How to customize Glances display

Introduction

Glances is a powerful cross-platform system monitoring tool for Linux that provides comprehensive real-time system information. This tutorial will guide you through the process of customizing Glances display settings, helping Linux administrators and developers enhance their system monitoring experience and gain deeper insights into system performance.

Skills Graph

Glances Basics

What is Glances?

Glances is a powerful, cross-platform system monitoring tool for Linux systems that provides a comprehensive overview of system resources and performance in a single, intuitive interface. Developed in Python, it offers real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, disk, network, and process information.

Key Features

Glances provides several key features that make system monitoring efficient:

Installation on Ubuntu 22.04

To install Glances, you can use pip or system package manager:

## Install via pip
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip
pip3 install glances

## Alternative: Install via system package
sudo apt install glances

Basic Usage

Starting Glances

Launch Glances with a simple command:

glances

Display Modes

Command-line Options

## Show help
glances -h

## Run in web server mode
glances -w

## Specify refresh interval
glances -t 2

System Requirements

• Python 3.x
• Minimal system resources
• Compatible with LabEx Linux environments

Typical Use Cases

1. System performance monitoring
2. Resource bottleneck identification
3. Quick system health assessment
4. Troubleshooting performance issues

Display Customization

Configuration File Overview

Glances uses a configuration file located at ~/.config/glances/glances.conf for customization. This file allows users to modify display settings, enable/disable plugins, and configure monitoring preferences.

Creating Configuration File

## Generate default configuration
glances --config-path
mkdir -p ~/.config/glances
glances --export-config ~/.config/glances/glances.conf

Display Customization Options

Color Schemes

Configuration Parameters

Customizing Specific Sections

Process List Customization

[processlist]
## Customize process monitoring
refresh = 2
sort_key = cpu_percent
hide_kernel_threads = true

Network Monitoring Configuration

[network]
## Network interface settings
hide_inactive = true
interface_rate_warning = 70

Advanced Display Options

Limiting Displayed Processes

## Show top 10 CPU-consuming processes
glances -n 10

Web Interface Customization

## Start web interface with custom port
glances -w --port 8080

Performance Optimization

LabEx Compatibility

Glances is fully compatible with LabEx Linux environments, offering seamless system monitoring across different configurations.

Best Practices

1. Regularly update configuration
2. Match customization to system resources
3. Use minimal settings for performance-critical systems

Configuration Tips

Performance Monitoring Strategies

Selecting Optimal Monitoring Mode

Performance Impact Considerations

Advanced Configuration Techniques

Custom Plugin Configuration

## Create custom plugin directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/glances/plugins

Alerting and Thresholds

[cpu]
warning = 70
critical = 90

[memory]
warning = 80
critical = 95

Monitoring Network and Disk

Network Interface Filtering

## Monitor specific network interfaces
glances -n eth0,wlan0

Disk Performance Tracking

Security and Access Control

Securing Web Interface

## Enable authentication
glances -w --username admin --password secret

Client-Server Configuration

## Server mode
glances -s

## Client connection
glances -c server_ip

LabEx Optimization Tips

1. Use minimal configuration for lab environments
2. Adjust refresh rates to reduce overhead
3. Disable unnecessary plugins

Logging and Reporting

Export Monitoring Data

## Export to CSV
glances --export csv --export-filename system_monitor.csv

## Export to HTML
glances --export html

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Resolving Performance Problems

• Reduce refresh interval
• Disable resource-intensive plugins
• Use minimal theme
• Update Glances to latest version

Best Practices

1. Regularly review and update configuration
2. Match monitoring depth to system requirements
3. Balance between detailed monitoring and system performance

Summary

By mastering Glances display customization, Linux users can create personalized monitoring interfaces that provide precise, relevant information tailored to their specific needs. Understanding configuration techniques empowers administrators to optimize system monitoring workflows and improve overall system management efficiency.