Yes, it is indeed possible to have a live CPU and performance monitoring widget for Ubuntu. In this article, we will explore several options available for displaying live CPU and RAM usage on Ubuntu without having to switch between applications.
Yes, it is possible to have a live CPU and performance monitoring widget for Ubuntu. There are several options available, including Conky, the GNOME System Monitor Extension, and HTOP. These tools allow you to display real-time CPU and RAM usage on your Ubuntu desktop without having to switch between applications.
Conky: Lightweight System Monitor
Conky is a lightweight system monitor for X, that can display various system information, including CPU and RAM usage, on your desktop. It can be customized to show the information in a widget-like format.
To install Conky, you can use the Ubuntu package manager by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install conkyOnce installed, you can configure Conky to display the desired information by modifying its configuration file. This file is usually located at ~/.conkyrc.
For example, to display CPU usage, you might add the following line to your Conky configuration file:
${cpu cpu0}%In this line, ${cpu cpu0}% is a variable that gets replaced with the current CPU usage as a percentage. You can find more information about Conky’s syntax and variables in the official documentation.
GNOME System Monitor Extension
The GNOME System Monitor Extension is a GNOME Shell extension that adds a system monitor widget to the top panel of your desktop. It provides real-time CPU, RAM, and network usage information.
To install the extension, you can visit the GNOME Extensions website and search for “System Monitor”.
Before enabling the extension, make sure to install the required dependencies. You can do this by running the following command:
sudo apt-get install gir1.2-gtop-2.0 gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0 gir1.2-clutter-1.0In this command, gir1.2-gtop-2.0, gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0, and gir1.2-clutter-1.0 are the names of the packages that the System Monitor extension depends on.
HTOP: Command-Line Interface
If you prefer a command-line interface, you can use HTOP. It is a powerful process viewer and system monitor that provides a live view of CPU and RAM usage.
You can install HTOP by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install htopOnce installed, simply run htop in the terminal to launch the application and view the live performance data.
In conclusion, there are several solutions available for live CPU and performance monitoring on Ubuntu. Whether you prefer a graphical interface or a command-line tool, you should be able to find a solution that suits your needs.
To customize the appearance of Conky, you can modify its configuration file located at ~/.conkyrc. You can change the font, colors, and layout of the information displayed by editing the relevant sections in the configuration file. Refer to the official documentation for more details on customization options.
Yes, you can add other system information to Conky. The configuration file allows you to include various variables to display different metrics, such as disk usage, network activity, and system uptime. The official documentation provides a comprehensive list of available variables and their usage.
Unfortunately, the GNOME System Monitor Extension does not currently support rearranging the order of the displayed information. The widget shows CPU, RAM, and network usage in a fixed order. However, you can customize the extension’s appearance by changing the theme and color scheme using the GNOME Tweaks tool.
Yes, HTOP allows you to monitor various system resources in addition to CPU and RAM usage. By default, it displays information about processes, CPU usage, memory usage, and system load. However, you can also enable additional features, such as monitoring disk activity and network usage, by navigating to the settings within the HTOP interface.
