Linux and macOS Process Management with ps and top

Every system administrator, developer, and power user needs to understand how operating systems manage running applications and system resources. When a system slows down or a background task hangs, knowing how to inspect and control processes is the key to restoring performance. This course provides a clear, text-only guide to mastering system monitoring on Linux and macOS using essential command-line tools. By working through this course, you will transition from running basic commands to confidently managing system resources, handling background tasks, and troubleshooting unresponsive applications. What you'll learn: - Understand the lifecycle of a process, including parent-child relationships and process states - Monitor system performance and resource usage in real time using the top utility - Inspect, filter, and format active process lists using the powerful ps command - Control process execution by sending signals to pause, resume, or terminate tasks - Manage background and foreground jobs using job control commands like bg, fg, and jobs - Identify resource-heavy processes to optimize system performance and stability We begin with foundational definitions, explaining what a process is and how operating systems allocate CPU and memory. Next, you will explore real-time monitoring and static snapshots, followed by practical techniques for managing jobs and sending signals safely. Each concept is reinforced with clear, written examples and step-by-step terminal commands. This course is designed for beginners, developers, and junior system administrators who want to build a solid foundation in command-line system management. No prior process administration experience is required. Start reading today to take complete control of your operating system's performance.