How to Sort Processes by Memory Usage in htop on Ubuntu

Managing system resources effectively is crucial for maintaining Ubuntu performance, and knowing which applications consume the most RAM is key. This guide explains how to use the htop utility to sort running processes by memory usage, allowing you to quickly identify and manage resource-heavy tasks. We will cover the necessary installation steps, keyboard shortcuts, and interface options to organize your process list efficiently without navigating complex menus.

Install htop on Ubuntu

While htop is often pre-installed, you may need to add it manually. Open your terminal and run the following command to ensure the utility is available on your system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install htop

Launch the Utility

Once installed, start the process viewer by typing the following command in your terminal and pressing Enter:

htop

This will open the interactive interface displaying a list of all running processes, CPU cores, and memory bars at the top of the screen.

Sort by Memory Usage

There are two primary methods to sort the process list by memory consumption within the htop interface.

Method 1: The Quick Shortcut

The fastest way to reorder the list is by pressing the Shift + M keys simultaneously. This immediately sorts all processes in descending order based on the percentage of RAM they are using.

If you prefer using the function keys, follow these steps: 1. Press F6 to open the “Sort by” menu. 2. Use the arrow keys to select PERCENT_MEM or RES (Resident Memory). 3. Press Enter to apply the sorting order.

Understanding the Columns

When sorted by memory, focus on the following columns to analyze usage: * MEM%: The percentage of total RAM used by the process. * RES: The resident memory size, indicating the non-swapped physical memory the task is using.

Exit htop

When you have finished analyzing your system resources, press the q key to quit the application and return to your standard command prompt.