What is the purpose of the 'htop' utility?

The 'htop' utility serves the purpose of displaying running processes in real-time, providing users with an interactive and detailed view of system activity. It is an enhanced version of the traditional 'top' command, which also shows currently running processes. With 'htop', users can easily monitor CPU usage, memory consumption, and the status of various processes while also allowing for convenient actions such as sorting the output, killing processes, and filtering the displayed information.

This utility is particularly valuable for system administrators and users who need to manage system performance actively, as it provides a comprehensive overview of resource utilization and process activity. With its user-friendly interface, 'htop' makes it easier to analyze the system's behavior at a glance compared to command-line tools that may be less intuitive.

On the other hand, managing file permissions and configuring system logs involve different commands and utilities that do not pertain to the real-time monitoring capabilities that 'htop' provides. Monitoring memory usage is part of what 'htop' does, but it encompasses a broader array of information regarding all processes running on the system, which aligns more closely with the definition of displaying running processes in real-time.