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TOP(1)			      Linux Users Manual		       TOP(1)



NAME
       top - display Linux tasks



SYNOPSIS
       top -hv | -bcHisS -d delay -n iterations -p pid [, pid ...]

       The traditional switches - and whitespace are optional.



DESCRIPTION
       The  top program provides a dynamic real-time view of a running system.
       It can display system summary information as well as a  list  of  tasks
       currently  being managed by the Linux kernel.  The types of system sum
       mary information shown and the types, order  and  size  of  information
       displayed  for  tasks  are all user configurable and that configuration
       can be made persistent across restarts.

       The program provides a limited interactive interface for process manip
       ulation as well as a much more extensive interface for personal config
       uration	--  encompassing every aspect of its operation.  And while top
       is  referred to throughout this document, you are free to name the pro
       gram anything you wish.	That new name, possibly an alias, will then be
       reflected on tops display and used when reading and writing a configu
       ration file.



OVERVIEW
   Documentation
       The remaining Table of Contents
	   1. COMMAND-LINE Options
	   2. FIELDS / Columns
	      a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
	      b. SELECTING and ORDERING Columns
	   3. INTERACTIVE Commands
	      a. GLOBAL Commands
	      b. SUMMARY Area Commands
	      c. TASK Area Commands
	      d. COLOR Mapping
	   4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode
	      a. WINDOWS Overview
	      b. COMMANDS for Windows
	   5. FILES
	      a. SYSTEM Configuration File
	      b. PERSONAL Configuration File
	   6. STUPID TRICKS Sampler
	      a. Kernel Magic
	      b. Bouncing Windows
	      c. The Big Bird Window
	   7. BUGS, 8. HISTORY Former top, 9. AUTHOR, 10. SEE ALSO


   Operation
       When operating top, the two most important keys are help (h  or	?)
       and  quit  (q)  key.   Alternatively, you could simply use the tradi
       tional interrupt key (^C) when youre done.

       When you start top for the first time, youll  be  presented  with  the
       traditional  screen  elements: 1) Summary Area; 2) Message/Prompt Line;
       3) Columns Header; 4) Task Area.  There will, however, be some  differ
       ences when compared to the former top.


       Highlighting
	  Summary_Area: There is no highlighting for load/uptime and only val
	  ues are highlighted for other elements.

	  Task_Area: Tasks running (or ready to run) will be highlighted,  and
	  bold is only one way of emphasizing such processes.


       Content/Labels
	  Summary_Area: The program name is shown, perhaps a symlink or alias.
	  The Cpu(s) state label hints at  other  possibilities.   The	memory
	  stats use a lower case k.

	  Columns_Header: Will show a new field and some changed labels.  More
	  new fields will be found as you customize your top.


       Note: the width of tops display will  be  limited  to  512  positions.
       Displaying  all	fields	requires  a  minimum  of  160 characters.  The
       remaining width could be used for the Command column.


   Startup Defaults
       The following startup defaults assume no configuration  file,  thus  no
       user customizations.  Even so, items shown with an asterisk (*) could
       be overridden through the command-line.

	   Global_defaults
	      A - Alt display	   Off (full-screen)
	    * d - Delay time	   3.0 seconds
	      I - Irix mode	   On  (no, solaris smp)
	    * p - PID monitoring   Off
	    * s - Secure mode	   Off (unsecured)
	      B - Bold enable	   Off
	   Summary_Area_defaults
	      l - Load Avg/Uptime  On  (thus program name)
	      t - Task/Cpu states  On  (1+1 lines, see 1)
	      m - Mem/Swap usage   On  (2 lines worth)
	      1 - Single Cpu	   On  (thus 1 line if smp)
	   Task_Area_defaults
	      b - Bold hilite	   On  (not reverse)
	    * c - Command line	   Off (name, not cmdline)
	    * H - Threads	   Off (show all threads)
	    * i - Idle tasks	   On  (show all tasks)
	      R - Reverse sort	   On  (pids high-to-low)
	    * S - Cumulative time  Off (no, dead children)
	      x - Column hilite    Off (no, sort field)
	      y - Row hilite	   On  (yes, running tasks)
	      z - color/mono	   Off (no, colors)



1. COMMAND-LINE Options
       The command-line syntax for top consists of:

	    -hv | -bcHisS -d delay -n iterations -p pid [,pid...]

       The typically mandatory switches (-) and  even  whitespace  are	com
       pletely optional.


       -b : Batch mode operation
	    Starts top in Batch mode, which could be useful for sending out
	    put from top to other programs or to a file.  In  this  mode,  top
	    will  not  accept input and runs until the iterations limit youve
	    set with the -n command-line option or until killed.


