Related

Container Statistics

docker

Display a live stream of container resource usage statistics.

Pause Container

docker

Pause all processes in one or more containers.

Unpause Container

docker

Resume all processes in one or more paused containers.

docker/top

Container Processes

Display running processes inside a container.

container
monitoring

Command

docker top

Explanation

docker top displays active processes inside containers using the host’s ps command. It shows PIDs, users, and command lines—useful for diagnosing stuck or high-CPU processes.

Common Use Cases

  • •Debug frozen containers
  • •Check resource-hungry processes inside containers

Best Practices

  • ✓Combine with docker stats for performance debugging

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ⚠Assuming docker top provides live updating output like Linux top—it’s a static snapshot

Troubleshooting

Problem: No output from docker top

Solution: Ensure container is running and has active processes.

Examples

Show processes in container

docker top my_container

More

List Containers

docker

List running or all containers.

Stop Container

docker

Stop one or more running containers gracefully.

Execute Command

docker

Run a command in a running container.