top [-u] [-w] [-k] [-s interval] [-e | -d | -a] [-l samples] [number]

DESCRIPTION

     top displays an ongoing sample of system usage statistics.  It operates
     in various modes, but by default shows cpu utilization and memory usage
     for each process in the system.

     The options are as follows:

     -u      When the -u option is specified, processes are first sorted by
             cpu usage and then displayed starting with the highest consumers.

     -w      Specifying the -w option generates additional columns in the out-
             put producing a much wider display of data. The additional
             columns include VPRVT, along with the delta information for
             #PRTS, RPRVT, RSHRD, RSIZE and VSIZE (see descriptions follow-
             ing).

     -k      The -k option causes top to traverse and report the memory object
             map for pid 0 (the kernel task).  It is optional because it is
             fairly expensive to traverse the object maps and the kernel task
             may have a huge number of entries.

     -s      By default, top updates its output at one second intervals. This
             sampling interval may be changed by specifying the -s option.
             Enter the interval in seconds.

     -e      Using the -e option switches from the default output to an event
             counting mode where the counts reported are absolute counters.
             The -w and -k options are ignored when running in event counting
             mode.

     -d      Using the -d option switches from the default output to an event
             counting mode where the counts are reported as deltas relative to
             the previous sample.  The -w and -k options are ignored when run-
             ning in event counting, delta mode.

     -a      Using the -a option switches from the default output to an event
             counting mode where the counts are reported as cumulative coun-
             ters relative to when top was launched.  The -w and -k options
             are ignored when running in event counting, accumulate mode.

     -l      Using the -l option switches from the default screen mode to a
             logging mode suitable for saving the output to a file.  You may
             specify the number of samples to be output before top exits, the
             default is 1 sample.

     number  If you wish to limit the number of processes displayed by top,
             specify the desired number of output lines in this last argument.

     The columns displayed in the default data mode are as follows:

                        cess currently has associated with it.  Some may be
                        shared by other processes).
     VSIZE(delta)       the total address space currently allocated (including
                        shared).

     The delta columns are enabled by the -w option.  The deltas for #PRTS and
     VSIZE are relative to the numbers observed when top was launched.  The
     deltas for RPRVT, RSHRD and RSIZE are relative to the previous sample.
     If the -w option was not specified, top will append either a '+' or a '-'
     to the RPRVT, RSHRD, RSIZE or VSIZE columns indicating either a gain or a
     loss relative to the previous sample.

     The columns displayed in the event counting modes (ie: -e | -d | -a op-
     tions) are as follows:

     PID          the Unix process id.
     COMMAND      the Unix command name.
     %CPU         the percentage of cpu consumed (kernel and user).
     TIME         the absolute cpu consumption (min:secs.hundreths).
     FAULTS       the number of page faults.
     PAGEINS      the number of requests for pages from a pager.
     COW_FAULTS   the number of faults that caused a page to be copied.
     MSGS_SENT    the number of mach messages sent by the process.
     MSGS_RCVD    the number of mach messages received by the process.
     BSDSYSCALL   the number of BSD system calls made by the process.
     MACHSYSCALL  the number of MACH system calls made by the process.
     CSWITCH      the number of context switches to this process.

     The top command also displays some global state in the first few lines of
     output, including load averages, cpu utilization and idleness, process
     and thread counts and memory breakdowns for shared libraries and process-
     es.  The top command is SIGWINCH savvy, so adjusting your window geometry
     may change the number of processes and number of columns displayed.  Typ-
     ing a 'q' will cause top to exit immediately. Typing any other character
     will cause top to immediately update it's display.

SAMPLE USAGE

     top -u -s5 20

     top will sort the processes according to cpu usage, update the output at
     5 second intervals, and limit the display to the top 20 processes.

SEE ALSO

     vm_stat(1)

 Mac OS X                     September 30, 1999                             2