       -c : Command line/Program name toggle
	    Starts top with the last remembered c state reversed.  Thus,  if
	    top was displaying command lines, now that field will show program
	    names, and visa versa.  See the c interactive command for  addi
	    tional information.


       -d : Delay time interval as:  -d ss.tt (seconds.tenths)
	    Specifies the delay between screen updates, and overrides the cor
	    responding value in  ones  personal  configuration	file  or  the
	    startup  default.	Later  this can be changed with the d or s
	    interactive commands.

	    Fractional seconds are honored,  but  a  negative  number  is  not
	    allowed.   In  all	cases, however, such changes are prohibited if
	    top is running in Secure mode, except for root (unless  the  s
	    command-line  option  was  used).	For  additional information on
	    Secure mode see topic 5a. SYSTEM Configuration File.



       -h : Help
	    Show library version and the usage prompt, then quit.


       -H : Threads toggle
	    Starts top with the last remembered H state reversed.  When this
	    toggle  is	On,  all individual threads will be displayed.	Other
	    wise, top displays a summation of all threads in a process.


       -i : Idle Processes toggle
	    Starts top with the last remembered i state reversed.  When this
	    toggle  is	Off,  tasks that are idled or zombied will not be dis
	    played.


       -n : Number of iterations limit as:  -n number
	    Specifies the maximum number of iterations, or frames, top	should
	    produce before ending.


       -u : Monitor by user as:  -u somebody
	    Monitor only processes with an effective UID or user name matching
	    that given.


       -U : Monitor by user as:  -U somebody
	    Monitor only processes with a  UID	or  user  name	matching  that
	    given.   This matches real, effective, saved, and filesystem UIDs.


       -p : Monitor PIDs as:  -pN1 -pN2 ...  or  -pN1, N2 [,...]
	    Monitor only processes with specified process  IDs.   This	option
	    can  be given up to 20 times, or you can provide a comma delimited
	    list with up to 20 pids.  Co-mingling both approaches  is  permit
	    ted.

	    This is a command-line option only.  And should you wish to return
	    to normal operation, it is not necessary to quit and  and  restart
	    top  --  just issue the = interactive command.


       -s : Secure mode operation
	    Starts  top  with secure mode forced, even for root.  This mode is
	    far better controlled through the system configuration  file  (see
	    topic 5. FILES).


       -S : Cumulative time mode toggle
	    Starts  top  with  the  last  remembered S state reversed.	When
	    Cumulative mode is On, each process is listed with the cpu	time
	    that  it and its dead children have used.  See the S interactive
	    command for additional information regarding this mode.


       -v : Version
	    Show library version and the usage prompt, then quit.



2. FIELDS / Columns
   2a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
       Listed below are tops available fields.	They  are  always  associated
       with  the  letter shown, regardless of the position you may have estab
       lished for them with the o (Order fields) interactive command.

       Any field is selectable as the sort field, and you control whether they
       are  sorted  high-to-low or low-to-high.  For additional information on
       sort provisions see topic 3c. TASK Area Commands.


       a: PID  --  Process Id
	  The tasks unique process ID, which periodically wraps, though never
	  restarting at zero.


       b: PPID	--  Parent Process Pid
	  The process ID of a tasks parent.


       c: RUSER  --  Real User Name
	  The real user name of the tasks owner.


       d: UID  --  User Id
	  The effective user ID of the tasks owner.


       e: USER	--  User Name
	  The effective user name of the tasks owner.


       f: GROUP  --  Group Name
	  The effective group name of the tasks owner.


       g: TTY  --  Controlling Tty
	  The  name  of  the controlling terminal.  This is usually the device
	  (serial port, pty, etc.) from which the  process  was  started,  and
	  which  it  uses  for	input  or output.  However, a task need not be
	  associated with a terminal, in which case youll see ?  displayed.


       h: PR  --  Priority
	  The priority of the task.


       i: NI  --  Nice value
	  The nice value of the task.  A negative nice value means higher pri
	  ority, whereas a positive nice value means lower priority.  Zero  in
	  this field simply means priority will not be adjusted in determining
	  a tasks dispatchability.


       j: P  --  Last used CPU (SMP)
	  A number representing the last used processor.  In a true SMP  envi
	  ronment   this  will	likely	change	frequently  since  the	kernel
	  intentionally uses weak affinity.  Also, the very act of running top
	  may break this weak affinity and cause more processes to change CPUs
	  more often (because of the extra demand for cpu time).


       k: %CPU	--  CPU usage
	  The tasks share of the elapsed  CPU  time  since  the  last  screen
	  update,  expressed as a percentage of total CPU time.  In a true SMP
	  environment, if Irix mode is Off, top  will  operate	in  Solaris
	  mode	where  a tasks cpu usage will be divided by the total number
	  of CPUs.  You toggle Irix/Solaris modes with the  I  interactive
	  command.


