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TOP(1)			      User Commands			   TOP(1)

NAME
       top - display Linux processes

SYNOPSIS
       top -hv|-bcHisS -d delay -n limit -u|U user -p pid -w [cols]

       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 processes or threads currently being managed by the Linux
       kernel.	The types of system summary  information  shown	 and  the
       types,  order  and size of information displayed for processes are
       all user configurable and that configuration can be  made  persis‐
       tent across restarts.

       The  program  provides a limited interactive interface for process
       manipulation as well as a much more extensive interface	for  per‐
       sonal  configuration   --  encompassing every aspect of its opera‐
       tion.  And while top is referred to throughout this document,  you
       are  free  to  name the program anything you wish.  That new name,
       possibly an alias, will then be reflected  on  top's  display  and
       used when reading and writing a configuration file.

OVERVIEW
   Documentation
       The remaining Table of Contents

	   1. COMMAND-LINE Options
	   2. SUMMARY Display
	      a. UPTIME and LOAD Averages
	      b. TASK and CPU States
	      c. MEMORY Usage
	   3. FIELDS / Columns Display
	      a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
	      b. MANAGING Fields
	   4. INTERACTIVE Commands
	      a. GLOBAL Commands
	      b. SUMMARY AREA Commands
	      c. TASK AREA Commands
		 1. Appearance
		 2. Content
		 3. Size
		 4. Sorting
	      d. COLOR Mapping
	   5. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Provisions
	      a. WINDOWS Overview
	      b. COMMANDS for Windows
	      c. SCROLLING a Window
	      d. SEARCHING in a Window
	   6. FILES
	      a. SYSTEM Configuration File
	      b. PERSONAL Configuration File
	   7. STUPID TRICKS Sampler
	      a. Kernel Magic
	      b. Bouncing Windows
	      c. The Big Bird Window
	   8. BUGS, 9. HISTORY Former top, 10. AUTHOR, 11. SEE Also

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

       Some  of	 top's	screens	 or  functions	require the use of cursor
       motion keys like the standard arrow keys plus the Home, End,  PgUp
       and  PgDn  keys.	  If  your  terminal or emulator does not provide
       those keys, the following keys are accepted for compatibility:
	      key      equivalents
	      Up       alt + \	 or   alt + k
	      Down     alt + /	 or   alt + j
	      Left     alt + <	 or   alt + h
	      Right    alt + >	 or   alt + l  (lower case L)
	      PgUp     alt + Up
	      PgDn     alt + Down
	      Home     alt + Left
	      End      alt + Right

       When you start top for the first time, you'll  be  presented  with
       these traditional screen elements: 1) Summary Area; 2) Fields/Col‐
       umns Header; 3) Task Area.  These areas will be	explored  in  the
       sections that follow.  There is also an Input/Message line between
       the Summary Area and Columns Header which needs no further  expla‐
       nation.

       Note: the width of top's display will be limited to 512 positions.
       Displaying  all	fields	requires  approximately	 250  characters.
       Remaining  screen width is usually allocated to any variable width
       columns currently visible.  The variable width  columns,	 such  as
       COMMAND,	 are  noted  in topic 3a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields.  Actual
       output width may also be influenced by the  -w  switch,	which  is
       discussed in topic 1. COMMAND-LINE Options.

   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.  All are
       explained in detail in the sections that follow.

	   Global-defaults
	      'A' - Alt display	     Off (full-screen)
	    * 'd' - Delay time	     3.0 seconds
	    * 'H' - Threads mode     Off (summarize as tasks)
	      'I' - Irix mode	     On	 (no, 'solaris' smp)
	    * 'p' - PID monitoring   Off (show all processes)
	    * 's' - Secure mode	     Off (unsecured)
	      'B' - Bold enable	     On	 (yes, bold globally)
	   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)
	    * 'i' - Idle tasks	     On	 (show all tasks)
	      'R' - Reverse sort     On	 (pids high-to-low)
	    * 'S' - Cumulative time  Off (no, dead children)
	    * 'u' - User filter	     Off (show euid only)
	    * 'U' - User filter	     Off (show any uid)
	      '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 limit -u|U user | -p pid -w [cols]

       The typically mandatory switches ('-')  and  even  whitespace  are
       completely optional.

       -h | -v : Help/Version
	    Show library version and the usage prompt, then quit.

       -b : Batch-mode operation
	    Starts top in 'Batch' mode, which could be useful for sending
	    output from top to other programs or  to  a	 file.	 In  this
	    mode, top will not accept input and runs until the iterations
	    limit you've 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' inter‐
	    active command for additional information.

       -d : Delay-time interval as:  -d ss.tt (secs.tenths)
	    Specifies the delay between screen updates, and overrides the
	    corresponding  value  in one's 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 infor‐
	    mation  on	'Secure	 mode' see topic 6a. SYSTEM Configuration
	    File.

