Reference

btop(1)

Resource monitor that shows usage and stats for processor, memory, disks, network, and processes.

NAME

btop - Resource monitor that shows usage and stats for processor, memory, disks, network, and processes.

SYNOPSIS

btop [-c file] [-d] [-f filter] [-l] [-p id] [-t] [-u ms] [--force-utf] [--themes-dir dir]

btop [--default-config | {-h | --help} | {-V | --version}]

DESCRIPTION

btop is a program that shows usage and stats for processor, memory, disks, network, and processes.

OPTIONS

The program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (‘-’). A summary of options is included below.

-c, --config file

Path to a config file.

-d, --debug

Start in debug mode with additional logs and metrics.

-f, --filter filter

Set an initial process filter.

--force-utf

Force start even if no UTF-8 locale was detected.

-l, --low-color

Disable true color, 256 colors only.

-p, --preset id

Start with a preset (0-9).

-t, --tty

Force tty mode with ANSI graph symbols and 16 colors only.

--no-tty

Force disable tty mode.

--themes-dir dir

Path to a custom themes directory. When specified, this directory takes priority over the default theme search paths.

-u, --update ms

Set an initial update rate in milliseconds.

--default-config

Print default config to standard output.

-h, --help

Show summary of options.

-V, --version

Show version of program.

BUGS

The upstream bug tracker can be found at ⟨https://github.com/aristocratos/btop/issues⟩\c .

SEE ALSO

top(1), htop(1)

AUTHOR

btop was written by Jakob P. Liljenberg a.k.a. “Aristocratos”.

History

--config since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --default-config since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --filter since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --force-utf since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --no-tty since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --themes-dir since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --tty since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; --update since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -V since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -c since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -d since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -f since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -l since Arch Linux 2026-11-01; -u since Arch Linux 2026-11-01.

--tty_on until Debian 13 (Trixie); --utf-force until Debian 13 (Trixie); -lc until Debian 13 (Trixie); -v until Debian 13 (Trixie).