Beyond htop: Top 5 Linux Monitoring Tools and How to Install Them

htop is a popular command‑line utility for monitoring Linux system resources, but several tools offer richer visuals, additional metrics, or different interaction models.

1. atop

atop provides detailed, long‑term performance data and permanent logs, making it valuable for system administrators who need comprehensive insight.

Installation

sudo apt install atop

2. vtop

vtop delivers a GUI‑like, colorful output with mouse support and customizable themes. It is built with Node.js, so Node.js and npm must be present.

Installation

sudo apt install nodejs</code>
<code>sudo apt install npm</code>
<code>sudo npm install -g vtop

3. btop++

btop++ is the C++ evolution of bashtop and bpytop, offering full mouse support and a game‑inspired menu system for filtering processes and viewing tree structures.

Installation

sudo dnf install btop

4. Glances

Glances is a cross‑platform monitoring tool that can export data to CSV, InfluxDB, Elasticsearch, etc., and includes a web UI for remote statistics inspection.

Installation

sudo apt install glances

5. nmon

nmon offers a highly configurable display, CSV export, and quick toggling between statistics and views, refreshing every two seconds by default.

Installation

sudo apt install nmon

These alternatives provide diverse visual styles, extended metrics, and additional capabilities that can surpass htop for many monitoring scenarios.