       -H : Threads-mode operation
	    Instructs top to display individual	 threads.   Without  this
	    command-line  option  a  summation	of  all	 threads  in each
	    process is shown.  Later this can be  changed  with	 the  'H'
	    interactive command.

       -i : Idle-process toggle
	    Starts top with the last remembered 'i' state reversed.  When
	    this toggle is Off, tasks that have not used  any  CPU  since
	    the last update will not be displayed.  For additional infor‐
	    mation regarding this toggle see topic  4c.	 TASK  AREA  Com‐
	    mands, SIZE.

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

       -p : Monitor-PIDs mode as:  -pN1 -pN2 ...  or  -pN1,N2,N3 ...
	    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 permitted.

	    A  pid value of zero will be treated as the process id of the
	    top program itself once it is running.

	    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 any of these interactive com‐
	    mands: '=', 'u' or 'U'.

	    The 'p', 'u' and 'U' command-line options are mutually exclu‐
	    sive.

       -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 6. FILES).

       -S : Cumulative-time toggle
	    Starts top with the last remembered 'S' state reversed.  When
	    'Cumulative time' 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.

       -u | -U : User-filter-mode as:  -u | -U number or name
	    Display only processes with a user id or user  name	 matching
	    that  given.   The	'-u'  option  matches  on  effective user
	    whereas the '-U' option matches on any user (real, effective,
	    saved, or filesystem).

	    The 'p', 'u' and 'U' command-line options are mutually exclu‐
	    sive.

       -w : Output-width-override as:  -w [ number ]
	    In 'Batch' mode, when used without an argument top will  for‐
	    mat	 output	 using	the COLUMNS= and LINES= environment vari‐
	    ables, if set.  Otherwise, width will be fixed at the maximum
	    512 columns.  With an argument, output width can be decreased
	    or increased (up to 512) but the number of rows is considered
	    unlimited.

	    In	normal	display	 mode,	when used without an argument top
	    will attempt to format output using the COLUMNS=  and  LINES=
	    environment	 variables,  if	 set.	With  an argument, output
	    width can only be decreased, not  increased.   Whether  using
	    environment	 variables  or	an  argument with -w, when not in
	    'Batch'  mode  actual  terminal  dimensions	 can   never   be
	    exceeded.

	    Note:  Without  the	 use  of this command-line option, output
	    width is always based  on  the  terminal  at  which	 top  was
	    invoked whether or not in 'Batch' mode.

2. SUMMARY Display
       Each  of	 the  following	 three	areas are individually controlled
       through one or more interactive commands.  See topic  4b.  SUMMARY
       AREA  Commands  for  additional information regarding these provi‐
       sions.

   2a. UPTIME and LOAD Averages
       This portion consists of a single line containing:
	   program or window name, depending on display mode
	   current time and length of time since last boot
	   total number of users
	   system load avg over the last 1, 5 and 15 minutes

   2b. TASK and CPU States
       This portion consists of a minimum of two lines.	 In an SMP  envi‐
       ronment,	 additional  lines  can reflect individual CPU state per‐
       centages.

       Line 1 shows total tasks or threads, depending on the state of the
       Threads-mode toggle.  That total is further classified as:
	   running; sleeping; stopped; zombie

       Line 2 shows CPU state percentages based on the interval since the
       last refresh.  Where two labels are shown below,	 those	for  more
       recent kernel versions are shown first.
	   us, user    : time running un-niced user processes
	   sy, system  : time running kernel processes
	   ni, nice    : time running niced user processes
	   wa, IO-wait : time waiting for I/O completion
	   hi : time spent servicing hardware interrupts
	   si : time spent servicing software interrupts
	   st : time stolen from this vm by the hypervisor

   2c. MEMORY Usage
       This  portion  consists	of  two lines which may express values in
       kibibytes (KiB), mebibytes (MiB) or gibibytes (GiB)  depending  on
       the amount of currently installed physical memory.

       Line 1 reflects physical memory, classified as:
	   total, used, free, buffers

       Line 2 reflects virtual memory, classified as:
	   total, used, free, cached

3. FIELDS / Columns
   3a. DESCRIPTIONS of Fields
       Listed  below  are top's available process fields (columns).  They
       are shown in alphabetical order.	 You may customize their position
       and  whether  or	 not  they  are	 displayable  with the 'f' or 'F'
       (Fields Management) interactive commands.

       Any field is selectable as the sort field, and you control whether
       they are sorted high-to-low or low-to-high.  For additional infor‐
       mation on sort provisions see topic 4c. TASK AREA Commands,  SORT‐
       ING.

	1. CGROUPS  --	Control Groups
	   The	names of the control group(s) to which a process belongs,
	   or '-' if not applicable for that process.

	   Control Groups provide for allocating resources (cpu,  memory,
	   network  bandwidth, etc.) among installation-defined groups of
	   processes.  They enable fine-grained control over  allocating,
	   denying,   prioritizing,   managing	 and   monitoring   those
	   resources.

