Your desktop environment comes with a system monitor app to help you know how much memory, CPU, etc. your apps are using. But did you know you’re able to use an alternative in its place? And you may be surprised by how many high-quality options are out there.
1.GNOME System Monitor
Like the majority of desktop environments, GNOME comes with its own system monitor. Since GNOME is the default in Ubuntu, Fedora, and most major versions of Linux, this is the system monitor you’re most likely to encounter.
For many people, perhaps most people, the GNOME System Monitor is good enough. After all, the app displays how much you’re utilizing each of your computer’s CPUs, and how much RAM is occupied, alongside your swap usage. It also shows how much data you’re pulling down from the web.
The “Processes” tab shows your current processes, which you’re able to force quit if you find an app is frozen and unresponsive.
These are the tasks that a system monitor is expected to perform, and you can expect each of the alternatives to handle them too.
2.Plasma System Monitor
If you’ve bought a Steam Deck, then you’re a Linux user who won’t encounter the GNOME System Monitor out of the box.
That’s becausethe Steam Deck’s desktop mode uses the KDE Plasma desktopinstead. So when you start digging around for an alternative to the Windows Task Manager, you will come across the Plasma System Monitor in its place.
KDE’s system monitor displays more information than GNOME’s, but that’s only part of what makes the app great. Since this is KDE software, you can customize it.
Plasma System Monitor gives you the ability to edit existing pages or create your own, so you can decide what kind of information you can see. That’s a degree of freedom and flexibility you simply don’t see in most graphical tools, regardless of the operating system.
Needless to say, Plasma System Monitor is a great tool. If you decide to install Linux on your computer, but you want to branch away from KDE Plasma, you can still install Plasma System Monitor on GNOME or other desktop environments.
3.Resources
Many of the modern, exciting takes on system monitors for Linux currently target GNOME. “Resources” is one app that embraces the full-height sidebar design introduced in GNOME 45 alongside other changes likea new activities indicator. you’re able to find the new style in the default file manager and the system settings app, alongside a few others.
Looks alone are a compelling reason to switch to Resources, since GNOME System Monitor does look a bit long in the tooth.
But it’s not just about appearances. Resources separates currently running applications from currently running processes. This is information that desktop users are more likely to care about, rather than system administrators managing servers or a fleet of machines.
Resources shows application names along with their app icon, so if you have a misbehaving app, it’s easy to find. AnEnd Applicationbutton is also prominently displayed in red, so you can quickly see how to close your frozen software.
4.Mission Center
Let’s assume that, like many Linux users, you’re already familiar with Microsoft Windows. In that case, your first run-in with a system monitor is neither GNOME nor KDE’s tool, but the Windows Task Manager. Can you run that app on Linux? Not quite. But Mission Center is probably close enough.
Mission Center displays information in the same layout, using the same colors, as Microsoft’s tool. But it’s not all aesthetics. Windows Task Manager and Mission Control alike both go more in-depth about your CPU, displaying the number of threads, handles, up-time, and more.
5.Monitorets
The aforementioned tools are the kind you open, perform a task, see the information you’re looking for, and promptly close. you may leave them running in the background if you want, but that’s not exactly what they’re designed for. But if you do want to keep an eye on your computer’s performance, that’s where Monitorets comes in.
Monitorets is an app that looks more like a widget. It displays ongoing information about your CPU, GPU, RAM, network, and more in a small, unobtrusive window. The app comes with a rather extensive array of options.
You can switch between a dark and light theme, opt for a horizontal or grid layout instead of the default vertical arrangement, and decide whether you want to keep tabs on storage space and temperatures for various parts of your PC.
you may leave the Monitorets window floating in the background because you need regular access to the information, or you can just leave it open because it’s rather nice to look at it.
6.System Monitoring Center
GNOME’s design language isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t all that concerned with having an app that blends in with the rest of your desktop, you might appreciate the approach System Monitoring Center takes to displaying information. Rather than graphics, you get a circular gauge like the speedometer in a car.
That said, this app is not a gimmick. Each of the tabs gives you glimpses into different aspects of what makes your PC tick. In addition to the “Processes” tab, which lists processes like those found in the default GNOME System Monitor, you also get to view the many different services running on your machine as well. These are services such asbluetooth.service(Bluetooth) andcups.service(printing).
And if you need to know your PC’s specs, the “System” tab provides a wealth of information more in-depth than your desktop environment may provide.
System Monitoring Center provides much in the way of data, but if what you want is to keep the gauge open on your desktop at all times, thenMini System Monitoris the version you’re after. It comes from the same developer but keeps the app window compact, like a widget.
Don’t Forget Command-Line Linux Tools!
On Linux, you don’t need a graphical app to perform every task. Often, you can do the job in a terminal instead. This isn’t merely a matter of preference. Command-line tools sometimes go far more in-depth than any graphical app.
If you really want to dive into the inner workings of your system, you may want to check out one of Linux’s many terminal-based system monitor tools.
