Monitoring CPU usage is crucial for maintaining optimal system performance and identifying potential bottlenecks. In Unix-based systems, several commands provide detailed information about CPU utilization.
One of the most versatile commands is “top”. It provides a real-time, dynamic view of system resources, including CPU usage. When executed, “top” displays a continuously updating list of processes, sorted by their CPU consumption. The “PID” column shows the process ID, and the “%CPU” column indicates the percentage of CPU time each process is utilizing. Additionally, “top” displays overall system CPU usage at the top of the display.