# [](https://htop.dev) [](https://github.com/htop-dev/htop/actions) [](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/21665) [](https://groups.io/g/htop) [](https://webchat.freenode.net/#htop) [](https://github.com/htop-dev/htop/releases/latest) [](https://bintray.com/htop/source/htop/_latestVersion)  ## Introduction `htop` is a cross-platform interactive process viewer. `htop` allows scrolling the list of processes vertically and horizontally to see their full command lines and related information like memory and CPU consumption. The information displayed is configurable through a graphical setup and can be sorted and filtered interactively. Tasks related to processes (e.g. killing and renicing) can be done without entering their PIDs. Running `htop` requires `ncurses` libraries (typically named libncursesw*). For more information and details on how to contribute to `htop` visit [htop.dev](https://htop.dev). ## Build instructions This program is distributed as a standard GNU autotools-based package. Compiling `htop` requires the header files for `ncurses` (libncursesw*-dev). Install these and other required packages for C development from your package manager. Then, when compiling from a [release tarball](https://bintray.com/htop/source/htop), run: ~~~ shell ./configure && make ~~~ Alternatively, for compiling sources downloaded from the Git repository (`git clone` or downloads from [Github releases](https://github.com/htop-dev/htop/releases/)), install the header files for `ncurses` (libncursesw*-dev) and other required development packages from your distribution's package manager. Then run: ~~~ shell ./autogen.sh && ./configure && make ~~~ By default `make install` will install into `/usr/local`, for changing the path use `./configure --prefix=/some/path`. See the manual page (`man htop`) or the on-line help ('F1' or 'h' inside `htop`) for a list of supported key commands. ## Support If you have trouble running `htop` please consult your Operating System / Linux distribution documentation for getting support and filing bugs. ## Bugs, development feedback We have a [development mailing list](https://htop.dev/mailinglist.html). Feel free to subscribe for release announcements or asking questions on the development of htop. You can also join our IRC channel #htop on freenode and talk to the developers there. If you have found an issue with the source of htop, please check whether this has already been reported in our [Github issue tracker](https://github.com/htop-dev/htop/issues). If not, please file a new issue describing the problem you have found, the location in the source code you are referring to and a possible fix. ## History `htop` was invented, developed and maintained by Hisham Muhammad from 2004 to 2019. His [legacy repository](https://github.com/hishamhm/htop/) has been archived to preserve the history. In 2020 a [team](https://github.com/orgs/htop-dev/people) took over the development amicably and continues to maintain `htop` collaboratively. ## License GNU General Public License, version 2 (GPL-2.0)