linux tools

Linux enthusiasts and system administrators know the importance of monitoring system resources. While tools like top and htop provide a vivid insight into CPU and memory utilization, mastering disk I/O operations can be equally crucial, especially when diagnosing system slowdowns or optimizing performance. This is where iotop, a powerful command-line utility, comes into play. It allows you to monitor disk I/O usage by each process in real-time. In this blog, we'll explore how to install, use, and interpret the output of iotop. iotop is like the top command but specifically focused on disk I/O.

In the ever-evolving landscape of Linux utilities, the introduction of the ss (socket statistics) tool marks a significant development in network diagnostics and monitoring. Built to be faster and more efficient than its predecessor, netstat, ss provides insights into network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics. In this article, we'll delve into this powerful tool and discover its capabilities, the advantages it offers over netstat, and how you can install it using different package managers like apt, dnf, and zypper. ss is a command-line utility that dives into your networking data and displays information about your system's socket connections.

Monitoring system resources plays an indispensable role in system administration. Among a wide array of tools available for Linux system monitoring, iotop stands out when it comes to tracking real-time disk I/O (Input/Output) usage. In this article, let’s delve deep into what iotop is, its significance, how to install it using different package managers, and how to use it effectively. Iotop is a command-line utility similar in fashion to the well-known top command, but distinctively focused on providing real-time insights about disk I/O. It helps administrators view current I/O usage by processes or threads, which can be crucial for diagnosing systems that appear sluggish or unresponsive due to high disk activity.