What Does the M Key Do in htop on Ubuntu Linux

This article provides a concise explanation of the ‘M’ key function within the htop system monitor on Ubuntu. It covers how this keyboard shortcut alters the process view to assist users in monitoring resource consumption effectively.

Pressing the ‘M’ key in htop immediately sorts the list of running processes by memory usage. When activated, the processes consuming the most RAM appear at the top of the list. This allows system administrators and users to quickly identify which applications are hogging memory resources.

The sorting is based on the memory percentage column. If you press ‘M’ again, it may toggle the specific memory sorting method depending on your htop version, but it primarily focuses on resident memory usage. This function is critical for troubleshooting performance issues related to high RAM consumption. Using this key is faster than clicking column headers and works seamlessly in the terminal environment.