Usage Guide
nvtop is an interactive tool with both command-line options and in-application hotkeys to customize its behavior.
Command-Line Options
You can start nvtop with flags to configure its initial state.
| Flag | Long Flag | Argument | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
-d |
--delay |
delay |
Set the delay between updates, in tenths of a second (e.g., -d 10 for 1s). |
-h |
--help |
Print the help message and exit. | |
-v |
--version |
Print the version information and exit. | |
-C |
--no-color |
Run in monochrome mode, disabling all colors. | |
-f |
--freedom-unit |
Display temperature in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. | |
-E |
--encode-hide |
seconds |
Set the auto-hide timer for encode/decode meters. Negative value to disable. |
-r |
--reverse-abs |
Reverse the plot direction (recent data on the left). | |
-p |
--no-plot |
Show a single bar plot instead of time-series charts. | |
-P |
--no-processes |
Hide the process list on startup. | |
-i |
--gpu-info |
Show the extra GPU information bar on startup. | |
-s |
--snapshot |
Output current GPU stats as a single JSON snapshot and exit. | |
-c |
--config-file |
file |
Specify a custom configuration file path. |
Interactive Interface
The nvtop interface is divided into three main sections:
- Device Information: At the top, a summary for each GPU, including utilization bars, clock speeds, temperature, and power draw.
- Charts: In the middle, time-series plots for selected GPU metrics.
- Process List: At the bottom, a list of processes currently using the GPUs.
Interactive Commands
| Key(s) | Action |
|---|---|
Up / k |
Select the previous process in the list. |
Down / j |
Select the next process in the list. |
Left / h |
Scroll the process list to the left. |
Right / l |
Scroll the process list to the right. |
+ |
Set sorting order to ascending. |
- |
Set sorting order to descending. |
F2 |
Open the interactive Setup window. |
F6 |
Cycle through columns to sort the process list by. |
F9 |
Open the "Kill Process" menu for the selected process. |
F12 |
Save the current configuration to the config file. |
q / Esc |
Quit nvtop. |
Setup Window (F2)
Pressing F2 opens the setup utility, which allows you to customize the interface in real-time.
The setup window is organized into several sections:
- General: Configure global options like color support and the interface update interval.
- Devices: Customize the header display, such as switching to Fahrenheit or setting the encode/decode meter auto-hide timer.
- Chart: Change the plot direction and select which metrics are shown for each GPU.
- Processes: Choose which columns to display in the process list, set the sorting order, and select the metric to sort by.
- GPU Select: Enable or disable monitoring for specific GPUs.
Saving Preferences (F12)
After customizing the interface using the Setup window, you can press F12 to save your preferences. The configuration is saved to $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nvtop/interface.ini (defaulting to $HOME/.config/nvtop/interface.ini). These settings will be automatically loaded the next time you start nvtop.