conky | Linuxaria

5 Useful applications for a desktop with Linux

Jul 182011

Today i present you some programs, not installed by default, that i use in my day by day work and in my free time on my Linux computers.

Granola Granola is an application that is used to save energy on your desktop or server. Granola saves energy by applying dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) to the CPU, so when you browse the net or you use a word processor the CPU frequency is scaled down and you save a bit of energy.

So a requisite for granola it’s hardware support for Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). DVFS is available on most modern Intel and AMD processors, but may require being enabled in your computer’s BIOS (read this page for information on known models). If DVFS is not available, or turned off, Granola will let you know when it attempts to start up for the first time.

Granola download and usage are free up to five systems per profile. You have to register to the site to track the consumption and especially the savings obtained. From the sixth you must purchase a business license.

2 System Monitor on Linux

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Dec 272010

In a former article we have saw how to use a terminal to check the status of a process or the resources of our machine, but sometimes (on desktop usually) it can be handy to have all the information in a corner of our screen.

With Linux this is possible and today we’ll see 2 system monitor tools: Conky and Gkrellm.

In general a system monitor is a hardware- or software- based system used to monitor resources and performance in a computer system.

Software monitors occur more commonly, sometimes as a part of a widget engine. These monitoring systems are often used to keep track of system resources, such as CPU usage and frequency , or the amount of free RAM. They are also used to display items such as free space on one or more hard drives, the temperature of the CPU and other important components, and networking information including the system IP address and current rates of upload and download. Other possible displays may include the date and time, system uptime, computer name, username, hard drive S.M.A.R.T data, fan speeds, and the voltages being provided by the power supply. Continue reading »