	   Many different hierarchies of cgroups can exist simultaneously
	   on a system and each hierarchy is attached to one or more sub‐
	   systems.  A subsystem represents a single resource.

	   Note: The 'CGROUPS' field, unlike most columns, is not  fixed-
	   width.   When displayed, it plus any other variable width col‐
	   umns will be allocated all remaining screen width (up  to  the
	   maximum 512 characters).

	2. CODE	 --  Code Size (KiB)
	   The amount of physical memory devoted to executable code, also
	   known as the 'text resident set' size or TRS.

	3. COMMAND  --	Command Name or Command Line
	   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 you've chosen to display command lines, processes without
	   a command line (like kernel threads) will be shown  with  only
	   the program name in brackets, as in this example:
	       [ mdrecoveryd ]

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

	   This field may also be impacted by the 'forest  view'  display
	   mode.  See the 'V' interactive command for additional informa‐
	   tion regarding that mode.

	   Note: The 'COMMAND' field, unlike most columns, is not  fixed-
	   width.   When displayed, it plus any other variable width col‐
	   umns will be allocated all remaining screen width (up  to  the
	   maximum 512 characters).

	4. %CPU	 --  CPU Usage
	   The task's 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 task's cpu usage will be divided  by
	   the	total  number  of  CPUs.  You toggle 'Irix/Solaris' modes
	   with the 'I' interactive command.

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

	6. Flags  --  Task Flags
	   This	 column	 represents  the  task's current scheduling flags
	   which are expressed in hexadecimal  notation	 and  with  zeros
	   suppressed.	  These	  flags	  are  officially  documented  in
	   <linux/sched.h>.

	7. GID	--  Group Id
	   The effective group ID.

	8. GROUP  --  Group Name
	   The effective group name.

	9. %MEM	 --  Memory Usage (RES)
	   A task's currently used share of available physical memory.

       10. NI  --  Nice Value
	   The nice value of the  task.	  A  negative  nice  value  means
	   higher  priority,  whereas  a  positive nice value means lower
	   priority.  Zero in this field simply means priority	will  not
	   be adjusted in determining a task's dispatch-ability.

       11. nDRT	 --  Dirty Pages Count
	   The	number	of  pages that have been modified since they were
	   last written to auxiliary storage.  Dirty pages must be  writ‐
	   ten	to  auxiliary  storage	before the corresponding physical
	   memory location can be used for some other virtual page.

       12. nMaj	 --  Major 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 auxiliary storage
	   access is involved in making that page available.

       13. nMin	 --  Minor Page Fault count
	   The number of minor 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 minor page fault does not involve auxiliary
	   storage access in making that page available.

       14. nTH	--  Number of Threads
	   The number of threads associated with a process.

       15. P  --  Last used CPU (SMP)
	   A number representing the last used processor.  In a true  SMP
	   environment	this will likely change frequently since the ker‐
	   nel intentionally uses weak affinity.  Also, the very  act  of
	   running  top	 may break this weak affinity and cause more pro‐
	   cesses to change CPUs more often (because of the extra  demand
	   for cpu time).

       16. PGRP	 --  Process Group Id
	   Every  process  is  member  of a unique process group which is
	   used for distribution of signals and by terminals to arbitrate
	   requests  for  their input and output.  When a process is cre‐
	   ated (forked), it becomes a member of the process group of its
	   parent.   By convention, this value equals the process ID (see
	   PID) of the first  member  of  a  process  group,  called  the
	   process group leader.

       17. PID	--  Process Id
	   The task's unique process ID, which periodically wraps, though
	   never restarting at zero.  In kernel terms, it is a	dispatch‐
	   able entity defined by a 'task_struct'.

	   This value may also be used as: a process group ID (see PGRP);
	   a session ID for the session leader (see SID); a thread  group
	   ID  for  the thread group leader (see TGID); and a TTY process
	   group ID for the process group leader (see TPGID).

       18. PPID	 --  Parent Process Id
	   The process ID (pid) of a task's parent.

       19. PR  --  Priority
	   The scheduling priority of the task.	 If you see 'rt' in  this
	   field, it means the task is running under 'real time' schedul‐
	   ing priority.

	   Under linux, real time priority is somewhat	misleading  since
	   traditionally  the  operating itself was not preemptable.  And
	   while the 2.6 kernel can be made mostly preemptable, it is not
	   always so.

       20. RES	--  Resident Memory Size (KiB)
	   The non-swapped physical memory a task has used.

       21. RUID	 --  Real User Id
	   The real user ID.

       22. RUSER  --  Real User Name
	   The real user name.

       23. 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  top's  delay
	   interval and nice value.

       24. SHR	--  Shared Memory Size (KiB)
	   The	amount	of  shared memory available to a task, not all of
	   which is typically resident.	 It simply reflects  memory  that
	   could be potentially shared with other processes.

       25. SID	--  Session Id
	   A  session  is a collection of process groups (see PGRP), usu‐
	   ally established by the login shell.	 A newly  forked  process
	   joins  the  session of its creator.	By convention, this value
	   equals the process ID (see PID) of the  first  member  of  the
	   session, called the session leader, which is usually the login
	   shell.

       26. SUID	 --  Saved User Id
	   The saved user ID.

       27. SUPGIDS  --	Supplementary Group IDs
	   The IDs of any supplementary group(s) established at login  or
	   inherited from a task's parent.  They are displayed in a comma
	   delimited list.

	   Note: The 'SUPGIDS' field, unlike most columns, is not  fixed-
	   width.   When displayed, it plus any other variable width col‐
	   umns will be allocated all remaining screen width (up  to  the
	   maximum 512 characters).

       28. SUPGRPS  --	Supplementary Group Names
	   The	names  of any supplementary group(s) established at login
	   or inherited from a task's parent.  They are	 displayed  in	a
	   comma delimited list.

	   Note:  The 'SUPGRPS' field, unlike most columns, is not fixed-
	   width.  When displayed, it plus any other variable width  col‐
	   umns	 will  be allocated all remaining screen width (up to the
	   maximum 512 characters).

       29. SUSER  --  Saved User Name
	   The saved user name.

       30. SWAP	 --  Swapped Size (KiB)
	   The non-resident portion of a task's address space.

       31. TGID	 --  Thread Group Id
	   The ID of the thread group to which a task belongs.	It is the
	   PID	of  the	 thread group leader.  In kernel terms, it repre‐
	   sents those tasks that share an 'mm_struct'.

       32. 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	have  used.   You  toggle
	   'Cumulative	mode'  with  'S',  which  is  both a command-line
	   option and an interactive command.  See  the	 'S'  interactive
	   command for additional information regarding this mode.

       33. TIME+  --  CPU Time, hundredths
	   The	same  as  'TIME', but reflecting more granularity through
	   hundredths of a second.

       34. TPGID  --  Tty Process Group Id
	   The process group ID of the foreground process  for	the  con‐
	   nected tty, or -1 if a process is not connected to a terminal.
	   By convention, this value equals the process ID (see	 PID)  of
	   the the process group leader (see PGRP).

       35. 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
	   you'll see '?' displayed.

       36. UID	--  User Id
	   The effective user ID of the task's owner.

       37. USER	 --  User Name
	   The effective user name of the task's owner.

       38. VIRT	 --  Virtual Memory Size (KiB)
	   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 and pages that have been mapped but not
	   used.

       39. WCHAN  --  Sleeping in Function
	   Depending on the availability of the kernel	link  map  ('Sys‐
	   tem.map'), this field will show the name or the address of the
	   kernel function in which the task is currently sleeping.  Run‐
	   ning tasks will display a dash ('-') in this column.

	   By  displaying  this	 field,	 top's	own  working set could be
	   increased by over 700Kb,  depending	on  the	 kernel	 version.
	   Should  that	 occur, your only means of reducing that overhead
	   will be to stop and restart top.

	   Note: The 'WCHAN' field, unlike most columns,  is  not  fixed-
	   width.   When displayed, it plus any other variable width col‐
	   umns will be allocated all remaining screen width (up  to  the
	   maximum 512 characters).

   3b. MANAGING Fields
       After  pressing the interactive command 'f' or 'F' (Fields Manage‐
       ment) you will be presented with a screen showing:  1)  the  ´cur‐
       rent´  window name; 2) the designated sort field; 3) all fields in
       their current order along with descriptions.  Entries marked  with
       an  asterisk are the currently displayed fields, screen width per‐
       mitting.

	   o  As the on screen instructions indicate, you navigate  among
	      the  fields  with	 the  Up  and Down arrow keys.	The PgUp,
	      PgDn, Home and End keys can also be used to  quickly  reach
	      the first or last available field.

	   o  The  Right  arrow key selects a field for repositioning and
	      the Left arrow key or the <Enter> key commits that  field's
	      placement.

	   o  The  'd'	key  or the <Space> bar toggles a field's display
	      status, and thus the presence or absence of the asterisk.

	   o  The 's' key designates a field  as  the  sort  field.   See
	      topic 4c. TASK AREA Commands, SORTING for additional infor‐
	      mation regarding your selection of a sort field.

	   o  The 'a' and 'w' keys can	be  used  to  cycle  through  all
	      available	 windows  and  the  'q' or <Esc> keys exit Fields
	      Management.

       The Fields Management screen can also be used to change the  ´cur‐
       rent´  window/field  group  in  either  full-screen mode or alter‐
       nate-display mode.  Whatever was targeted when 'q'  or  <Esc>  was
       pressed	will  be  made	current as you return to the top display.
       See topic 5. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Provisions and the 'g'  interactive
       command for insight into ´current´ windows and field groups.

