scxtop

scxtop is a top-like utility and observability tool for sched_ext schedulers. It collects and aggregates system performance metrics and scheduler events via BPF.

Three modes of operation:

• TUI Mode (default): Interactive terminal UI with live metrics across CPUs, LLCs, and NUMA nodes
• Trace Mode: Generate Perfetto-compatible traces for detailed offline analysis
• MCP Mode: Model Context Protocol server for AI-assisted scheduler analysis

Quick Start

Interactive TUI

sudo scxtop

Generate Perfetto Trace

sudo scxtop trace --duration 30

MCP Server for AI Integration

sudo scxtop mcp --daemon

See CLAUDE_INTEGRATION.md for AI assistant setup.

TUI Mode

Using scxtop

scxtop must be run as root or with capabilities as it uses perf_event_open as well as BPF programs for data collection. Use the help menu (h key is the default to see keybindings) to view the current keybindings: