BTop has become one of the most popular tools for monitoring the performance of Linux systems thanks to its modern interface and low resource consumption.
What is BTop?
BTop is a resource monitor written in C++ that provides a real-time view of CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. Its design is inspired by tools like top and htop, but it incorporates bar graphs and colors that facilitate quick interpretation of the data.
Main Features
- Visualization of bar graphs for CPU, memory, disk, and network.
- Flexible sorting by different columns (PID, user, CPU consumption, etc.).
- Support for customizable color themes.
- Minimal CPU and memory usage, ideal for servers and desktops.
- Quick access to detailed process information with a single key.
Installation
BTop is available in the repositories of most Linux distributions. Below is how to install it on some of the most common ones:
- On Ubuntu or Debian:
sudo apt install btop - On Fedora:
sudo dnf install btop - On Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S btop - On openSUSE:
sudo zypper install btop
If your distribution does not include it, you can also compile it from the source code available on GitHub.
Basic Usage
Once installed, simply run btop in the terminal. The screen will be divided into several sections:
- Header with the host name and current time.
- Panels for CPU, memory, disk, and network with bar graphs.
- List of processes sortable using the arrow keys.
- Status bar showing keyboard shortcuts.
Some useful shortcuts:
- F1: Show help.
- F2: Open the configuration menu.
- F3: Filter processes.
- F4: Sort by CPU usage.
- F5: Sort by memory usage.
- F9: Send signal to a selected process.
- F10: Exit btop.
Customization
BTop allows you to adapt its appearance to your preferences via the configuration menu (F2). Among the customization options are:
- Selection of predefined themes (classic, dark, neon, etc.).
- Adjustment of the refresh rate.
- Hide or show specific panels.
- Change the unit of measurement for disk and network.
- Define custom keyboard shortcuts.
Comparison with top and htop
Although top and htop remain valid tools, btop offers several advantages:
- More modern and visually appealing interface.
- Lower resource consumption of its own.
- Greater ease of use thanks to bar graphs and intuitive shortcuts.
- Better support for themes and customization.
Conclusion
BTop represents a natural evolution of traditional resource monitors in Linux. Its combination of lightweight performance, attractive interface, and configuration options makes it an indispensable tool for both system administrators and advanced users who want to maintain precise control over the state of their machines. If you haven’t tried it yet, installing btop and exploring its features is an excellent way to improve your terminal monitoring experience.