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jtop

1. Overview​

This guide describes the installation, configuration, and advanced usage of jtop on Jetson platforms. jtop is a Jetson-specific command-line monitoring tool developed by Raffaello Bonghi. Written in Python, it offers an htop-like interactive interface for real-time monitoring of system resources such as CPU, GPU, memory, fan speed, and power consumption.

Key Features include：

  • Monitoring of CPU, GPU, Memory, Engines, fan
  • Control NVP model, fan speed, jetson_clocks
  • Importable in a python script
  • Dockerizable in a container
  • No super user privileges required

2. Requirements​

ComponentRequirement
Jetson HardwareOrin Nano / NX
Operating SystemUbuntu 20.04 or 22.04(JetPack-based)
JetPack VersionJetPack ≥ 5.1.1 (recommended)
Python VersionPython 3.x
pipRequired to installed
NetworkRequired to install jetson-stats

3. Installation​

A. Prerequisites​

Ensure the system is up to date and that pip is installed：

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip -y

B. Installing jetson-stats (includes jtop)​

Using pip to install the jetson-stats：

sudo pip3 install -U jetson-stats

After installation, it is recommended to reboot the system or log out and re-login to apply environment changes：

sudo reboot

4. Launching jtop​

Execute the following command to start jtop ：

jtop

jtop

The interface provides multiple views, navigable via arrow keys or theTab key：

  • ALL：Displays an overview of system metrics
  • GPU：Monitors GPU utilization
  • CPU：Displays CPU usage
  • MEM：Displays memory and swap usage
  • ENG：Reports the status of compute engines
  • CTRL：Control of jetson_clocks、nvpmodel、fan settings
  • INFO：System information and library versions

5. Advanced Usage​

A. Check jtop Status​

To verify the integrity and status of jtop and its associated components:

sudo jtop --health

B. Reset Jetson Configuration​

To restore key runtime parameters (including jetson_clocks, power mode, and fan settings）to default values：

jtop --restore

C. Customizing Color Themes​

To enable enhanced color filters for better terminal visibility：

jtop --color-filter

Or add the following to .bashrc ：

export JTOP_COLOR_FILTER=True

6. Python API Integration​

jtop provides a simple Python API to access real-time system information from your Jetson device. It’s useful for monitoring, automation scripts, or integrating into your own applications:

from jtop import jtop

with jtop() as jetson:
    if jetson.ok():
        print(jetson.stats)

7. Running jtop in Docker​

To use jtop inside a Docker container：

  1. Make sure jetson-stats is installed both on the host and inside the container.
  2. Mount the socket file /run/jtop.sockwhen starting the container：
docker run --rm -it -v /run/jtop.sock:/run/jtop.sock rbonghi/jetson_stats:latest

8. Troubleshooting​

IssueSolution
jtop fails to launchEnsure jetson-stats is installed and reboot the system
Permission denied errorsRun withsudo or verify user permissions
Unable to retrieve GPU metricsConfirm NVIDIA drivers are installed and environment are correctly configured
jtop not working in DockeCheck that /run/jtop.sock，is correctly mounted and jetson-stats is installed inside the container

9. References​