How to customize system metrics display in Linux htop?

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of customizing the system metrics display in Linux using the popular htop tool. Htop is a powerful, interactive system monitor that provides a wealth of information about your system's performance and resource utilization. By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to personalize the metrics displayed in htop, helping you better understand and optimize your Linux environment.

Skills Graph

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Getting Started with htop

What is htop?

htop is an interactive process viewer and system monitor for Linux operating systems. It provides a real-time overview of the running processes, system resources, and various performance metrics. Unlike the traditional top command, htop offers a more user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it a popular choice among Linux system administrators and developers.

Key Features of htop

Process Monitoring: htop displays a list of running processes, including their process ID, user, CPU and memory usage, and other relevant information.
Interactive Controls: htop allows users to interact with processes, such as terminating, pausing, or changing their priority, directly from the interface.
Resource Utilization: htop provides a real-time view of system resources, including CPU, memory, and swap usage.
Customizable Display: htop allows users to customize the display, including the columns shown, the color scheme, and the sorting order.
Improved Navigation: htop offers a more intuitive navigation experience compared to the traditional top command, with the ability to scroll, search, and filter processes.

Installing and Running htop

To install htop on your Ubuntu 22.04 system, you can use the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install htop

Once installed, you can launch htop by simply typing htop in the terminal. This will open the interactive htop interface, where you can start exploring and monitoring your system's processes and resources.

graph TD A[Install htop] --> B[Launch htop] B --> C[Monitor processes and resources]

Navigating and Using htop

Upon launching htop, you will be presented with a comprehensive view of your system's running processes and resource utilization. The interface is divided into several sections, including:

Process List: This area displays the list of running processes, along with various details such as process ID, user, CPU and memory usage, and more.
Resource Utilization: The top section of the interface shows the overall CPU, memory, and swap usage of the system.
Task-related Information: The bottom section provides additional information related to the selected process, such as its command line, open files, and more.

You can navigate through the interface using the following keyboard shortcuts:

Shortcut	Action
`↑`, `↓`	Move up and down the process list
`PgUp`, `PgDn`	Scroll up and down the process list
`Space`	Tag/untag a process
`F9`	Send a signal to a process (e.g., terminate, pause, resume)
`F10`	Exit htop

By familiarizing yourself with these basic controls, you can quickly and efficiently monitor and manage your system's processes using the htop tool.

Customizing System Metrics

Customizing the Process List

One of the key features of htop is the ability to customize the process list display. You can modify the columns shown, change the sorting order, and even apply filters to the process list.

To customize the process list:

Press F2 to open the "Setup" menu.
Navigate to the "Columns" section and use the arrow keys to select the columns you want to display.
Press the Space key to toggle the visibility of each column.
Use the F6 key to sort the process list based on a specific column.
Press F3 to search for a specific process or user.
Use the F4 key to apply a filter to the process list.

Here's an example of how you can customize the process list to show the process ID, user, CPU and memory usage, and command line:

graph TD A[Open Setup menu] --> B[Select Columns] B --> C[Toggle column visibility] C --> D[Sort by column] D --> E[Search processes] E --> F[Apply filters]

Customizing Resource Utilization Graphs

In addition to the process list, htop also provides customizable graphs for system resource utilization. You can modify the layout, colors, and the metrics displayed in these graphs.

To customize the resource utilization graphs:

Press F2 to open the "Setup" menu.
Navigate to the "Meters" section and use the arrow keys to select the graph you want to customize.
Press the Space key to toggle the visibility of each graph.
Use the F5 key to change the color scheme of the selected graph.
Press the F6 key to modify the graph's layout and the metrics displayed.

Here's an example of how you can customize the CPU and memory usage graphs:

Graph	Customization
CPU Usage	- Display CPU usage per core - Change color scheme to a more vibrant palette
Memory Usage	- Display both used and available memory - Adjust graph layout to show more details

By customizing the process list and resource utilization graphs, you can tailor the htop interface to your specific needs and preferences, making it a more powerful and efficient tool for system monitoring and troubleshooting.

Advanced Customization and Troubleshooting

Customizing the htop Configuration File

While the interactive setup menu in htop provides a convenient way to customize the tool, you can also modify the configuration file directly to achieve more advanced customizations.

The htop configuration file is located at ~/.config/htop/htop.conf. You can open this file in a text editor and make changes to the following settings:

Columns: Customize the columns displayed in the process list.
Meters: Modify the resource utilization graphs, including their layout and metrics.
Colors: Change the color scheme of the htop interface.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Remap the default keyboard shortcuts to your preferred actions.

Here's an example of how you can customize the htop configuration file:

## Columns
fields=0 48 17 18 38 39 40 2 46 47 49 1

## Meters
left_meters=LeftCPUs Memory Swap
left_meter_modes=1 1 1
right_meters=RightCPUs Tasks LoadAverage Uptime
right_meter_modes=1 2 2 2

## Colors
header_margin=2
color_scheme=6

By modifying the configuration file, you can create a custom htop setup that perfectly fits your needs and preferences.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While htop is generally a reliable and stable tool, you may encounter some issues during its usage. Here are a few common problems and their potential solutions:

htop not found: If the htop command is not recognized, ensure that you have installed the htop package on your Ubuntu 22.04 system using the command sudo apt-get install htop.
Permissions issues: If you encounter permission-related errors when trying to run htop, try running the command with sudo to elevate your privileges.
Outdated or missing dependencies: Ensure that your system has the necessary dependencies installed. You can try updating your system packages using sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade.
Slow or unresponsive htop: If htop is running slowly or becomes unresponsive, try closing and reopening the tool. If the issue persists, you can try reducing the number of columns or graphs displayed in the interface.
Unexpected behavior: If you encounter any unexpected behavior or issues with htop, you can try resetting the configuration to its default state by deleting the ~/.config/htop/htop.conf file.

By understanding these common troubleshooting steps, you can quickly identify and resolve any issues you may encounter while using the htop tool.

Summary

In this comprehensive Linux tutorial, you have learned how to customize the system metrics display in htop, a powerful system monitoring tool. By exploring the various configuration options and advanced customization techniques, you can now tailor the information presented to your specific needs, gaining deeper insights into your Linux system's performance and resource utilization. With the knowledge gained, you can enhance your system monitoring experience and make more informed decisions to optimize your Linux environment.