Load average is NOT cpu %usage like alot seem to think. It's a ratio of the number of new processes (or is it threads?) starting versus the number being closed. I don't see any cause for concern with the numbers you've shown.
-----Original Message-----
From: OpenBSD mailing list [mailto:obsd_(_at_)_righi_(_dot_)_df_(_dot_)_unibo_(_dot_)_it]
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2000 12:17 AM
To: misc_(_at_)_openbsd_(_dot_)_org
Subject: 2.7 high load averages.
Hello,
I noticed that load average on my system seems quite high and I think they
should not.
For example now ther eis only a few of activity on the system and here are
the load averages and the list of processes
load averages: 0.73, 0.56, 0.35 09:10:07
37 processes: 1 running, 34 idle, 2 stopped
CPU states: 1.7% user, 0.0% nice, 0.9% system, 0.2% interrupt, 97.2% idle
Memory: Real: 31M/43M act/tot Free: 16M Swap: 1844K/342M used/tot
PID USERNAME PRI NICE SIZE RES STATE WAIT TIME CPU COMMAND
21116 root 2 0 6444K 12M sleep select 2:12 0.05% XF86_SVGA
28456 rupert 2 0 16M 11M sleep select 0:14 0.05% netscape
6947 root 2 0 252K 572K idle select 0:12 0.00% sshd
13276 rj45 2 0 532K 1160K sleep select 0:12 0.00% screen-3.9.8
26617 root 2 0 396K 1232K stop - 0:05 0.00% ssh
29878 root 2 0 272K 1164K sleep select 0:04 0.00% sshd
32497 root 2 0 636K 644K idle select 0:02 0.00% sendmail
17070 root -6 0 808K 940K stop piperd 0:01 0.00% cvs
18597 root 10 0 224K 368K sleep nanosl 0:01 0.00% cron
15917 root 2 0 96K 328K sleep select 0:00 0.00% syslogd
8245 rupert 2 0 340K 1384K sleep select 0:00 0.00% fvwm
29474 rupert 2 0 732K 2380K sleep select 0:00 0.00% xterm
12697 root 2 0 72K 224K idle select 0:00 0.00% inetd
17742 root 18 0 884K 716K sleep pause 0:00 0.00% tcsh
29162 rj45 18 0 900K 728K idle pause 0:00 0.00% tcsh
9930 rj45 18 0 288K 824K sleep pause 0:00 0.00% screen-3.9.8
5628 rj45 3 0 900K 728K idle ttyin 0:00 0.00% tcsh
15766 root 10 0 312K 1712K idle wait 0:00 0.00% xdm
and yesterday I WAs downloading the sourcetree with cvs. That was the only
relevant process and here are hte loads
load averages: 1.21, 1.35, 1.16 17:56:06
30 processes: 1 running, 27 idle, 2 stopped
CPU states: 0.5% user, 0.0% nice, 0.5% system, 0.2% interrupt, 98.9% idle
Memory: Real: 15M/29M act/tot Free: 29M Swap: 1844K/342M used/tot
PID USERNAME PRI NICE SIZE RES STATE WAIT TIME CPU COMMAND
21116 root 2 0 6444K 9880K idle select 1:59 0.00% XF86_SVGA
21753 root 2 0 408K 1232K sleep select 0:35 0.00% ssh
6947 root 2 0 252K 572K idle select 0:11 0.00% sshd
13276 rj45 2 0 532K 1160K sleep select 0:08 0.00% screen-3.9.8
26617 root 2 0 396K 1232K stop - 0:05 0.00% ssh
28844 root -6 0 828K 960K sleep piperd 0:04 0.00% cvs
29878 root 2 0 272K 1164K sleep select 0:04 0.00% sshd
32497 root 2 0 636K 644K idle select 0:01 0.00% sendmail
17070 root -6 0 808K 940K stop piperd 0:01 0.00% cvs
18597 root 10 0 224K 368K sleep nanosl 0:01 0.00% cron
15917 root 2 0 96K 328K sleep select 0:00 0.00% syslogd
12697 root 2 0 72K 224K idle select 0:00 0.00% inetd
29162 rj45 18 0 900K 728K idle pause 0:00 0.00% tcsh
17742 root 18 0 880K 712K idle pause 0:00 0.00% tcsh
5628 rj45 3 0 900K 728K idle ttyin 0:00 0.00% tcsh
8692 rj45 18 0 892K 716K sleep pause 0:00 0.00% tcsh
11390 rj45 3 0 896K 716K idle ttyin 0:00 0.00% tcsh
My system is a AMD 400 with 64MB RAM.
The load averages should be lower.Anyone has a suggestion or some hints
about this behaviour ??
thanks
Rick