[Solved] Understanding "Load Average" on a multicore desktop Linux machine

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newlyminted7
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[Solved] Understanding "Load Average" on a multicore desktop Linux machine

Post by newlyminted7 »

I'm used to "Load Averages" on Linux web server machines, but not so used to them on multi-core Linux Desktop machines.

When I check the machine's average load (using the w command, for example, or htop or top), I see rather high numbers. Regularly from 0.80 - 2.20 or higher, for example. Although, I read this link (https://www.howtogeek.com/194642/unders ... e-systems/) and it explains that for a multi-core machine like the one I have (2015 Macbook Pro), which has 4 CPUs, this type of load means the machine is not stressing at all. If the load average was around 4.05 or so, this would be 5% above the maximum for this machine's 4 CPUs. Am I understanding this correctly?

I run a pretty lean setup, and don't run many demanding applications, but is there a recommended way to reduce load on a desktop machine or are things just fine, you think?

Some other links I used for reference:
https://linuxhint.com/load_average_linux/
https://vpsboard.com/threads/what-is-ea ... inux.8354/
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manyroads
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Re: Understanding "Load Average" on a multicore desktop Linux machine

Post by manyroads »

Here are some other articles that may help you 'solve' things for yourself:

https://www.howtogeek.com/194642/unders ... e-systems/
https://medium.com/@sakyasumedh/underst ... 70683c1fcd
https://www.tecmint.com/understand-linu ... rformance/
https://www.golinuxhub.com/2014/06/unde ... linux-and/
Pax vobiscum,
...mark
SwayWM, i3wm, bspwm, hlwm, dwm
Professional Genealogist & Technologist
(http://eirenicon.org & http://many-roads.com)
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newlyminted7
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Re: Understanding "Load Average" on a multicore desktop Linux machine

Post by newlyminted7 »

Thanks, manyroads, that last link was most helpful for me.

I was more curious about any general recommendations that newbies could benefit from, which is the point of my post, though. I do understand a fair bit about it, and, I think, based on what I've learned, it seems like my average load "limit" is about 8.00, after all.

I determined (also with the help of this link: https://www.golinuxhub.com/2018/01/how- ... ing-ht-is/) that with 1 CPU, 4 "Cores", and "hyperthreading" enabled it is about the equivalent of 8 Cores, and therefore a load average maximum is about 8.00.

So it would seem that 0.85 or 2.20 is very low, after all. Hope this helps anyone with the same question. Please correct me if I got this wrong.
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