What command allows users to view system performance in real-time?

The command that allows users to view system performance in real-time is the 'top' command. When executed, 'top' provides a dynamic, real-time view of the system's running processes, along with metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, and resource allocation for each process. Users can see which processes are consuming the most resources, which is essential for monitoring system performance and identifying potential issues.

In addition to displaying live updates, 'top' also allows users to interact with the processes, such as changing their priority or killing a process directly from its interface. This interactivity makes it a powerful tool for system administrators and users who need to quickly assess and manage system resources on the fly.

While 'htop' is another command that provides a similar function with a more user-friendly interface, it is not part of all distributions by default, making 'top' more universally accessible. Commands like 'free' and 'lsb_release' serve other purposes; 'free' shows memory usage statistics while 'lsb_release' displays the Linux distribution information, neither of which offer real-time performance monitoring.