NAME

xload − display system load average. 

SYNTAX

xload [options]

DESCRIPTION

The xload program displays a periodically updating histogram of the system load average.  For instructions on using xload, see Chapter 3, Working in the X Environment, and Chapter 8, Other Clients. 

OPTIONS

xload accepts all of the standard X Toolkit command-line options, which are listed on the X reference page.  In addition, xload accepts the following application-specific options:

-h1 color

-highlight color
Specifies the color of the scale lines.

-jumpscroll pixels
Specifies the number of pixels to shift the graph to the left when the graph reaches the right edge of the window.  The default value is 1/2 the width of the current window.  Smooth scrolling can be achieved by setting it to 1.

-label string
Specifies the text string for the label above the load average.

-lights
Causes xload to display the current load average by using the keyboard LEDs.  For a load average of n, xload lights the first n keyboard LEDs.  This option turns off the usual screen display.  (Available as of Release 5.) 

-nolabel
Specifies that no label be displayed above the load graph.

-scale integer
Specifies the minimum number of tick marks in the histogram, where one division represents one load average point.  If the load goes above this number, xload will create more divisions, but it will never use fewer than this number.  The default is 1. 

-update seconds
Specifies the frequency in seconds at which xload updates its display.  If the load average window is uncovered (by moving windows with a window manager or by the xrefresh program), the graph will also be updated.  The minimum amount of time allowed between updates is 1 second.  As of Release 5, the default is 10 seconds.  (In Release 4, the default is 5 seconds.) 

RESOURCES 

In addition to the resources available to each of the widgets used by xload, there is one resource defined by the application itself. 

showLabel (class Boolean)
If False, then no label will be displayed. 

You can set the following resource for the load widget:

load.highlight (class Foreground)
Specifies the color of the scale lines.

load.jumpScroll (class JumpScroll)
Specifies the number of pixels to shift the graph to the left when the graph reaches the right edge of the window.  The default value is 1/2 the width of the current window.  Smooth scrolling can be achieved by setting it to 1.

load.minScale (class Scale)
Specifies the minimum number of ticks that will be displayed.  The default is 1.

load.update (class Interval)
Specifies the frequency in seconds at which xload updates its display.  If the load average window is uncovered (by moving windows with a window manager or by the xrefresh program), the graph will also be updated.  The minimum amount of time allowed between updates is 1 second.  As of Release 5, the default is 10 seconds.  (In Release 4, the default is 5 seconds.) 

You can set the following resources for the label widget:

∗label.label (class String) .5i
Specifies that the given text string be used as a label above the load average.  By default, the hostname is used.

WIDGET HIERARCHY

In order to specify resources, it is useful to know the hierarchy of the widgets that compose xload.  In the notation below, indentation indicates hierarchical structure.  The widget class name is given first, followed by the widget instance name: XLoad  xload  Paned  paned  Label  label  StripChart  load See Appendix G, Athena Widget Resources for a list of resources that can be set for the Athena widgets. 

FILES

/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/XLoad
Specifies required resources.

SEE ALSO

X, xrdb, mem(4); Chapter 3, Working in the X Environment; Chapter 8, Other Clients. 

BUGS

This program requires the ability to open and read /dev/kmem.  Sites that do not allow general access to this file should make xload belong to the same group as /dev/kmem and turn on the set group id permission flag. 

Reading /dev/kmem is inherently nonportable.  Therefore, the routine used to read it (get_load.c) must be ported to each new operating system. 

AUTHORS

K. Shane Hartman (MIT-LCS) and Stuart A. Malone (MIT-LCS);
Additional features added by Jim Gettys (MIT-Athena), Bob Scheifler (MIT-LCS), Tony Della Fera (MIT-Athena), and Chris Peterson (MIT-LCS).