uptime

Additional Notes

uptime prints the current time, how long the system has been running, logged-in user count, and load averages.

Load average is a quick signal of system pressure, but it needs context from CPU count and workload type.

Syntax

uptime [options]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how uptime behaves.

Common Options

• -p, --pretty: Show uptime in a friendly format.
• -s, --since: Show when the system booted.
• -V, --version: Show version.

Examples

uptime

Show uptime and load average.

uptime -p

Show only friendly uptime.

uptime -s

Show boot time.

Reading Load Average

The three load numbers are averages over:

• 1 minute.
• 5 minutes.
• 15 minutes.

On a 1-core system, load 1.00 means roughly full use. On a 4-core system, load 4.00 can be normal full use.

Practical Notes

• Use nproc or lscpu to understand CPU count.
• High load with high CPU means CPU pressure.
• High load with high I/O wait can mean disk or network storage pressure.
• Use top for live process detail.