       l: TIME	--  CPU Time
	  Total CPU time the task has used since it started.  When Cumulative
	  mode is On, each process is listed with the cpu time	that  it  and
	  its  dead children has used.	You toggle Cumulative mode with S,
	  which is a command-line option and an interactive command.  See  the
	  S  interactive  command  for additional information regarding this
	  mode.


       m: TIME+  --  CPU Time, hundredths
	  The same as TIME, but reflecting  more  granularity  through	hun
	  dredths of a second.


       n: %MEM	--  Memory usage (RES)
	  A tasks currently used share of available physical memory.


       o: VIRT	--  Virtual Image (kb)
	  The  total  amount  of virtual memory used by the task.  It includes
	  all code, data and  shared  libraries  plus  pages  that  have  been
	  swapped out.

	  VIRT = SWAP + RES.


       p: SWAP	--  Swapped size (kb)
	  The swapped out portion of a tasks total virtual memory image.


       q: RES  --  Resident size (kb)
	  The non-swapped physical memory a task has used.

	  RES = CODE + DATA.


       r: CODE	--  Code size (kb)
	  The amount of physical memory devoted to executable code, also known
	  as the text resident set size or TRS.


       s: DATA	--  Data+Stack size (kb)
	  The amount of physical memory devoted to other than executable code,
	  also known as the data resident set size or DRS.


       t: SHR  --  Shared Mem size (kb)
	  The amount of shared memory used by a task.  It simply reflects mem
	  ory that could be potentially shared with other processes.


       u: nFLT	--  Page Fault count
	  The number of major page faults that have occurred for  a  task.   A
	  page fault occurs when a process attempts to read from or write to a
	  virtual page that is not currently present in its address space.   A
	  major  page fault is when backing storage access (such as a disk) is
	  involved in making that page available.


       v: nDRT	--  Dirty Pages count
	  The number of pages that have been modified  since  they  were  last
	  written  to  disk.   Dirty  pages must be written to disk before the
	  corresponding physical memory location can be used  for  some  other
	  virtual page.


       w: S  --  Process Status
	  The status of the task which can be one of:
	     D = uninterruptible sleep
	     R = running
	     S = sleeping
	     T = traced or stopped
	     Z = zombie

	  Tasks  shown as running should be more properly thought of as ready
	  to run  --  their task_struct is simply represented  on  the	Linux
	  run-queue.   Even  without  a true SMP machine, you may see numerous
	  tasks in this state depending  on  tops  delay  interval  and  nice
	  value.


       x: Command  --  Command line or Program name
	  Display  the	command  line  used to start a task or the name of the
	  associated program.  You toggle between command line and  name  with
	  c, which is both a command-line option and an interactive command.

	  When youve chosen to display command	lines,	processes  without  a
	  command  line (like kernel threads) will be shown with only the pro
	  gram name in parentheses, as in this example:
		( mdrecoveryd )

	  Either form of display is subject to potential  truncation  if  its
	  too  long  to fit in this fields current width.  That width depends
	  upon other fields selected,  their  order  and  the  current	screen
	  width.

	  Note: The Command field/column is unique, in that it is not fixed-
	  width.  When displayed, this column will be allocated all  remaining
	  screen  width  (up to the maximum 512 characters) to provide for the
	  potential growth of program names into command lines.


       y: WCHAN  --  Sleeping in Function
	  Depending on the availability of the kernel link map (System.map),
	  this	field will show the name or the address of the kernel function
	  in which the task is currently sleeping.  Running tasks will display
	  a dash (-) in this column.

	  Note:  By  displaying  this  field,  tops  own  working set will be
	  increased by over 700Kb.  Your only means of reducing that  overhead
	  will be to stop and restart top.


       z: Flags  --  Task Flags
	  This column represents the tasks current scheduling flags which are
	  expressed in hexadecimal notation and with zeros suppressed.	 These
	  flags  are  officially  documented  in .  Less formal
	  documentation can also be found on the Fields  select  and  Order
	  fields screens.


   2b. SELECTING and ORDERING Columns
       After  pressing	the  interactive  commands  f (Fields select) or o
       (Order fields) you will be shown a screen containing the current fields
       string followed by names and descriptions for all fields.

       Here  is  a  sample  fields string from one of tops four windows/field
       groups and an explanation of the conventions used:

       -  Sample fields string:
	     ANOPQRSTUVXbcdefgjlmyzWHIK

       -  The order of displayed fields corresponds to the order of  the  let
	  ters in that string.

