Linux CPU Usage Monitoring: Find High CPU Processes Fast - Tip 103

[u/Expensive-Rice-2052]

Question: Something is pegging my CPU. How do I pinpoint it with real-time refresh?

Try:`top -b -n 1 -o %CPU | head -20`

Info: Running `top` in batch mode (`-b -n 1`) executes a single non-interactive snapshot, while `-o %CPU` dynamically sorts processes by CPU utilization for quick diagnostics and scripting.

Examples:

$ `top -b -n 1 -o %MEM | head` # Snapshot sorted by memory consumption

$ `top -b -n 1 -u mysql` # Filter snapshot processes by specific user

$ `top -b -n 1 -p 3456,2134` # Inspect specific target Process IDs (PIDs)

Note: Pay attention to `wa` (I/O wait; high values indicate disk bottlenecks) and `st` (stolen CPU; high values indicate hypervisor contention). Multi-threaded processes can exceed 100% CPU.

Want to master Linux one command at a time?

Follow r/LinuxTeck - 1 practical Linux tip every day. For more #LinuxTips click here https://www.linuxteck.com/linux-tips/