What is the purpose of the 'top' command?

The 'top' command is used to display live system process information, making it a powerful tool for monitoring system performance in real-time. When you run the command, it provides a dynamic view of the system's currently running processes, their resource usage, CPU load, memory usage, and other performance metrics. This information is invaluable for system administrators and users alike, as it allows for immediate insight into how the system resources are being utilized and which processes are consuming the most resources.

This real-time monitoring capability helps in troubleshooting and optimizing system performance, making it easier to identify any bottlenecks or issues with particular applications or processes.