       -  If the letter is upper case the corresponding field itself will then
	  be shown as part of the  task  display  (screen  width  permitting).
	  This	will also be indicated by a leading asterisk (*), as in this
	  excerpt:
	      ...
	      * K: %CPU       = CPU usage
		l: TIME       = CPU Time
		m: TIME+      = CPU Time, hundredths
	      * N: %MEM       = Memory usage (RES)
	      * O: VIRT       = Virtual Image (kb)
	      ...


       Fields select screen  --  the f interactive command
	  You toggle the display of a field by simply pressing the correspond
	  ing letter.


       Order fields screen  --	the o interactive command
	  You  move  a	field  to the left by pressing the corresponding upper
	  case letter and to the right with the lower case letter.


   2c. CPU States
       The CPU states are shown in the Summary Area. They are always shown  as
       a percentage and are for the time between now and the last refresh.


	us  --	User CPU time
	  The  time  the  CPU  has spent running users processes that are not
	  niced.


	sy  --	System CPU time
	  The time the CPU has spent running the kernel and its processes.


	ni  --	Nice CPU time
	  The time the CPU has spent running users proccess  that  have  been
	  niced.


	wa  --	iowait
	  Amount of time the CPU has been waiting for I/O to complete.


	hi  --	Hardware IRQ
	  The amount of time the CPU has been servicing hardware interrupts.


	si  --	Software Interrupts
	  The amount of time the CPU has been servicing software interrupts.


3. INTERACTIVE Commands
       Listed below is a brief index of commands within categories.  Some com
       mands appear more than once   --   their  meaning  or  scope  may  vary
       depending on the context in which they are issued.

	 3a. GLOBAL_Commands
	        ?, =, A, B, d, G, h, I, k, q, r, s, W, Z
	 3b. SUMMARY_Area_Commands
	       l, m, t, 1
	 3c. TASK_Area_Commands
	       Appearance:  b, x, y, z
	       Content:     c, f, H, o, S, u
	       Size:	    #, i, n
	       Sorting:     <, >, F, O, R
	 3d. COLOR_Mapping
	       , a, B, b, H, M, q, S, T, w, z, 0 - 7
	 4b. COMMANDS_for_Windows
	       -, _, =, +, A, a, G, g, w


   3a. GLOBAL Commands
       The   global   interactive   commands  are  always  available  in  both
       full-screen mode and alternate-display mode.  However,  some  of  these
       interactive commands are not available when running in Secure mode.

       If  you	wish  to  know	in  advance  whether  or not your top has been
       secured, simply ask for help and view the system summary on the	second
       line.


	  or  :Refresh_Display
	      These  commands  do  nothing, they are simply ignored.  However,
	      they will awaken top and following  receipt  of  any  input  the
	      entire display will be repainted.

	      Use  either of these keys if you have a large delay interval and
	      wish to see current status,


	  or  :Help
	      There are two help levels available.  The first will  provide  a
	      reminder	of  all  the  basic  interactive  commands.  If top is
	      secured, that screen will be abbreviated.

	      Typing h or ? on that help screen will take you to help  for
	      those interactive commands applicable to alternate-display mode.


	 <=> :Exit_Task_Limits
	      Removes restrictions on which tasks  are	shown.	 This  command
	      will  reverse  any i (idle tasks) and n (max tasks) commands
	      that might be active.  It also provides for an exit  from  PID
	      monitoring.   See  the -p command-line option for a discussion
	      of PID monitoring.

	      When operating in alternate-display  mode  this  command	has  a
	      slightly broader meaning.


	  :Alternate_Display_Mode_toggle
	      This  command  will  switch  between full-screen mode and alter
	      nate-display mode.  See topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode and  the
	      G  interactive  command for insight into current windows and
	      field groups.


	  :Bold_Disable/Enable_toggle
	      This command will influence use of the bold terminfo  capabil
	      ity and alters both the summary area and task area for the cur
	      rent window.  While it is intended primarily for use with  dumb
	      terminals, it can be applied anytime.

	      Note:  When this toggle is On and top is operating in monochrome
	      mode, the entire display will  appear  as  normal  text.	 Thus,
	      unless  the  x and/or y toggles are using reverse for empha
	      sis, there will be no visual confirmation that they are even on.


       *  or  :Change_Delay_Time_interval
	      You  will  be  prompted  to  enter  the  delay time, in seconds,
	      between display updates.

	      Fractional seconds are honored, but a  negative  number  is  not
	      allowed.	Entering 0 causes (nearly) continuous updates, with an
	      unsatisfactory display as the system and tty driver try to  keep
	      up  with	tops  demands.	 The delay value is inversely propor
	      tional to system loading, so set it with care.

	      If at any time you wish to know the current delay  time,	simply
	      ask for help and view the system summary on the second line.


	  :Choose_Another_Window/Field_Group
	      You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 designat
	      ing the window/field group which should be  made	the  current
	      window.	You  will  soon grow comfortable with these 4 windows,
	      especially after experimenting with alternate-display mode.


