07-15
htop Explained: Load Averages, Process States, and More
A comprehensive walkthrough of htop's interface, explaining every field from uptime and load averages to process states (R/S/D/Z/T/t) and memory metrics (VIRT/RES/SHR). The author uses /proc filesystem dives, strace, code examples, and hands-on experiments to debunk common misconceptions (e.g., load average ≠ CPU usage). Includes an appendix analyzing every startup process on Ubuntu Server 16.04 and an extreme slimming guide. For backend engineers who want to truly understand Linux process monitoring.