for quick analysis.

Does htop work on VPS and dedicated servers?​

Yes. htop normally works on VPS, dedicated servers and virtualized environments.

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