D035 - The process monitor reads and does not act

Status: decided Date: 2026-09-26

pros top redraws the pros ps table on an interval and takes no keys; ending a process stays with pros close and pros kill. Memory is the only resource column, and the window's system panel is the task manager, with auto-refresh off by default.

Why: an interactive kill needs terminal raw mode and a dependency the command line does not carry. The target's ps reports memory and no CPU, and a figure it does not report is not invented. A round trip to the target is not made unasked.

Rejected:

• Interactive keys in top: a dependency for what two verbs already do.
• A CPU column: nothing measures it.
• A separate task manager window: duplicates the system panel.