kernstat is a lightweight command-line tool for monitoring Linux system performance. It reads kernel statistics directly from the /proc and /sys interfaces, with no external monitoring daemons, subprocess calls, or third-party dependencies for data collection.
kernstat reports CPU usage, memory consumption, disk space and I/O, network throughput, and per-process statistics. Each command offers human-readable output for interactive use and structured JSON output for scripting, automation, and monitoring pipelines.
A live updating dashboard displays all key system metrics in a single refreshing view, and a TOML configuration file lets you set defaults such as the sampling interval and output format.
Available commands:
kernstat runs under strict confinement and requires no additional interfaces. All functionality, including per-process inspection, works within the default snap sandbox. This makes it a safe, minimal footprint utility for servers, containers, and minimal Linux systems.
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Snaps are applications packaged with all their dependencies to run on all popular Linux distributions from a single build. They update automatically and roll back gracefully.
Snaps are discoverable and installable from the Snap Store, an app store with an audience of millions.
On Arch Linux, snap can be installed from the Arch User Repository (AUR). The manual build process is the Arch-supported install method for AUR packages, and you’ll need the prerequisites installed before you can install any AUR package. You can then install snap with the following:
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/snapd.git
cd snapd
makepkg -si
Once installed, the systemd unit that manages the main snap communication socket needs to be enabled:
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
If AppArmor is enabled in your system, enable the service which loads AppArmor profiles for snaps:
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.apparmor.service
To enable classic snap support, enter the following to create a symbolic link between /var/lib/snapd/snap and /snap:
sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap
Either log out and back in again, or restart your system, to ensure snap’s paths are updated correctly.
To install kernstat, simply use the following command:
sudo snap install kernstat
Browse and find snaps from the convenience of your desktop using the snap store snap.
Interested to find out more about snaps? Want to publish your own application? Visit snapcraft.io now.