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Linux systemd cgtop Guide

Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Linux systemd-cgtop Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to systemd-cgtop on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including control group monitoring, resource usage, and system resource tracking.


Table of Contents

  1. Understanding systemd-cgtop
  2. systemd-cgtop Basics
  3. Resource Monitoring
  4. Control Groups
  5. Troubleshooting

Understanding systemd-cgtop

What is systemd-cgtop?

systemd-cgtop monitors control groups.

Uses:

  • Monitor cgroups: Watch control groups
  • Resource usage: See resource usage
  • System monitoring: Monitor system resources
  • Performance tracking: Track performance

Why it matters:

  • Resource monitoring: Monitor resource usage
  • cgroup tracking: Track control groups
  • System analysis: Analyze system resources

systemd-cgtop Basics

Start Monitoring

Basic usage:

# Start monitoring
systemd-cgtop

# Shows control group resource usage

Exit

Quit:

# Press 'q' to quit
# Or Ctrl+C

Resource Monitoring

Sort Options

Sort by resource:

# In systemd-cgtop:
# Press 'c' to sort by CPU
# Press 'm' to sort by memory
# Press 't' to sort by tasks

Refresh Rate

Update interval:

# Start with refresh rate
systemd-cgtop -d 2

# -d = delay (2 seconds)

Control Groups

Filter by Path

Filter cgroups:

# Filter by path
systemd-cgtop /system.slice

# Shows only specified path

Tree View

Hierarchical view:

# Tree format
systemd-cgtop --raw

# Shows raw cgroup tree

Troubleshooting

systemd-cgtop Not Found

Check systemd:

# systemd-cgtop is part of systemd
# Usually pre-installed on systemd systems

# Check systemd
systemctl --version

Summary

This guide covered systemd-cgtop usage, control group monitoring, and resource tracking for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.


Next Steps


This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.

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