atop

Additional Notes

atop is an interactive system and process monitor. It shows CPU, memory, disk, network, and per-process activity, and it can also read historical logs when system accounting is configured.

Use it when top is not enough and you need a broader view of what the machine is doing.

Syntax

atop [options] [interval [samples]]

Parameters

• interval: Seconds between screen updates.
• samples: Number of updates to show before exiting.
• options: Display, logging, and filtering controls.

Common Options

• -r FILE: Read historical atop log data.
• -w FILE: Write raw log data.
• -P LABEL: Show a specific output page, such as CPU, memory, disk, or network when supported.
• -p: Show active processes only on some versions.
• -a: Show all processes.

Examples

atop

Open the live monitor.

atop 5

Refresh every five seconds.

atop 10 6

Show six samples with ten seconds between samples.

sudo atop -r /var/log/atop/atop_20260609

Read a historical log file if atop logging is enabled.

Practical Notes

• Historical mode depends on the atop service or logging package configuration.
• Disk and network per-process detail may require kernel/accounting support.
• Use htop for simple interactive process work and atop for broader system diagnosis.