Btop++: an advanced resource monitor for Linux that beats top in functionality

When you want to check what’s going on with your system via terminal, the first command that comes to mind is usually top. But there’s a modern alternative — Btop++. It’s a powerful resource monitor for Linux that gives you detailed info about CPU usage, memory, disks, network activity, and running processes. Btop++ is written in C++ and is the successor to bashtop and bpytop, created by the same developer.

Why Btop++ stands out

Many users prefer Btop++ over the classic top for a few key reasons:
— Full mouse support — you can click and scroll freely
— A separate window with detailed stats for the selected process
— A fast, responsive, and user-friendly interface
— A handy process filter
— Real-time disk I/O and transfer speed display

How to install Btop++

It’s available in the official repos of many Linux distributions.

For Ubuntu 22.04 and later:

sudo apt install btop

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install btop

For Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -Syu btop

Got a “No UTF-8 locale detected” error?

On Arch, you might run into this error when launching Btop++:

ERROR: No UTF-8 locale detected!
Use --force-utf argument to force start if you're sure your terminal can handle it.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Temporary fix:

btop --force-utf

2. Permanent fix:

 Add this line to your ~/.bashrc file:

export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

How to launch Btop++

Just open a terminal and type:

btop

If you're using a desktop environment like GNOME, it might also show up in your app menu.

Interface tips

When Btop++ launches, you’ll see colorful letters in the section headers — those are keyboard shortcuts.
For example, press m to open the main menu.

There, choose Options to customize the interface.

Use the arrow keys and highlighted letters to navigate. All changes apply immediately.

Useful features in Btop++

End a process
Use the arrow keys to highlight a process, then press t to terminate it.

Detailed process view
Press Enter to see full stats for a selected process — status, CPU usage, uptime, and more.

Send a signal to a process
Highlight the process, press s, type the signal number — done.

Final thoughts

A lot of people already use htop instead of top, and with good reason. But Btop++ is a strong contender. It’s faster, easier to use, has a sleek interface, and even supports mouse interaction. If you want something more visual than htop but still lightweight and terminal-based, give Btop++ a try.

And if you want even more system stats in your terminal, check out glances as well.