	  :Irix/Solaris_Mode_toggle
	      When operating in Solaris mode (I toggled Off), a tasks cpu
	      usage  will be divided by the total number of CPUs.  After issu
	      ing this command, youll be informed of the new  state  of  this
	      toggle.


	  :select a user
	      You  will  be  prompted  for  a  UID or username. Only processes
	      belonging to the selected user will be  displayed.  This	option
	      matches on the effective UID.


	  :select a user
	      You  will  be  prompted  for  a  UID or username. Only processes
	      belonging to the selected user will be  displayed.  This	option
	      matches on the real, effective, saved, and filesystem UID.


       *  :Kill_a_task
	      You will be prompted for a PID and then the signal to send.  The
	      default signal, as reflected in the prompt,  is  SIGTERM.   How
	      ever, you can send any signal, via number or name.

	      If  you  wish to abort the kill process, do one of the following
	      depending on your progress:
		 1) at the pid prompt, just press 
		 2) at the signal prompt, type 0


	  :Quit


       *  :Renice_a_Task
	      You will be prompted for a PID and then the value to nice it to.
	      Entering a positive value will cause a process to lose priority.
	      Conversely, a negative value will cause a process to  be	viewed
	      more favorably by the kernel.


	  :Write_the_Configuration_File
	      This  will save all of your options and toggles plus the current
	      display mode and delay  time.   By  issuing  this  command  just
	      before  quitting	top, you will be able restart later in exactly
	      that same state.


	  :Change_Color_Mapping
	      This key will take you to a separate screen where you can change
	      the  colors  for	the current window, or for all windows.  For
	      details regarding this interactive command see topic  3d.  COLOR
	      Mapping.


       *  The  commands  shown	with  an  asterisk  (*) are not available in
	  Secure mode, nor will they be shown on the level-1 help screen.


   3b. SUMMARY Area Commands
       The summary area interactive commands  are  always  available  in  both
       full-screen mode and alternate-display mode.  They affect the beginning
       lines of your display and will determine the position of  messages  and
       prompts.

       These  commands	always	impact	just the current window/field group.
       See topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode and the G interactive command for
       insight into current windows and field groups.


	  :Toggle_Load_Average/Uptime  --  On/Off
	      This  is	also the line containing the program name (possibly an
	      alias) when operating in full-screen mode or the current	win
	      dow name when operating in alternate-display mode.


	  :Toggle_Memory/Swap_Usage	--  On/Off
	      This command affects two summary area lines.


	  :Toggle_Task/Cpu_States  --  On/Off
	      This  command affects from 2 to many summary area lines, depend
	      ing on the state of the 1 toggle and whether  or	not  top  is
	      running under true SMP.


	 <1> :Toggle_Single/Separate_Cpu_States  --  On/Off
	      This command affects how the t commands Cpu States portion is
	      shown.  Although this toggle  exists  primarily  to  serve  mas
	      sively-parallel SMP machines, it is not restricted to solely SMP
	      environments.

	      When you see Cpu(s): in the summary area, the 1 toggle is On
	      and  all	cpu  information is gathered in a single line.	Other
	      wise, each cpu is displayed separately as: Cpu0, Cpu1, ...


       Note: If the entire summary area has been toggled Off for  any  window,
       you  would  be  left with just the message line.  In that way, you will
       have maximized available task rows  but	(temporarily)  sacrificed  the
       program	name  in full-screen mode or the current window name when in
       alternate-display mode.


   3c. TASK Area Commands
       The task area interactive commands are always available in  full-screen
       mode.

       The  task  area	interactive  commands  are  never  available in alter
       nate-display mode if the current windows task display has been  tog
       gled Off (see topic 4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode).


       APPEARANCE of task window
	 The  following  commands  will also be influenced by the state of the
	 global B (bold disable) toggle.


	  :Bold/Reverse_toggle
	      This command will impact how the x and y	toggles  are  dis
	      played.  Further, it will only be available when at least one of
	      those toggles is On.


	  :Column_Highlight_toggle
	      Changes highlighting for the current sort field.	 You  probably
	      dont  need a constant visual reminder of the sort field and top
	      hopes that you always run with column highlight  Off,  due  to
	      the cost in path-length.

	      If you forget which field is being sorted this command can serve
	      as a quick visual reminder.


	  :Row_Highlight_toggle
	      Changes  highlighting  for  "running"  tasks.   For   additional
	      insight  into  this  task  state,  see topic 2a. DESCRIPTIONS of
	      Fields, Process Status.

	      Use of this provision provides important insight into your  sys
	      tems  health.   The  only  costs	will  be a few additional tty
	      escape sequences.


