System monitoring tools allow users and administrators to keep tabs on CPU and memory usage, storage availability, hardware temperatures, network activity, and other helpful information on a Linux system. Your system will not always let you know what it is doing, so keeping an eye on this information can give you insight into what it is doing behind the scenes. In this tutorial, we have compiled a list of our favorite system monitoring tools for Linux. Check out our picks below to find one that suits you best.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- Best System Monitoring tool for Linux
| Category | Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used |
|---|---|
| System | Any Linux distro |
| Software | Conky, Stacer, GNOME System Monitor, BashTOP, htop |
| Other | Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command. |
| Conventions |
# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command$ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user |
Best System Monitoring tool for Linux
Here are some of our top picks for system monitoring tools on Linux. Which tool is right for you? Almost all of the below system monitoring tools are available in most distribution repositories. Give them a try. You might be surprised.
Conky
Conky is a system monitoring program for Linux and BSD that runs on the GUI. It monitors various system resources to report the current usage of CPU, memory, disk storage, temperatures, users logged in, currently playing song, etc. in a sleek little widget on your screen. This way, you’re able to see at a quick glance how your computer’s components are being utilized.
What we like about it:
- Highly customizable
- Widget fits in with any desktop theme
- Shows a wide variety of system information
Stacer
Stacer allows Linux users to monitor and optimize multiple aspects of their operating system. Stacer monitoring includes but is not limited to CPU load monitoring, disk performance and usage. Stacer also allows for number of system configurations as well as it is capable to perform disk clean up.
What we like about it:
- Graphical view of system resource usage
- Performs disk clean up
- Control startup apps
GNOME System Monitor
The default system monitoring tool that comes prepackaged with the GNOME desktop environment is actually quite good. For most users, this would probably suffice and you would not need to download any extra tools. It allows you to see all the currently running processes on the system and sort them by various fields. It also has a resource monitor where you cn get a graphical view of system resource usage.
What we like about it:
- Installed by default in GNOME
- Sortable process list
- Graphical view of system resource usage
BashTOP
There are many variants to the built in top Linux command, and BashTOP may just be the best. It is a command line tool, but honestly looks like a GUI. The layout and graphics are so well done, it can easily compete with the graphical tools mentioned above. It monitors your CPU, memory, process list, network activity, and disk storage.
What we like about it:
- Quick and easy to read
- Beautiful interface for a command line tool
- Ability to see process info or kill processes
htop
htop is a command line tool that improves slightly on the stock top command. It is a favorite of system administrators because it is lightweight and paints a very clear, instant picture of system resource usage. It also has a display of system processes and can detect mouse input so you do not have to strictly fiddle with keyboard arrows to select what you want.
What we like about it:
- Great for servers and desktops
- Interact with mouse or keyboard
- Clear, concise output of info
Closing Thoughts
In this tutorial, we learned about some top picks for system monitoring tools on a Linux system. These tools can give us quick insight into how our system’s hardware resources are being utilized, as well as other handy information like which users are logged in. Of course, many more GUI applications exist that can perform a similar job, and Linux has a plethora of command line tools that can be used for system monitoring.
