Windows
Linux
System & Storage
System Info
Windows perfmon / Resource Monitor equivalent in Linux
Shows real-time statistics on CPU, memory, disk I/O, and system activity.
Windows
→
perfmon / Resource Monitor
Linux equivalents
vmstat / iostat
vmstat / iostat
vmstat / iostat
Overview
What this command does
Shows real-time statistics on CPU, memory, disk I/O, and system activity.
Migration tip: For an all-in-one performance monitor like Windows Resource Monitor, install
glances — it shows CPU, memory, disk, and network in one terminal view.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Monitor system performance
Shows real-time statistics on CPU, memory, disk I/O, and system activity.
vmstat 1
System stats, updated every 1 second
iostat
Disk I/O statistics
iotop
Per-process disk I/O (like Task Manager I/O tab)
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
vmstat 1
iostat -x 1
sudo iotop
sudo apt install glances
glances
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: perfmon / Resource Monitor (GUI)
vmstat 1 # live stats every second
iostat -x 1 # disk read/write stats
sudo iotop # which process is using disk?
# All-in-one (install first):
sudo apt install glances
glances # best overall performance viewReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
vmstat 1 | System stats, updated every 1 second |
iostat | Disk I/O statistics |
iotop | Per-process disk I/O (like Task Manager I/O tab) |
mpstat 1 | Per-CPU usage stats |
glances | All-in-one monitor (install separately) |
sar | Historical system activity reports |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | vmstat / iostat |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | vmstat / iostat |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | vmstat / iostat |
Same command on this distribution. |
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