	  :Color/Monochrome_toggle
	      Switches the current  window  between  your  last  used  color
	      scheme  and  the older form of black-on-white or white-on-black.
	      This command will alter both the summary area and task area  but
	      does not affect the state of the x, y or b toggles.


       CONTENT of task window
	  :Command_Line/Program_Name_toggle
	      This command will be honored whether or not the Command column
	      is currently visible.  Later, should that field come into  view,
	      the change you applied will be seen.

	  and  :Fields_select or Order_fields
	      These  keys  display separate screens where you can change which
	      fields are displayed and their order.  For  additional  informa
	      tion  on	these interactive commands see topic 2b. SELECTING and
	      ORDERING Columns.

	  :Cumulative_Time_Mode_toggle
	      When this toggle is On, all  individual  threads	will  be  dis
	      played.  Otherwise, top displays a summation of all threads in a
	      process.

	 S :Cumulative_Time_Mode_toggle
	      When Cumulative mode is On, each process is  listed  with  the
	      cpu time that it and its dead children have used.

	      When  Off,  programs  that  fork	into  many separate tasks will
	      appear less demanding.  For programs like init or a shell this
	      is  appropriate  but  for  others,  like compilers, perhaps not.
	      Experiment with two task windows sharing the same sort field but
	      with  different S states and see which representation you pre
	      fer.

	      After issuing this command, youll be informed of the new	state
	      of  this	toggle.  If you wish to know in advance whether or not
	      Cumulative mode is in effect, simply ask for help and view the
	      window summary on the second line.

	  :Show_Specific_User_Only
	      You  will  be prompted to enter the name of the user to display.
	      Thereafter, in that task window only matching User IDs will  be
	      shown, or possibly no tasks will be shown.

	      Later,  if  you  wish  to monitor all tasks again, re-issue this
	      command but just press  at the prompt, without  providing
	      a name.

       SIZE of task window
	  :Idle_Processes_toggle
	      Displays	all  tasks  or just active tasks.  When this toggle is
	      Off, idled or zombied processes will not be displayed.

	      If this command is applied to the  last  task  display  when  in
	      alternate-display  mode,	then  it  will not affect the windows
	      size, as all prior task displays will have already been painted.

	  or <#> :Set_Maximum_Tasks
	      You  will  be  prompted to enter the number of tasks to display.
	      The lessor of your number and  available	screen	rows  will  be
	      used.

	      When  used  in  alternate-display mode, this is the command that
	      gives you precise control over the size of each currently  visi
	      ble  task display, except for the very last.  It will not affect
	      the last windows size, as all prior  task  displays  will  have
	      already been painted.

	      Note:  If you wish to increase the size of the last visible task
	      display when in alternate-display mode, simply decrease the size
	      of the task display(s) above it.

       SORTING of task window
	 For  compatibility,  this  top  supports  most of the former top sort
	 keys.	Since this is primarily a service to former top  users,  these
	 commands do not appear on any help screen.
	    command   sorted field		    supported
	      A 	start time (non-display)      No
	      M 	%MEM			      Yes
	      N 	PID			      Yes
	      P 	%CPU			      Yes
	      T 	TIME+			      Yes

	 Before  using any of the following sort provisions, top suggests that
	 you temporarily turn on column highlighting using the x interactive
	 command.   That  will	help  ensure  that the actual sort environment
	 matches your intent.

	 The following interactive commands will only be honored when the cur
	 rent  sort  field  is	visible.   The sort field might not be visible
	 because:
	      1) there is insufficient Screen Width
	      2) the f interactive command turned it Off

	 <<> :Move_Sort_Field_Left
	      Moves the sort column to the left unless the current sort  field
	      is the first field being displayed.

	 <>> :Move_Sort_Field_Right
	      Moves the sort column to the right unless the current sort field
	      is the last field being displayed.

	 The following interactive commands will always be honored whether  or
	 not the current sort field is visible.

	  or  :Select_Sort_Field
	      These  keys display a separate screen where you can change which
	      field is used as the sort column.

	      If a field is selected which was not previously being displayed,
	      it  will	be forced On when you return to the top display.  How
	      ever, depending upon your screen width and  the  order  of  your
	      fields, this sort field may not be displayable.

	      This  interactive command can be a convenient way to simply ver
	      ify the current sort field, when running top with  column  high
	      lighting turned Off.

	  :Reverse/Normal_Sort_Field_toggle
	      Using  this  interactive command you can alternate between high-
	      to-low and low-to-high sorts.

	 Note: Field sorting uses internal values, not those  in  column  dis
	 play.	 Thus, the TTY and WCHAN fields will violate strict ASCII col
	 lating sequence.

   3d. COLOR Mapping
       When you issue the Z interactive command, you will be presented	with
       a  separate  screen.   That  screen can be used to change the colors in
       just the current window or in all four windows  before  returning  to
       the top display.

