I’ve been digging into process management on my Ubuntu system recently, and I keep finding myself in the same situation: I want to monitor which processes are consuming the most memory. I know the `top` command is super useful for this, but it always defaults to sorting processes by CPU usage, which isn’t what I’m after.
I’ve tried a bunch of different options to change that sorting, but I can’t seem to get it to stick. Every time I run `top`, it just goes back to the same old settings. It feels like there’s got to be a way to configure `top` so it always sorts by memory usage instead of CPU.
I found out that you can press a key to change the sorting while `top` is running, like pressing ‘M’ to sort by memory, but it’s pretty annoying to have to do that every single time. Then I stumbled across some forums talking about config files and possible command-line options or aliases, but it all feels a bit over my head at this point.
Is there a straightforward way to set this up? Maybe some command I can add to my `.bashrc`, or is there a specific key combination I need to remember? And if it involves tweaking any files, could someone guide me through that? I’ve seen others talk about using `htop` as an alternative, but I’m not sure if I want to switch entirely just for this one feature. I’d love to keep using `top` if I can make it work the way I want.
I imagine I can’t be the only one frustrated with this, right? If you’ve managed to customize the `top` command to show processes sorted by memory by default, please share your secrets! It would seriously make my life so much easier. Thanks!
Getting `top` to Sort by Memory Usage
If you’re finding the default behavior of `top` frustrating, you’re definitely not alone! It can be a pain to have to press ‘M’ every time you start it up. Here’s a simple way to get `top` to remember your memory-sorting preference.
Using `top`’s Configuration
First off, you can actually save your settings in `top`. Run `top` normally, and then once it’s open, press Shift + W. This saves your current settings to a file called `.toprc` in your home directory.
After you’ve sorted the columns the way you like (like pressing ‘M’ to sort by memory), just hit Shift + W and it should remember this for the next time you open `top`.
Running `top` with Custom Options
If you want a quicker method without having to save settings every time, you can run this command in your terminal:
top -o %MEMThis forces `top` to sort by memory usage right off the bat. You can even set an alias for it in your `.bashrc` file. Just open the file with:
nano ~/.bashrcThen add this line at the end:
alias topmem='top -o %MEM'Save the file and run
source ~/.bashrcto refresh. Now you can just type `topmem` in your terminal, and it’ll open up `top` sorted by memory automatically!Considering Alternatives
If you’re curious about `htop`, it’s a great alternative that’s pretty user-friendly and allows for easier customization. It shows a colorful display of processes and you can sort by memory just with a mouse click or a quick keystroke. But if you really want to stick with `top`, the above methods should help a lot.
Happy monitoring! Hopefully, you’ll have an easier time keeping track of those memory-hogging processes now.
To configure the `top` command to always sort by memory usage on your Ubuntu system, you’ll want to modify the settings and save them. When you launch `top`, you can press ‘M’ to sort processes by memory usage. After doing this, press ‘W’ to write the current settings to the configuration file, typically found at `~/.toprc`. This step ensures that your sorting preference is saved for future sessions. If you ever need to reset or check the configuration, you can simply remove or edit the `.toprc` file in your home directory.
If you prefer a more permanent solution based on command-line usage, you can create an alias in your `.bashrc` file that launches `top` with the appropriate sorting parameters. Open your `.bashrc` file in a text editor and add the following line:
alias top='top -o %MEM'. After saving the file, runsource ~/.bashrcto apply the changes. This allows you to type `top` in your terminal and automatically have it sorted by memory usage from the start. While `htop` is indeed a more user-friendly alternative, customizing `top` can provide the familiar interface you prefer while still achieving your desired functionality.