How to switch to tree view in Linux htop?

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore the htop interface and learn how to switch to the tree view in Linux. Htop is a powerful system monitoring tool that provides a more user-friendly and interactive experience compared to the traditional top command. By understanding how to navigate and customize the htop interface, you can optimize your system monitoring and process management tasks on your Linux system.

Skills Graph

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Introduction to htop

htop is a popular open-source interactive process viewer for Linux operating systems. It provides a real-time view of the running processes on a system, allowing users to monitor system performance, manage running processes, and troubleshoot issues.

What is htop?

htop is a more advanced and feature-rich alternative to the traditional top command. It offers a user-friendly interface with a variety of customization options, making it a valuable tool for system administrators, developers, and power users.

Key Features of htop

Real-time Process Monitoring: htop displays a live view of running processes, including CPU and memory usage, process IDs, and user information.
Interactive Process Management: Users can sort, filter, and search processes, as well as perform actions such as killing, pausing, or changing the priority of processes.
Customizable Interface: htop allows users to customize the display, including the columns shown, the color scheme, and the sorting order.
Tree-based Process Hierarchy: htop can display the process hierarchy in a tree-like structure, making it easier to understand the relationships between processes.
Resource Usage Monitoring: htop provides detailed information about CPU, memory, and swap usage, as well as network and disk I/O activity.

Installing and Running htop

To install htop on an Ubuntu 22.04 system, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install htop

Once installed, you can launch htop by running the following command in the terminal:

htop

This will open the htop interface, where you can begin exploring and interacting with the running processes on your system.

Navigating the htop Interface

When you launch htop, you'll be presented with a comprehensive interface that provides a wealth of information about the running processes on your system. Let's explore the different elements of the htop interface and how to navigate them.

Main Display

The main display of htop shows a list of running processes, with each process displayed as a row. The columns in the display provide various information about each process, such as the process ID (PID), user, CPU and memory usage, and more.

Keyboard Shortcuts

htop supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to perform various actions and navigate the interface. Some of the most commonly used shortcuts include:

Shortcut	Action
`F1`	Show the help menu
`F2`	Open the setup menu
`F3`	Search for a process
`F4`	Filter the process list
`F5`	Tree view
`F6`	Sort the process list
`F7`	Decrease process priority (nice)
`F8`	Increase process priority (nice)
`F9`	Kill a process
`F10`	Exit htop

Customizing the Display

You can customize the htop display to show the information that is most relevant to you. To do this, press F2 to open the setup menu, where you can:

Select the columns to display
Change the color scheme
Adjust the sort order
Enable or disable various features

By taking the time to customize the htop interface, you can make it even more powerful and tailored to your specific needs.

Switching to Tree View in htop

One of the most powerful features of htop is its ability to display the process hierarchy in a tree-like structure, known as the "tree view". This view can provide valuable insights into the relationships between running processes, making it easier to understand and manage your system.

Enabling Tree View

To switch to the tree view in htop, follow these steps:

Launch the htop application by running the following command in your Ubuntu 22.04 terminal:
```
htop
```
Press the F5 key to toggle the tree view. The process list will now be displayed in a hierarchical tree structure, with child processes indented under their parent processes.

Understanding the Tree View

In the tree view, you'll see that processes are organized in a tree-like structure, with parent processes at the top and their child processes indented underneath. This layout makes it easier to visualize the relationships between processes and understand how they are connected.

For example, you might see a parent process for a web server, with child processes for individual worker threads or processes handling specific tasks. By expanding the tree, you can dive deeper into the process hierarchy and get a more detailed view of what's happening on your system.

Navigating the Tree View

Once in the tree view, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate and interact with the process tree:

Shortcut	Action
`+`	Expand the selected process tree
`-`	Collapse the selected process tree
`Left Arrow`	Move to the parent process
`Right Arrow`	Move to the first child process
`Up/Down Arrow`	Move up and down the process tree

By mastering these tree view navigation techniques, you can quickly and efficiently explore the process hierarchy on your Ubuntu 22.04 system, making it easier to identify and troubleshoot issues.

Summary

By following this guide, you will learn how to navigate the htop interface, including accessing the tree view, which provides a hierarchical representation of running processes. This knowledge will help you better understand and manage your Linux system's processes, leading to improved system performance and troubleshooting capabilities.