Explanation
The top command is a Linux command that shows the running processes on the system. It provides a dynamic real-time view of the system performance and resource usage. The top command can display various information about the processes, such as their process ID, user, priority, state, CPU and memory usage, command name, and more. The top command can also sort the processes by different criteria, such as CPU or RAM consumption, by using the interactive commands. The top command is useful for monitoring the system load and identifying the processes that are consuming the most resources. References:
* Linux Essentials Topic 104: The Linux Operating System, section 104.3: Basic features and commands of the Linux standard shells.
* Linux Essentials Topic 106: Security and File Permissions, section 106.4: Monitor and manage Linux processes.