htop is an interactive process viewer for the terminal that runs on Linux, BSD, and macOS.
htop solves the problem of monitoring system processes with a more user-friendly interface than the traditional ps command. It displays a scrollable list of running processes with their CPU and memory consumption, system-wide metrics like load average and swap usage, and allows users to interact with processes directly. The display is configurable through a graphical setup menu, and processes can be sorted, filtered, and searched without needing to know their process IDs. Common operations like killing or renicing processes are performed through keyboard shortcuts rather than command-line arguments.
The tool suits anyone who regularly needs to monitor or manage system processes from the terminal. It works across multiple Unix-like operating systems with a consistent interface. The project supports optional features controlled at compile time, including hardware monitoring through sensors, topology awareness via hwloc, capability-based security checks, and network statistics through libnl. Developers building from source need a C99-compliant compiler, autotools, and ncurses 6.0 or later, with optional dependencies for enhanced functionality.
The project maintains active engagement with contributions across multiple platforms and architectures. Development includes regular updates to support new operating system versions and maintain compatibility with evolving system libraries. The codebase receives attention to cross-platform portability, with specific handling for differences between Linux, BSD, and macOS implementations. The project accepts community contributions and maintains documentation through both a dedicated website and integrated help systems within the application itself.
