FOSSPicks
System monitor
Gambal
There are typically three kinds of Linux desktop users. The first group includes those that like to run a single application in full-screen mode, taking up the entire display. The second group contains the growing number of people who use a tiling window manager. These still use every pixel of screen real estate, but they allow for more than one application to run at once by shuffling their windows around automatically. The third group prefers to see the desktop background occasionally, often running one or more applications as floating windows they can resize and relocate at will. All of these groups, but particularly the first two, will find it difficult to accommodate small windows, precluding the use of many of the best floating system monitors. Except this one.
Gambal is a tiny and unobtrusive floating window that constantly displays an overview of network, CPU, and memory usage. It does this without causing any other windows to resize or move. Thanks to its variable opacity, it can easily sit atop a full-screen application or tiling window manager without obscuring the information beneath it. Most of the space in its tiny window is taken up by the histogram of incoming and outgoing network data, which is also shown as numbers on the left. Beneath this, there are upload and download totals, a meter per core to show CPU usage, and a flat bar to show used memory, swap memory, and free memory. When you roll your cursor over the window, two further options appear. One lets you select which network device to monitor while the other switches between bold and normal font rendering. Apart from using the mouse scroll wheel to change the opacity value of the window, there are no other options. You can't even change the window size. But that's also one of the best things about this little tool, because it's one less distraction to worry about.
Project Website
https://github.com/ashtum/gambal
Face recognition
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.