How to Toggle Two Columns of Meters in htop?

The htop command-line utility provides a dynamic, real-time view of your Linux system’s resources, displaying CPU, memory, and swap usage as visual meters at the top of the interface. While it defaults to a specific layout, you can easily customize the header to display these meters in either a single-column or a two-column format. This article provides a quick, step-by-step guide on how to enter the htop setup menu, navigate to the header configuration, and move your meters to achieve your preferred multi-column layout.

Step 1: Open the Setup Menu

First, launch htop in your terminal by typing htop. Once the interface loads, press the F2 key (or S on some configurations) to open the Setup menu. This will pause the live resource tracking and open a customizable settings dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to the Meters Configuration

Inside the Setup menu, you will see a list of categories on the left side of your screen. Use your keyboard’s arrow keys to scroll down and select Meters. Pressing the right arrow key will then move your cursor into the header layout columns.

Step 3: Move Meters Between Columns

In the Meters sub-menu, you will see columns labeled Left column and Right column (or Column 1 and Column 2 depending on your version).

• To create a single column, use the arrow keys to highlight a meter in the right column and press the F6 (Move) key, then use the arrow keys to shift it into the left column.
• To create two columns, highlight a meter in the left column, press F6, and use the right arrow key to move it into the right column.

Step 4: Save and Exit

Once you have organized the meters so they sit entirely in one column or are split evenly between two columns, press F10 (or Esc) to save your changes and exit the setup menu. Your htop header will immediately reflect the new single or dual-column configuration.