# Output from "top" in shell module does not display the entire "COMMAND" column string **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [July 15, 2023, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-from-top-in-shell-module-does-not-display-the-entire-command-column-string/38230 "2023-07-15T12:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Luiz\_Gustavo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/luiz_gustavo/32/4846_2.png) [@Luiz\_Gustavo](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Luiz_Gustavo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-from-top-in-shell-module-does-not-display-the-entire-command-column-string/38230/1 "2023-07-15T12:40:23Z")
Hello, ansible -i \ -m shell -a “top -b -n 1 -d 1” -K -b --become-user=root Look at pid 4 where the result is “rcu\_par\*\*+\*\*” and should be “rcu\_par\_gp”. Why?: # ansible output: | CHANGED | rc=0 \>\> … \<\> PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND 1 root 20 0 245612 11128 8084 S 0.0 0.3 21:04.17 systemd 2 root 20 0 0 0 0 S 0.0 0.0 0:18.99 kthreadd 3 root 0 -20 0 0 0 I 0.0 0.0 0:00.00 rcu\_gp 4 root 0 -20 0 0 0 I 0.0 0.0 0:00.00 **rcu\_par+** … \<\> While running on the host it displays: … \<\> PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND 1 root 20 0 245612 11128 8084 S 0.0 0.3 21:04.18 systemd 2 root 20 0 0 0 0 S 0.0 0.0 0:18.99 kthreadd 3 root 0 -20 0 0 0 I 0.0 0.0 0:00.00 rcu\_gp 4 root 0 -20 0 0 0 I 0.0 0.0 0:00.00 **rcu\_par\_gp** … \<\> ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-from-top-in-shell-module-does-not-display-the-entire-command-column-string/38230/2 "2023-07-18T02:53:44Z")
Output width. Your output is being truncated at the default 80 columns. Add, say “-w 180” to your top parameter list. (Also, top doesn’t require --become; any id can run top.) Cheers, ---
**Author:** ![Luiz\_Gustavo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/luiz_gustavo/32/4846_2.png) [@Luiz\_Gustavo](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Luiz_Gustavo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2023, 9:48am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/output-from-top-in-shell-module-does-not-display-the-entire-command-column-string/38230/3 "2023-07-18T09:48:14Z")
Thanks Todd, it worked perfectly. Taking advantage of the subject, do you know any similar command in AIX (would it be topas?). I can’t run it in the background.