       Note: Any window that has been scrolled horizontally will be reset
       if any field changes are made via the  Fields  Management  screen.
       Any  vertical  scrolled	position,  however, will not be affected.
       See topic  5c.  SCROLLING  a  Window  for  additional  information
       regarding vertical and horizontal scrolling.

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

	 4a. Global-Commands
	       <Ent/Sp> ?, =, A, B, d, g, h, H, I, k, q, r, s, W, Z
	 4b. Summary-Area-Commands
	       C, l, t, 1, m
	 4c. Task-Area-Commands
	       Appearance:  b, x, y, z
	       Content:	    c, f, F, S, u, U, V
	       Size:	    #, i, n
	       Sorting:	    <, >, f, F, R
	 4d. Color-Mapping
	       <Ret>, a, B, b, H, M, q, S, T, w, z, 0 - 7
	 5b. Commands-for-Windows
	       -, _, =, +, A, a, g, G, w
	 5c. Scrolling-a-Window
	       C, Up, Dn, Left, Right, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End
	 5d. Searching-in-a-Window
	       L, &

   4a. 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.

	 <Enter> or <Space> :Refresh-Display
	      These commands awaken top	 and  following	 receipt  of  any
	      input  the  entire  display  will	 be repainted.	They also
	      force an update of any hotplugged cpu  or	 physical  memory
	      changes.

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

	 ´?´ | ´h´ :Help
	      There are two help levels available.  The first  will  pro‐
	      vide  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-dis‐
	      play mode.

	 ´=´ :Exit-Task-Limits
	      Removes restrictions on which tasks are shown.   This  com‐
	      mand  will reverse any 'i' (idle tasks) and 'n' (max tasks)
	      commands that might be active.  It  also	provides  for  an
	      'exit'  from  pid	 monitoring  and user filtering.  See the
	      '-p' command-line option for a discussion of PID monitoring
	      and the 'U' or 'u' interactive commands regarding user fil‐
	      tering.

	      Additionally, any window that has	 been  scrolled	 will  be
	      reset  with this command.	 See topic 5c. SCROLLING a Window
	      for additional information regarding vertical and	 horizon‐
	      tal scrolling.

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

	 ´A´ :Alternate-Display-Mode toggle
	      This command  will  switch  between  full-screen	mode  and
	      alternate-display	 mode.	 See  topic  5. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY
	      Provisions and the 'g' interactive command for insight into
	      ´current´ windows and field groups.

	 ´B´ :Bold-Disable/Enable toggle
	      This  command  will  influence  use  of the 'bold' terminfo
	      capability and alters both the summary area and  task  area
	      for  the	´current´ 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  mono‐
	      chrome mode, the entire display will appear as normal text.
	      Thus, unless the 'x' and/or 'y' toggles are  using  reverse
	      for  emphasis,  there  will  be no visual confirmation that
	      they are even on.

       * ´d´ | ´s´ :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 top's  demands.   The  delay
	      value  is	 inversely proportional 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 sec‐
	      ond line.

	 ´g´ :Choose-Another-Window/Field-Group
	      You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 des‐
	      ignating the field group which should be made the ´current´
	      window.  You will soon grow comfortable with these  4  win‐
	      dows, especially after experimenting with alternate-display
	      mode.

	 ´H´ :Threads-mode toggle
	      When this toggle is On, individual  threads  will	 be  dis‐
	      played for all processes in all visible task windows.  Oth‐
	      erwise, top displays a summation of  all	threads	 in  each
	      process.

	 ´I´ :Irix/Solaris-Mode toggle
	      When  operating  in  'Solaris  mode'  ('I'  toggled Off), a
	      task's cpu usage will be divided by  the	total  number  of
	      CPUs.   After  issuing this command, you'll be told the new
	      state of this toggle.

       * ´k´ :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.
	      However, you can send any signal, via number or name.

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

	 ´q´ :Quit

       * ´r´ :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.

	 ´W´ :Write-the-Configuration-File
	      This will save all of your options  and  toggles	plus  the
	      current  display mode and delay time.  By issuing this com‐
	      mand just before quitting top, you  will	be  able  restart
	      later in exactly that same state.

	 ´Z´ :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 win‐
	      dows.   For  details regarding this interactive command see
	      topic 4d. 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.

   4b. 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 5.  ALTERNATE-DISPLAY	Provisions  and	 the  'g'
       interactive  command  for insight into ´current´ windows and field
       groups.

	 ´l´ :Load-Average/Uptime toggle
	      This is also the line containing the program name (possibly
	      an  alias)  when operating in full-screen mode or the ´cur‐
	      rent´ window name when operating in alternate-display mode.

