Linux top: Here’s how to customize it.
Posted by Unprotectedtxt@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 10 comments
It’s been several years since my original write-up on customizing top, and my setup has evolved quite a bit since then. This screenshot is my current four-pane layout as of 2025. See other layouts, instructions, and more details here.
BinkReddit@reddit
Didn't know top could look so good; thank you! Also, thanks for publishing a blog that's relatively ad-free; nowadays, some of this stuff has ads that are so intrusive that it's almost impossible to consume the content, and I stopped visiting those sites as a result.
Unprotectedtxt@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the kind words. I feel the same way about ads. Especially on mobile. I feel most of us in this niche get annoyed by ads being squeezed in everywhere.
natermer@reddit
Yep. Just copied the config to ~/.config/procps/toprc and it works as promised.
Very good article.
Unprotectedtxt@reddit (OP)
Thanks for confirming! And thank you.
superpowerpinger@reddit
Top advice.
One_Egg_4400@reddit
Top comment.
Spiderfffun@reddit
Top reply.
JockstrapCummies@reddit
OP tops!
GoldNeck7819@reddit
Dern, that’s awesome!
quadralien@reddit
Wow! I have been using htop for so long that I didn't realize top was now so customizable. I like the stacked panes for different column layouts. htop does that with tabs which doesn't provide an at a glance view.