How to Monitor CPU Usage in Linux

 Introduction

High CPU usage can slow down your Linux system or indicate a misbehaving process. Monitoring CPU helps you detect and troubleshoot performance issues quickly.

Step 1: Use the top Command

top

➡️ Displays running processes, CPU usage, and memory in real time.

Step 2: Use the htop Command

sudo apt install htop # Debian/Ubuntu  

sudo yum install htop # CentOS/RHEL

Run it with:

htop

➡️ Provides a colorful, interactive view of CPU usage with options to kill processes.

Step 3: Check CPU Load with uptime

uptime

➡️ Shows how long the system has been running and the average CPU load.

Step 4: Check Process-Specific Usage

ps -eo pid,ppid,cmd,%cpu,%mem --sort=-%cpu | head

➡️ Lists the top CPU-consuming processes.

Conclusion

By combining top, htop, uptime, and ps, you can effectively monitor CPU usage, spot heavy processes, and keep your system stable.