	 ´t´ :Task/Cpu-States toggle
	      This command affects from 2 to  many  summary  area  lines,
	      depending on the state of the '1' toggle and whether or not
	      top is running under true SMP.

	      This portion of the summary area is also influenced by  the
	      'H'  interactive	command toggle, as reflected in the total
	      label which shows either 'Tasks' or 'Threads'.

	 ´1´ :Single/Separate-Cpu-States toggle
	      This command affects how the 't' command's Cpu States  por‐
	      tion  is	shown.	 Although this toggle exists primarily to
	      serve massively-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.
	      Otherwise,  each	cpu  is	 displayed separately as: '%Cpu0,
	      %Cpu1, ...'  up to available screen height.

	 ´m´ :Memory/Swap-Usage toggle
	      This command affects the two  summary  area  lines  dealing
	      with physical and virtual memory.

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

   4c. 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´ window's task display has been
       toggled Off (see topic 5. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Provisions).

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

	 ´b´ :Bold/Reverse toggle
	      This  command  will  impact how the 'x' and 'y' toggles are
	      displayed.  Further, it will  only  be  available	 when  at
	      least one of those toggles is On.

	 ´x´ :Column-Highlight toggle
	      Changes  highlighting  for  the current sort field.  If you
	      forget which field is being sorted this command  can  serve
	      as  a  quick  visual  reminder, providing the sort field is
	      being displayed.	The  sort  field  might	 not  be  visible
	      because:
		  1) there is insufficient Screen Width
		  2) the 'f' interactive command turned it Off

	 ´y´ :Row-Highlight toggle
	      Changes  highlighting  for "running" tasks.  For additional
	      insight into this task state, see topic 3a. DESCRIPTIONS of
	      Fields, the 'S' field (Process Status).

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

	 ´z´ :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
	 ´c´ :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.

	 ´f´ | ´F´ :Fields-Management
	      These  keys  display a separate screen where you can change
	      which fields are displayed, their order and also	designate
	      the sort field.  For additional information on these inter‐
	      active commands see topic 3b. MANAGING Fields.

	 ´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 rep‐
	      resentation you prefer.

	      After issuing this command, you'll 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.

	 ´u' | 'U' :Show-Specific-User-Only
	      You  will	 be  prompted  for the uid or name of the user to
	      display.	 The  '-u'  option  matches  on	  effective  user
	      whereas  the  '-U' option matches on any user (real, effec‐
	      tive, saved, or filesystem).

	      Thereafter, in that task window only matching users will be
	      shown,  or  possibly no processes will be shown.	Different
	      task windows can can be used to filter different users.

	      Later, if you wish to monitor all tasks again in the  ´cur‐
	      rent´  window, re-issue this command but just press <Enter>
	      at the prompt.

	 ´V' :Forest-View-Mode toggle
	      In this mode, processes are reordered  according	to  their
	      parents and the layout of the COMMAND column resembles that
	      of a tree.  In forest view mode it  is  still  possible  to
	      toggle  between  program name and commamd line (see the 'c'
	      interactive command) or between processes and threads  (see
	      the 'H' interactive command).

	      Note:  Typing  any  key  affecting the sort order will exit
	      forest view mode in the ´current´ window.	  See  topic  4c.
	      TASK AREA Commands, SORTING for information on those keys.

       SIZE of task window
	 ´i´ :Idle-Process toggle
	      Displays	all tasks or just active tasks.	 When this toggle
	      is Off, tasks that have not used any  CPU	 since	the  last
	      update  will  not be displayed.  However, due to the granu‐
	      larity of the %CPU and TIME+  fields,  some  processes  may
	      still be displayed that appear to have used no CPU.

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

	 ´n´ | ´#´ :Set-Maximum-Tasks
	      You will be prompted to enter the number of tasks	 to  dis‐
	      play.   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 cur‐
	      rently visible task display, except for the very last.   It
	      will  not	 affect the last window's 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
	 current sort field is visible.	 The sort field might not be vis‐
	 ible 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.

	 ´f´ | ´F´ :Fields-Management
	      These keys display a separate screen where you  can  change
	      which  field  is used as the sort column, among other func‐
	      tions.  This can be a convenient way to simply  verify  the
	      current sort field, when running top with column highlight‐
	      ing turned Off.

	 ´R´ :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
	 display.  Thus, the TTY and WCHAN  fields  will  violate  strict
	 ASCII collating sequence.

   4d. 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.

       The following interactive commands are available.
	   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
	       <Enter>	 :apply and exit
	       'q'	 :abandon current changes and exit

       If you 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 reap‐
       ply  different  colors  or turn colors Off completely with the 'z'
       toggle.

       The Color Mapping screen can also be used to change the	´current´
       window/field group in either full-screen mode or alternate-display
       mode.  Whatever was targeted when 'q' or <Enter> was pressed  will
       be made current as you return to the top display.

5. ALTERNATE-DISPLAY Provisions
   5a. 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
	  command, repeated below).  Each of the 4  field  groups  has	a
	  unique separately configurable summary area and its own config‐
	  urable 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 it's 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), you'll not easily know what  window  is  the
	  ´current´ window.

   5b. COMMANDS for Windows
	 ´-´ | ´_´ :Show/Hide-Window(s) toggles
	      The  '-'	key  turns the ´current´ window's task display On
	      and Off.	When On, that task area will show  a  minimum  of
	      the columns header you've established with the 'f' interac‐
	      tive command.  It will also reflect  any	other  task  area
	      options/toggles you've 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  dis‐
	      play(s)  and  any	 task display(s) you had toggled Off.  If
	      all 4 task displays are currently visible, this interactive
	      command  will  leave  the	 summary area as the only display
	      element.

       * ´=´ | ´+´ :Equalize-(re-balance)-Window(s)
	      The '=' key forces the ´current´ window's task  display  to
	      be  visible.   It	 also  reverses any 'i' (idle tasks), 'n'
	      (max tasks) and 'u'/'U' (user filter) commands  that  might
	      be  active.  Also, if the window had been scrolled, it will
	      be reset with this command.  See topic 5c. SCROLLING a Win‐
	      dow for additional information regarding vertical and hori‐
	      zontal scrolling.

	      The '+' key does the same for all windows.  The  four  task
	      displays	will  reappear,	 evenly balanced.  They will also
	      have  retained  any  customizations  you	 had   previously
	      applied,	except for the 'i' (idle tasks), 'n' (max tasks),
	      'u'/'U' (user filter) and scrolling interactive commands.

       * ´A´ :Alternate-Display-Mode toggle
	      This command  will  switch  between  full-screen	mode  and
	      alternate-display mode.

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

       * ´a´ | ´w´ :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 circular 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
	      emphasis/color,  that's  a reminder the task display is Off
	      and many commands will be restricted.

       * ´g´ :Choose-Another-Window/Field-Group
	      You will be prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4 des‐
	      ignating the 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.

	 ´G´ :Change-Window/Field-Group-Name
	      You will be prompted for a new name to be	 applied  to  the
	      ´current´ window.	 It does not require that the window name
	      be visible (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 with color mapping
			     and fields management

   5c. SCROLLING a Window
       Typically  a  task window is a partial view into a systems's total
       tasks/threads which shows only some of the  available  fields/col‐
       umns.   With  these  scrolling keys, you can move that view verti‐
       cally or horizontally to reveal any desired task or column.

       Up,PgUp :Scroll-Tasks
	   Move the view up toward the first task row,	until  the  first
	   task	 is displayed at the top of the ´current´ window.  The Up
	   arrow key moves a single line while PgUp  scrolls  the  entire
	   window.

       Down,PgDn :Scroll-Tasks
	   Move	 the  view  down toward the last task row, until the last
	   task is the only task displayed at the top  of  the	´current´
	   window.   The  Down	arrow  key moves a single line while PgDn
	   scrolls the entire window.

       Left,Right :Scroll-Columns
	   Move the view of displayable fields horizontally one column at
	   a time.

	   Note:  As  a reminder, some fields/columns are not fixed-width
	   but allocated all remaining screen width when  visible.   When
	   scrolling  right  or left, that feature may produce some unex‐
	   pected results initially.

       Home :Jump-to-Home-Position
	   Reposition the display to the un-scrolled coordinates.

       End :Jump-to-End-Position
	   Reposition the display so that the rightmost	 column	 reflects
	   the	last displayable field and the bottom task row represents
	   the last task.

	   Note: From this position it is still possible to  scroll  down
	   and	right  using the arrow keys.  This is true until a single
	   column and a single task is left as the only display element.

       'C' :Show-scroll-coordinates toggle
	   Toggle an informational message which  is  displayed	 whenever
	   the message line is not otherwise being used.

	       "scroll coordinates: y = n/n (tasks), x = n/n (fields)"

	   The	coordinates  shown  as n/n are relative to the upper left
	   corner of the ´current´ window.

	   y = n/n (tasks)
	       The first n represents the topmost  visible  task  and  is
	       controlled  by  scrolling  keys.	  The second n is updated
	       automatically to reflect total tasks.

	   x = n/n (fields)
	       The first n represents the leftmost displayed  column  and
	       is  controlled  by  scrolling  keys.   The second n is the
	       total number of displayable fields and is established with
	       the 'f' interactive command.

       The above interactive commands are always available in full-screen
       mode but never available in alternate-display mode  if  the  ´cur‐
       rent´ window's task display has been toggled Off.

   5d. SEARCHING in a Window
       You  can	 use these interactive commands to locate a task row con‐
       taining a particular value.

       'L´ :Locate-a-string
	   You will be prompted for the case-sensitive string  to  locate
	   starting  from  the	current window coordinates.  There are no
	   restrictions on search string content.