       Available interactive commands
	   4 upper case letters to select a target
	   8 numbers to select a color
	   normal toggles available
	       B       :bold disable/enable
	       b       :running tasks "bold"/reverse
	       z       :color/mono
	   other commands available
	       a/w   :apply, then go to next/prior
	       	 :apply and exit
	       q       :abandon current changes and exit

       If  your  use  a  or  w to cycle the targeted window, you will have
       applied the color scheme that was displayed when you left that  window.
       You  can,  of course, easily return to any window and reapply different
       colors or turn colors Off completely with the z toggle.

       The Color Mapping screen can also be used to change the current	win
       dow/field  group  in either full-screen mode or alternate-display mode.
       Whatever was targeted when q or  was pressed will be made cur
       rent as you return to the top display.


4. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Mode
   4a. WINDOWS Overview
       Field Groups/Windows:
	      In  full-screen mode there is a single window represented by the
	      entire screen.  That single window can still be changed to  dis
	      play 1 of 4 different field groups (see the G interactive com
	      mand, repeated below).  Each of the 4 field groups has a	unique
	      separately  configurable	summary  area and its own configurable
	      task area.

	      In alternate-display mode, those 4 underlying field  groups  can
	      now  be  made visible simultaneously, or can be turned Off indi
	      vidually at your command.

	      The summary area will always exist, even if its only  the  mes
	      sage  line.  At any given time only one summary area can be dis
	      played.  However, depending on your  commands,  there  could  be
	      from  zero  to  four separate task displays currently showing on
	      the screen.

       Current Window:
	      The current window is the window associated with	the  summary
	      area  and  the  window to which task related commands are always
	      directed.  Since in alternate-display mode you  can  toggle  the
	      task  display  Off,  some  commands  might be restricted for the
	      current window.

	      A further complication arises when you have  toggled  the  first
	      summary  area  line  Off.  With the loss of the window name (the
	      l toggled line), youll not easily know  what  window  is	the
	      current window.

   4b. COMMANDS for Windows
	 <-> and <_> :Show/Hide_Window(s)_toggles
	      The  -  key  turns  the current windows task display On and
	      Off.  When On, that task area will show a minimum of the columns
	      header  youve  established  with	the f and o commands.  It
	      will also reflect any other  task  area  options/toggles	youve
	      applied yielding zero or more tasks.

	      The  _  key  does  the  same  for all task displays.  In other
	      words, it switches between the currently visible task display(s)
	      and any task display(s) you had toggled Off.  If all 4 task dis
	      plays are currently visible, this interactive command will leave
	      the summary area as the only display element.

       * <=> and <+> :Equalize_(re-balance)_Window(s)
	      The  =  key  forces  the current windows task display to be
	      visible.	It also reverses any i (idle  tasks)  and  n  (max
	      tasks) commands that might be active.

	      The  +  key does the same for all windows.  The four task dis
	      plays will reappear,  evenly  balanced.	They  will  also  have
	      retained	any  customizations you had previously applied, except
	      for the i (idle tasks) and n (max tasks) commands.

       *  :Alternate_Display_Mode_toggle
	      This command will switch between	full-screen  mode  and	alter
	      nate-display mode.

	      The  first  time	you issue this command, all four task displays
	      will be shown.  Thereafter when you switch modes, you  will  see
	      only the task display(s) youve chosen to make visible.

       *  and  :Next_Window_Forward/Backward
	      This will change the current window, which in turn changes the
	      window to which commands are directed.  These keys act in a cir
	      cular  fashion  so  you  can  reach any desired current window
	      using either key.

	      Assuming the window name is visible (you have  not  toggled  l
	      Off),  whenever  the  current  window  name  loses  its empha
	      sis/color, thats a reminder the task display is  Off  and  many
	      commands will be restricted.

       *  :Choose_Another_Window/Field_Group
	      You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 designat
	      ing the window/field group which should be  made	the  current
	      window.

	      In  full-screen  mode,  this  command  is necessary to alter the
	      current window.  In alternate-display mode,  it  is  simply  a
	      less convenient alternative to the a and w commands.

	  :Change_Window/Field_Group_Name
	      You  will  be prompted for a new name to be applied to the cur
	      rent window.  It does not require that the window name be visi
	      ble (the l toggle to be On).

       *  The  interactive  commands  shown  with  an  asterisk (*) have use
	  beyond alternate-display mode.
	      =, A, G  are always available
	      a, w	 act the same when color mapping


5. FILES
   5a. SYSTEM Configuration File
       The presence of this file will influence which version  of  the	help
       screen  is  shown to an ordinary user.  More importantly, it will limit
       what ordinary users are allowed to do when top is running.   They  will
       not be able to issue the following commands.
	  k	    Kill a task
	  r	    Renice a task
	  d or s    Change delay/sleep interval

       The  system configuration file is not created by top.  Rather, you cre
       ate this file manually and place it in the /etc	directory.   Its  name
       must  be  toprc	and must have no leading . (period).  It must have
       only two lines.

