Linux CPU Usage
TLDR: Linux CPU usage measures the amount of processing power consumed by system, user, and idle processes. Monitoring CPU usage provides critical insights into Linux system performance, helping to identify bottlenecks, optimize resource allocation, and troubleshoot issues. Linux offers a variety of tools like `top`, `htop`, and `sar` to track CPU usage in real-time or analyze historical trends.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_usage
In Linux, CPU usage is divided into categories such as user space (processes running without kernel interaction), system space (kernel-level tasks), idle time, and I/O wait. Tools like `top` and `htop` display these metrics along with per-process usage, enabling administrators to pinpoint resource-intensive tasks. For in-depth analysis, commands like `mpstat` from the sysstat package can provide detailed usage statistics across multiple CPUs or cores.
https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/monitor-cpu-performance-linux
High CPU usage may indicate resource contention, inefficient code, or runaway processes. By monitoring CPU metrics alongside other performance indicators like memory and disk I/O, administrators can diagnose issues and ensure system stability. Automation tools like Nagios or Prometheus can integrate CPU usage monitoring into alerting systems, enabling proactive management of Linux environments.