What does the 'top' command display in Linux?

The 'top' command in Linux is a powerful utility that displays a dynamic, real-time view of the currently running processes on the system. This interface provides valuable information such as the process IDs (PIDs), user ownership, CPU and memory usage, uptime, and resource consumption of each running process. By continuously refreshing its display, 'top' allows system administrators to monitor system performance and identify any processes that may be consuming excessive resources or behaving abnormally.

The other options do not align with what the 'top' command provides. For example, file permissions are viewed using commands like 'ls -l' or 'stat,' whereas system logs can be accessed through commands such as 'tail' or 'less' on log file paths like /var/log/syslog. User accounts are managed with commands like 'cat /etc/passwd' or 'getent passwd.' Therefore, the essence of the 'top' command is focused specifically on monitoring active processes in real-time.