Re: /proc/loadavg disagrees with top and ps

From: Reid Priedhorsky (reid_at_reidster.net)
Date: 08/06/04

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To: debian-user@lists.debian.org

    On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 23:10:08 +0200, Paul Gear wrote:
    >
    > Reid Priedhorsky wrote:
    >> Hello everyone,
    >>
    >> /proc/loadavg currently reports the following:
    >>
    >> 0.96 0.98 0.78 1/116 23994
    >>
    >> xload also reports roughly the same.
    >>
    >> But top and ps both report a nearly idle system (98% idle). What is going
    >> on? How can I find out what is causing my system to be so busy?
    >
    > I've seen load averages of 14 and 16 when the CPU usage was on 10%. The
    > two are usually, but not necessarily, related. There are certain types
    > of work where this behaviour will be seen. Even low amounts of I/O to a
    > slow device, if done by enough processes could cause this.

    Hmm. So, the general consensus is that it's not a problem; and it
    certainly doesn't seem to affect interactivity or performance at all. It's
    my home box, not a server or anything, and it normally has very low loads,
    10-15% maybe when I'm using it and essentially zero when I'm not. There
    shouldn't be lots of processes doing I/O.

    The high load dropped back to normal shortly after I posted.

    I'm still interested in tools that would tell me what processes are doing
    I/O, or whatever. It's unnerving for things to being going on with my box
    that I don't understand.

    Thanks, everyone.

    Reid 

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