Modern Linux CLI Tools #16: BTOP — Beautiful Resource Monitor

Project page: https://github.com/aristocratos/btop

Welcome to Modern Linux CLI Tools, a series where we look at small but powerful command-line utilities that make everyday Linux work faster, cleaner, and more enjoyable.

In this episode, we explore btop, a modern, full-screen system monitor that gives you a clean dashboard view of:
CPU, memory, disks, network, and a live process list — all in one place.

If you like htop for process management, btop feels like “htop + history graphs + a real dashboard”.

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Installation notes

If your distro provides a package, that’s the easiest route:

Debian/Ubuntu/Mint:
sudo apt install btop

Fedora:
sudo dnf install btop

Arch:
sudo pacman -S btop

macOS (Homebrew):
brew install btop

(If you build from source, check the project page for the latest instructions.)

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Main keys (the ones you actually use)

General
m Open menu (settings, theme, toggles)
p Cycle layout presets
1-4 Toggle views/panels (depends on preset/layout)
+/- Increase/decrease update interval (sampling speed)
q or Esc Quit

Process list
f Filter/search processes
t Toggle tree view (parent/child processes)
r Reverse sort order
c Per-core CPU% toggle (normalize to one core vs total)
Enter Select a process (shows details)
k Kill selected process (force)
s Send a signal (choose SIGTERM, SIGKILL, etc.)

Network panel (per interface)
n Next interface
b Toggle bytes vs bits display
a Auto-scale the graph
y Sync download/upload scaling (same scale for both graphs)
z Zero totals (reset counters so “Total” starts fresh)

(Exact keybinds can vary by version/config, but these are the defaults most people see.)

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What to look at (quick tour)

CPU
- Overall CPU history graph + per-core usage
- Load average and uptime
- Frequency and temperature (if sensors are available)

Memory
- Used vs available vs cached (Linux cache is normal and healthy)
- Quick sanity check: “Available” matters more than “Free”

Disks
- Per-mount usage with a simple bar
- IO activity indicator to spot when a disk is busy

Network
- Download/upload history + current rate
- Top (peak) and Total counters per interface

Processes
- Sort by CPU or memory to catch spikes fast
- Tree view is great to see what spawned what

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Tip

If you only remember one thing:
Use m for menu, p for presets, f/t in the process list.

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Full playlist (Modern Linux CLI Tools):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzwsIhHG_OdbAe9VEZW-T6_Sp2zJCjgls

Видео Modern Linux CLI Tools #16: BTOP — Beautiful Resource Monitor канала NicoDemos