What does the 'top' command do in Linux?

The 'top' command in Linux is a powerful utility that provides a dynamic, real-time view of the running system processes. When executed, it displays a list of processes currently being managed by the Linux kernel along with various performance metrics, such as CPU usage percentage, memory consumption, and overall system load. This allows users to monitor which processes are consuming system resources, identify any potential performance issues, or even manage processes directly (like killing a process if necessary).

The other choices focus on different functionalities. Renaming files pertains to file management, changing file permissions relates to security settings, and checking disk usage is about assessing storage space. Each of those tasks has its own dedicated commands, such as 'mv' for renaming files, 'chmod' for changing permissions, and 'df' or 'du' for checking disk usage, illustrating that they serve different purposes than the 'top' command.