🕶️ matrix-top (Pure Node.js Edition)

A cyberpunk terminal process monitor where htop meets The Matrix code waterfall.

It is written in 100% pure Node.js with zero dependencies. It reads the Linux /proc filesystem directly and uses raw ANSI escape codes for double-buffered, flicker-free rendering.

🚀 Features

• Falling Process Rain Streams: Process parameters form the text trails that fall down your screen in spaced columns.
• Dynamic Speed & Colors:
  • Speed: High CPU processes fall rapidly (spiking like lightning), while idle processes drift down slowly.
  • Colors: High CPU processes fall in flashing red trails, intermediate loads in yellow, and idle ones in standard green.
• Historical Load Waterfalls:
  • The far-left column streams a scrolling load bar representing total CPU usage history.
  • The far-right column streams a scrolling load bar representing virtual Memory usage history.
  • Waves of green, yellow, and red blocks flow downwards representing load surges over time!
• Interactive Cursor & Inspect Mode:
  • Pressing Space freezes the waterfalls and process streams in place.
  • Use Left / Right arrow keys to move a glowing cursor across columns.
  • The top bar displays full inspection metrics for the highlighted column, and Up / Down arrows let you scroll long command lines horizontally!
  • Pressing k or F9 on a highlighted process triggers a red confirmation popup to terminate it (SIGTERM).
• Dynamic Filter & Spacer morphing:
  • Search filtering instantly updates column bindings.
  • Matching processes fall as readable text streams, while the rest of the columns morph into classic Katakana Matrix code rain!
• Double-Buffered Render Engine: High speed, zero screen flicker, and extremely low CPU utilization.
• Pure JavaScript & Zero Dependencies: Compiled, lightweight, and requires no Python, pip, or custom packages.

📦 Requirements

• Linux (uses the /proc filesystem directly).
• Node.js (v12+ recommended).

📥 Installation & Running

1. Run it directly (Local clone)

Inside the repository directory, run:

# Run using npm start
npm start

2. Install globally (Local npm link)

Inside the repository directory, run:

npm install -g .

Now you can launch it from anywhere in your terminal:

matrix-top

🎮 Controls & Keybindings

| Key | Action | | --- | --- | | Space | Pause/Resume animation (locks column selector cursor) | | Left / Right or h / l | Move selection cursor over columns (when Paused) | | Up / Down or j / k | Scroll highlighted process COMMAND horizontally (when Paused) | | F3 or / or f | Search/Filter processes (matches name, args, paths) | | F6 or s | Open Sort Field Selector | | F4 or I | Invert sorting order direction (Ascending / Descending) | | F9 or k | Terminate selected process (confirms with red modal; when Paused) | | h or ? | Open Help modal | | Esc / q / F10 | Close menus / Exit application |