[NTLUG:Discuss] what do the uptime load average numbers mean?

[kbrannen@gte.net]

Tom Woody wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Jan 2003 17:27:02 -0600
> "Richard Geoffrion" <ntlug at rain4us.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>>17:18:56 up 171 days,  1:36,  4 users,  load average: 3.40, 3.21, 2.38
>>
>>
>>In the above example, what do 3.40, 3.21, and 2.38 signify?  Is that
>>CPU load or an overall precentage load?  If so, they system is running
>>slower than it's 3% use can account for.
> 
> 
> 3.40 is the Load Average for the past 1 minute
> 3.21 is the Load Average for the past 5 minutes
> 2.38 is the Load Average for the past 15 minutes

Exactly.

If you want, you can also think of the load average as task queue length. 
That is, when it's time for the kernel to do a task switch, how many processes 
are ready to run (i.e. in the run queue).  Use whichever description makes 
more sense to you.

Kevin