Using htop to Monitor PHP and Nginx on Ubuntu

Monitoring PHP and Nginx processes effectively can significantly aid in troubleshooting and optimizing performance on an Ubuntu server. Here's how you can use htop and similar tools to manage these processes:

1. Installing htop

If htop is not installed, you can install it on your Ubuntu server with the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install htop

2. Launching htop

Type htop in your terminal to launch the tool and start monitoring.

3. Identifying PHP and Nginx Processes

• Filter by User: Press the u key to filter processes by user, such as www-data or nginx.
• Search for Processes: Press F3 or / to search for "php" or "nginx".
• Filter by Command: Press F4 or \ to filter commands like php-fpm or nginx.
• Tree View: Press F5 or t to view processes in a hierarchical tree format.

4. Monitoring Process Details

• List File Locks: Press x to see file locks held by a process.
• List Open Files: Press l to list all files open by the process using lsof.

5. Utilizing Additional Features

Monitor CPU and memory usage, kill problematic processes, or adjust their priority directly within htop.

6. Using Other Tools

Consider other tools like top, ps, vmstat, and iostat for additional insights into system performance.

7. Log Analysis

Regularly check the PHP and Nginx log files for additional insights into potential issues.

By using htop in conjunction with these techniques, you can effectively monitor, diagnose, and optimize your PHP and Nginx installations on an Ubuntu server.