System and processes

The uptime command

Tells how long the machine has been on and the system load average.

Syntax

uptime

Copy-ready examples

$ uptimeUptime and load
$ dateCompare with the current time

You can try them in the browser terminal: it does not touch your computer.

Typical mistakes

  • If the load average exceeds the number of cores, the machine is struggling.

Related commands

psfreeuname

FAQ

What are the three load numbers?

The average load of the last minute, 5 and 15 minutes.

Learn to actually use it

The basic Linux course takes you from zero to console fluency with 24 self-grading lessons.

Start the free course