	   Searches are not limited to values from a single field or col‐
	   umn.	 All of the values displayed in a task row are allowed in
	   a search string.  You may include spaces, numbers, symbols and
	   even forest view artwork.

	   Keying  <Enter> with no input will effectively disable the '&'
	   key until a new search string is entered.

       '&´ :Locate-next
	   Assuming a  search  string  has  been  established,	top  will
	   attempt to locate the next occurrence.

       When  a	match is found, the current window is repositioned verti‐
       cally so the task row containing that string is first.  The scroll
       coordinates  message  can  provide  confirmation	 of such vertical
       repositioning  (see  the	 'C'  interactive  command).   Horizontal
       scrolling, however, is never altered via searching.

       The  availability  of  a matching string will be influenced by the
       following factors.
	  a. Which fields are displayable from the total available,
	     see topic 3b. MANAGING Fields.
	  b. Scrolling a window vertically and/or horizontally,
	     see topic 5c. SCROLLING a Window.
	  c. The state of the command/command-line toggle,
	     see the 'c' interactive command.
	  d. The stability of the chosen sort column,
	     for example PID is good but %CPU bad.

       If  a  search  fails,  restoring	  the	´current´   window   home
       (unscrolled) position, scrolling horizontally, displaying command-
       lines or choosing a more stable sort field  could  yet  produce	a
       successful '&' search.

       The above interactive commands are always available in full-screen
       mode but never available in alternate-display mode  if  the  ´cur‐
       rent´ window's task display has been toggled Off.

       Note: Whenever a search key is typed, top forces idle tasks On and
       user filtering Off to ensure that every task is encountered.   See
       the  'i' and 'u/U' interactive commands for additional information
       on how displayed tasks might be filtered.

6. FILES
   6a. 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  run‐
       ning.  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
       create 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

   6b. 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
       personal configuration file to the current directory,  subject  to
       permissions.

7. 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
       you've got the authority.

   7a. Kernel Magic
       For these stupid tricks, top needs full-screen mode.

       o  The  user  interface,	 through  prompts and help, intentionally
	  implies that the delay interval is limited to tenths of a  sec‐
	  ond.	 However,  you're  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 so as 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 you'll see is a very busy Linux	doing  what  he's  always
	  done	for you, but there was no program available to illustrate
	  this.

       o  Under an xterm using 'white-on-black' colors,	 on  top's  Color
	  Mapping  screen  set	the  task color to black and be sure that
	  task highlighting is set to bold, not reverse.   Then	 set  the
	  delay interval to around .3 seconds.

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

       o  Delete the existing rcfile, or create	 a  new	 symlink.   Start
	  this	new  version  then  type 'T' (a secret key, see topic 4c.
	  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
	  former 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.

   7b. Bouncing Windows
       For these stupid tricks, top needs alternate-display mode.

       o  With 3 or 4 task displays visible, pick any window  other  than
	  the last and turn idle processes Off using the 'i' command tog‐
	  gle.	Depending on where you	applied	 'i',  sometimes  several
	  task	displays  are  bouncing and sometimes it's like an accor‐
	  dion, as top tries his best to allocate space.

       o  Set each window's summary lines differently: one with no memory
	  ('m');  another with no states ('t'); 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.

       o  Display all 4 windows and for each, in turn, set idle processes
	  to Off using the 'i' command toggle.	You've just  entered  the
	  "extreme bounce" zone.

   7c. The Big Bird Window
       This stupid trick also requires alternate-display mode.

       o  Display all 4 windows and make sure that 1:Def is the ´current´
	  window.  Then, keep increasing window size with the 'n'  inter‐
	  active  command  until  all the other task displays are "pushed
	  out of the nest".

	  When they've all  been  displaced,  toggle  between  all  visi‐
	  ble/invisible	 windows using the '_' command toggle.	Then pon‐
	  der this:
	     is top fibbing or telling honestly your imposed truth?
8. BUGS
       To report bugs, follow the instructions at:
	   http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting

9. HISTORY Former top
       The original top was written  by	 Roger	Binns,	based  on  Branko
       Lankester's <lankeste@fwi.uva.nl> ps program.

       Robert  Nation <nation@rocket.sanders.lockheed.com> adapted it for
       the proc file system.

       Helmut Geyer  <Helmut.Geyer@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de>  added  support
       for configurable fields.

       Plus many other individuals contributed over the years.

10. AUTHOR
       This entirely new and enhanced replacement was written by:
	   Jim Warner, <james.warner@comcast.net>

       With invaluable help from:
	   Craig Small, <csmall@enc.com.au>
	   Albert Cahalan, <albert@users.sf.net>

11. SEE Also
       free(1), ps(1), uptime(1), atop(1), slabtop(1), vmstat(8), w(1).

procps-ng			April 2011			   TOP(1)
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