TestOut Linux Pro Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep Guide

The command `ps aux --sort -%mem` is a powerful way to check which processes are consuming the most memory on a Linux system. In this command:

- `ps aux` provides a detailed snapshot of all running processes, displaying their user, process ID, CPU usage, memory usage, and more.

- The `--sort -%mem` option sorts the results by memory usage in descending order, allowing you to quickly identify which processes are utilizing the most RAM.

This approach gives you a precise view of resource consumption and is particularly useful for performance monitoring and troubleshooting.

While options such as `top` and `htop` are also valid tools for monitoring system resources, they present information in real-time and often with more interactive features. However, they don't inherently sort by memory usage unless you specifically configure them to do so. Meanwhile, `memusage` is not a commonly recognized command in standard Linux distributions, which makes it less appropriate for this context.

Thus, the choice to use `ps aux --sort -%mem` provides a straightforward and effective method for identifying memory-intensive processes in a clear and static output.