OS Manuals

/usr/bin/atop

advanced interactive monitor for Linux systems

From atop 2.13.0-r2 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running atop --help (exit 1). permalink

/usr/bin/atop: invalid option -- '-'
Usage: /usr/bin/atop [-t [absdir]] [-flags] [interval [samples]]
		or
Usage: /usr/bin/atop -w  file  [-S] [-a] [interval [samples]]
       /usr/bin/atop -r [file] [-b [YYYYMMDD]hhmm[ss]] [-e [YYYYMMDD]hhmm[ss]] [-flags]

	generic flags:
	  -t  twin mode: live measurement with possibility to review earlier samples
	                 (raw file created in /tmp or in specific directory path)
	  -B  show bar graphs for system statistics
	  -H  show bar graphs without categories
	  -G  show cgroup v2 metrics
	  -7  define cgroup v2 depth level -2 till -9 (default: -7)
	  -V  show version information
	  -a  show all processes and cgroups (i.s.o. active only)
	  -R  calculate proportional set size (PSS) per process
	  -W  determine WCHAN (string) per thread
	  -J  generate JSON output for specified label(s)
	  -P  generate parsable output for specified label(s)
	  -Z  no spaces in parsable output for command (line)
	  -L  alternate line length (default 80) in case of non-screen output
	  -z  prepend regex matching environment variables to command line
	      WARNING: don't use this flag when writing (publicly readable) raw files!
	  -i  UID/GID translation to full name (default column width is 8)
	  -I  suppress UID/GID to name translation (show numbers instead)
	  -k  try to connect to external atopgpud daemon (default: do not connect)
	  -K  try to connect to netatop/netatop-bpf interface (default: do not connect)
	  -f  show fixed number of lines with system statistics
	  -F  suppress sorting of system resources
	  -X  suppress terminated processes in output
	  -l  show limited number of lines for certain resources
	  -y  show threads within process
	  -Y  sort threads (when combined with 'y')
	  -1  show average-per-second i.s.o. total values

	  -x  no colors in case of high occupation
	  -g  show general process-info (default)
	  -m  show memory-related process-info
	  -d  show disk-related process-info
	  -n  show network-related process-info
	  -s  show scheduling-related process-info
	  -v  show various process-info (ppid, user/group, date/time)
	  -c  show command line per process
	  -o  show own defined process-info
	  -u  show cumulated process-info per user
	  -p  show cumulated process-info per program (i.e. same name)
	  -j  show cumulated process-info per container/pod

	  -C  sort processes in order of cpu consumption (default)
	  -M  sort processes in order of memory consumption
	  -D  sort processes in order of disk activity
	  -N  sort processes in order of network activity
	  -E  sort processes in order of GPU activity

	specific flags for raw logfiles:
	  -w  write raw data to   file (compressed)
	  -r  read  raw data from file (compressed)
	      symbolic file: y[y...] for yesterday (repeated)
	      file name '-': read raw data from stdin
	  -S  finish atop automatically before midnight (i.s.o. #samples)
	  -b  begin showing data from specified date/time
	  -e  finish showing data after specified date/time

	interval: number of seconds   (minimum 0)
	samples:  number of intervals (minimum 1)

If the interval-value is zero, a new sample can be
forced manually by sending signal USR1 (kill -USR1 pid_atop)
or with the keystroke 't' in interactive mode.

Please refer to the man-page of 'atop' for more details.
Options (47)
OptionDescriptionSource
-ttwin mode: live measurement with possibility to review earlier samples (raw file created in /tmp or in specific directory path)help
-Bshow bar graphs for system statisticshelp
-Hshow bar graphs without categorieshelp
-Gshow cgroup v2 metricshelp
-7define cgroup v2 depth level -2 till -9 (default: -7)help
-Vshow version informationhelp
-ashow all processes and cgroups (i.s.o.help
-Rcalculate proportional set size (PSS) per processhelp
-Wdetermine WCHAN (string) per threadhelp
-Jgenerate JSON output for specified label(s)help
-Pgenerate parsable output for specified label(s)help
-Zno spaces in parsable output for command (line)help
-Lalternate line length (default 80) in case of non-screen outputhelp
-zprepend regex matching environment variables to command line WARNING: don't use this flag when writing (publicly readable) raw files!help
-iUID/GID translation to full name (default column width is 8)help
-Isuppress UID/GID to name translation (show numbers instead)help
-ktry to connect to external atopgpud daemon (default: do not connect)help
-Ktry to connect to netatop/netatop-bpf interface (default: do not connect)help
-fshow fixed number of lines with system statisticshelp
-Fsuppress sorting of system resourceshelp
-Xsuppress terminated processes in outputhelp
-lshow limited number of lines for certain resourceshelp
-yshow threads within processhelp
-Ysort threads (when combined with 'y')help
-1show average-per-second i.s.o.help
-xno colors in case of high occupationhelp
-gshow general process-info (default)help
-mshow memory-related process-infohelp
-dshow disk-related process-infohelp
-nshow network-related process-infohelp
-sshow scheduling-related process-infohelp
-vshow various process-info (ppid, user/group, date/time)help
-cshow command line per processhelp
-oshow own defined process-infohelp
-ushow cumulated process-info per userhelp
-pshow cumulated process-info per program (i.e. same name)help
-jshow cumulated process-info per container/podhelp
-Csort processes in order of cpu consumption (default)help
-Msort processes in order of memory consumptionhelp
-Dsort processes in order of disk activityhelp
-Nsort processes in order of network activityhelp
-Esort processes in order of GPU activityhelp
-wwrite raw data to file (compressed)help
-rread raw data from file (compressed) symbolic file: y[y...] for yesterday (repeated) file name '-': read raw data from stdinhelp
-Sfinish atop automatically before midnight (i.s.o.help
-bbegin showing data from specified date/timehelp
-efinish showing data after specified date/timehelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.