       Here is an example of the contents of /etc/toprc:
	  s	    # line 1: secure mode switch
	  5.0	    # line 2: delay  interval in seconds

   5b. PERSONAL Configuration File
       This file is written as $HOME/.your-name-4-top + rc.  Use  the  W
       interactive command to create it or update it.

       Here is the general layout:
	  global    # line 1: the program name/alias notation
	    "	    # line 2: id,altscr,irixps,delay,curwin
	  per ea    # line a: winname,fieldscur
	  window    # line b: winflags,sortindx,maxtasks
	    "	    # line c: summclr,msgsclr,headclr,taskclr

       If  the	$HOME  variable is not present, top will try to write the per
       sonal configuration file to the current directory, subject  to  permis
       sions.


6. STUPID TRICKS Sampler
       Many  of these tricks work best when you give top a scheduling boost.
       So plan on starting him with a nice value of -10, assuming  youve  got
       the authority.

   6a. Kernel Magic
       For these stupid tricks, top needs full-screen mode.

       -*-  The  user  interface,  through  prompts  and  help,  intentionally
	    implies that the delay interval is limited to tenths of a  second.
	    However, youre free to set any desired delay.  If you want to see
	    Linux at his scheduling best, try a delay of .09 seconds or  less.

	    For  this  experiment,  under x-windows open an xterm and maximize
	    it.  Then do the following:
	      . provide a scheduling boost and tiny delay via:
		  nice -n -10 top -d.09
	      . keep sorted column highlighting Off to minimize
		path length
	      . turn On reverse row highlighting for emphasis
	      . try various sort columns (TIME/MEM work well),
		and normal or reverse sorts to bring the most
		active processes into view

	    What youll see is a very busy Linux doing what hes	always	done
	    for you, but there was no program available to illustrate this.

       -*-  Under  an  xterm  using white-on-black colors, try setting tops
	    task color to black and be sure that task highlighting is  set  to
	    bold,  not reverse.  Then set the delay interval to around .3 sec
	    onds.

	    After bringing the most active processes into  view,  what	youll
	    see are the ghostly images of just the currently running tasks.

       -*-  Delete  the  existing rcfile, or create a new symlink.  Start this
	    new version then type T (a secret key, see topic 3c.  TASK	Area
	    Commands,  Sorting) followed by W and q.  Finally, restart the
	    program with -d0 (zero delay).

	    Your display will be refreshed at three times the rate of the for
	    mer  top,  a 300% speed advantage.	As top climbs the TIME ladder,
	    be as patient as you can while speculating on whether or  not  top
	    will ever reach the top.

   6b. Bouncing Windows
       For these stupid tricks, top needs alternate-display mode.

       -*-  With  3 or 4 task displays visible, pick any window other than the
	    last and turn idle processes Off.  Depending on where you  applied
	    i,	sometimes  several  task displays are bouncing and sometimes
	    its like an accordion, as top tries his best to allocate space.

       -*-  Set each windows summary lines differently: one with  no  memory;
	    another  with  no  states; maybe one with nothing at all, just the
	    message line.  Then hold down a or w and watch a variation	on
	    bouncing windows  --  hopping windows.

       -*-  Display all 4 windows and for each, in turn, set idle processes to
	    Off.  Youve just entered the "extreme bounce" zone.

   6c. The Big Bird Window
       This stupid trick also requires alternate-display mode.

       -*-  Display all 4 windows and make sure that 1:Def  is	the  current
	    window.  Then, keep increasing window size until the all the other
	    task displays are "pushed out of the nest".

	    When theyve all been displaced, toggle between all visible/invis
	    ible windows.  Then ponder this:
	       is top fibbing or telling honestly your imposed truth?


7. BUGS
       Send bug reports to:
	  Albert D. Cahalan, 


8. HISTORY Former top
       The   original  top  was  written  by  Roger  Binns,  based  on	Branko
       Lankesters  ps program.

       Robert Nation  adapted it  for  the
       proc file system.

       Helmut  Geyer    added  support for
       configurable fields.

       Plus many other individuals contributed over the years.


9. AUTHOR
       This entirely new and enhanced replacement was written by:
	  Jim / James C. Warner, 

       With invaluable help from:
	  Albert D. Cahalan, 
	  Craig Small, 


10. SEE ALSO
       free(1), ps(1), uptime(1), atop(1), slabtop(1), vmstat(8), w(1).






Linux				September 2002				TOP(1)




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