Htop is an excellent tool for anyone who wants a closer look at what’s happening inside their computer. The following tutorial will teach you how to install Htop Interactive Process Viewer on Rocky Linux 9 or Rocky Linux 8 with the Enterprise Linux Extra Packages repository using the command line terminal.
What is Htop Interactive Viewer?
Htop is an interactive, real-time, open-source system process viewer and monitors available for Linux and Unix operating systems. It is similar to the standard ‘top’ command, with the addition of being able to scroll vertically and horizontally throughout the output list. Htop displays dynamic information about the processes running on the system with many more options compared to tools such as ps. These options include color coding, user-friendly illustrated output buttons, multiple sorting methods, and more. These features make Htop a valuable tool for troubleshooting busy or unresponsive machines and managing resources effectively.
Recommended Steps Before Installation
First, before proceeding, update your system to ensure no conflicts occur during the installation.
sudo dnf upgrade --refreshInstall Htop Interactive Viewer
By default, Rocky Linux does not have Htop available from its appstream so you will need the EPEL repository first.
Enable EPEL Repository
Import EPEL for Rocky Linux 9 (EL9)
First, enable the CRB.
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crbNext, install EPEL using the following (dnf) terminal command.
sudo dnf install \
https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm \
https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-next-release-latest-9.noarch.rpmImport EPEL for Rocky Linux 8 (EL8)
Like Rocky Linux 9, install EPEL using the following (dnf) terminal command to install the EPEL repository for Rocky Linux 8.
sudo dnf install \
https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm \
https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-next-release-latest-8.noarch.rpmInstall Htop
To proceed with the installation, use the following command.
sudo dnf install htop -yConfirm the installation and version build using the htop –version command.
htop --versionExample output:
[[email protected] ~]$ htop --version
htop 3.2.1How to use Htop – Terminal Commands
As the name suggests, use the following command to bring up Htop in your terminal.
htopThe first time you open Htop, and after having a look, I would suggest pressing the F2 button and beginning to do some configurations, as you can customize or add missing things you would like to see.
Further options can be added to the Htop command, such as some standard parameters below.
| Parameter | Function |
|---|---|
| -d –delay= 10 |
Specify the update rate in 1/10 seconds |
| -C –no-color –no-color |
Start without colors |
| -h –help |
Show quick help |
| -u –user=username |
Show only the specified user |
| -s –sort-key |
Sort by a specific column. A list of the permitted column names can be htop -s help output with |
| -v –version |
Show Htop version |
One of the most common parameters is delaying the update frequency of Htop, as many have the application constantly running to monitor system or network performances.
htop -d 10As mentioned above, this has added a ten-second delay, but you can specify anything you want in seconds.
Htop Keyboard Shorts
Below is a list of the most commonly used shortcuts.
| Keys | Function |
|---|---|
| ← , ↑ , → , ↓ | Scroll through the process list |
| ⇧ + U | Remove all tags |
| . or , | Incremental search for the PID |
| F1 , ? , H | Show help |
| U | Show the processes of a user |
| F2 , ⇧ + S | Open setup and change settings |
| ⇧ + H | Show/hide user threads |
| F3, ⇧ + / | Incremental process name search |
| ⇧ + K | Show/hide kernel threads |
| F4, \ | Filter by name |
| ⇧ + F. | Pin the cursor to a process |
| F5 , T | Activate/deactivate tree view |
| + , – | Expand/collapse the tree |
| F6, > | Select the column to sort |
| ⇧ + P | Sort processes by CPU usage |
| F7 | Decrease Nice value |
| ⇧ + M | Sort processes by memory usage |
| F8 | Increase Nice value |
| ⇧ + T | Sort processes by the time |
| F9, K | End the process or processes of a day |
| L | Open files with lsof open |
| F10 , Q , Ctrl + C | break up |
| S | System calls to stracetrace |
| Space bar | Tag process |
| ⇧ + L | Track library ltracecalls |
| I | I / O control |
Additional Commands & Tips
Remove (Uninstall) Htop
Removing Htop from your system is straightforward. Use the following command.
sudo dnf autoremove htop -yIt is advised to keep EPEL installed, as this repository provides many alternative packages you may require in the future.
Conclusion
The tutorial has demonstrated how to install the Htop interactive viewer on Rocky Linux 9 or 8 by importing the EPEL repository and installing the viewer for your alternative “top command” replacement. Overall, most users prefer using Htop over the traditional Top viewer. It’s fantastic and lightweight compared to other options, such as Glance’s system monitor, and works well for desktop or server users.
