glances: Cross-platform system monitoring tool

Glances: The Cross-Platform System Monitoring Tool

In the realm of system monitoring tools, "Glances" emerges as a compelling choice for those seeking a versatile and comprehensive monitoring solution. Created with Python, Glances provides a detailed, cross-platform snapshot of various system resources including CPU, Load, Memory, Network Interfaces, Disk I/O, and more. This tool is especially popular among System Administrators and DevOps professionals, due to its easy-to-use interface and its support for a wide array of operating systems.

Features of Glances

Glances offers numerous features that make it a robust monitoring tool: 1. Cross-Platform: Works on Linux, Windows, and macOS. 2. Rich Display: Shows a multitude of system metrics at a glance. 3. Web Server Mode: Can be run in a web server mode, allowing remote monitoring via a web browser. 4. Alerts: Set thresholds that trigger alerts for any metric. 5. Extensible: Its architecture supports plugins which can be used to extend its functionalities.

Installation Instructions

The installation process of Glances differs slightly depending on the operating system and package manager you are using. Here, we will cover installation on Linux using apt, dnf, and zypper as they are the most common among Debian-based, Fedora/RHEL-based, and openSUSE-based systems respectively.

1. Installation on Debian-based Systems (using apt) For users running a Debian-based distribution like Ubuntu, you can install Glances using apt. Open your terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install glances

These commands will update your package list and install Glances.

2. Installation on Fedora/RHEL-based Systems (using dnf) If you are on a Fedora or other RHEL-based system, you can use dnf to install Glances:

sudo dnf makecache
sudo dnf install glances

This will update the dnf cache and install Glances.

3. Installation on openSUSE (using zypper) For openSUSE users, zypper is the preferred package manager:

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper install glances

This refreshes the repository index and installs Glances on your system.

Using Glances

To start using Glances, simply type glances in your terminal. This command launches the tool and displays a real-time, dynamic view of your system’s resources. For web server mode, run glances -w and access the monitoring dashboard through your web browser at the IP address and port displayed in the terminal.

Conclusion

Glances stands out as an efficient, real-time monitoring tool that demands consideration for keeping track of system metrics. Whether you’re managing a single computer or a fleet of servers, its comprehensive set of features combined with ease of installation and use makes it an exemplary tool for any system administrator's toolkit. So, give Glances a try and gain deeper insights into your systems' performance!