How to Change the Color Scheme in htop?

The htop command-line utility is a powerful and customizable interactive process viewer for Linux, but navigating its configuration menus to personalize its appearance can sometimes be confusing. This article provides a direct answer on how to find and change the color scheme in htop, walks you through the step-by-step process of accessing the setup menu, and highlights the available display options to help you optimize your terminal interface.

The Short Answer

To change the color scheme in htop, you need to use the Setup menu, specifically the Display options submenu.

Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Colors

If you want to modify the visual theme of your htop interface, follow these quick steps:

  1. Open htop: Launch the tool by typing htop in your terminal and pressing Enter.
  2. Access Setup: Press the F2 key (or S on some configurations) to open the Setup menu.
  3. Navigate to Display Options: Use the down arrow key to highlight Display options in the leftmost “Setup” column.
  4. Choose a Color Scheme: Press the right arrow key to move into the “Colors” or “Color scheme” section (depending on your specific htop version). Use the up and down arrow keys to cycle through the available presets.
  5. Save and Exit: Press F10 (or Esc) to save your selection and return to the main process monitor screen.

Available Color Schemes

While htop relies primarily on your terminal emulator’s baseline color palette, it offers several built-in themes to improve readability depending on your background: