---
name: "xload"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xorg-xload"
version: "1.2.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xload"
---

# xload(1)

system load average display for X

## NAME

xload - system load average display for X

## SYNOPSIS

```
xload [-toolkitoption ...] [-scale integer] [-update seconds]
      [-hl color | -highlight color] [-remote host]
      [-jumpscroll pixels] [-label string] [-nolabel] [-lights]
      [-help|-version]
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **xload** program displays a periodically updating histogram of the system load average.

## OPTIONS

**Xload** accepts all of the standard X Toolkit command line options (see [**X**(7)](/X/7.md)). The order of the options is unimportant. **xload** also accepts the following additional options:

- **-hl** *color* or **-highlight** *color*

  This option specifies the color of the scale lines.

- **-jumpscroll *pixels***

  The number of pixels to shift the graph to the left when the graph reaches the right edge of the window. The default value is 1/2 the width of the current window. Smooth scrolling can be achieved by setting it to 1.

- **-label *string***

  The string to put into the label above the load average.

- **-nolabel**

  If this command line option is specified then no label will be displayed above the load graph.

- **-lights**

  When specified, this option causes **xload** to display the current load average by using the keyboard leds; for a load average of *n*, xload lights the first *n* keyboard leds. This option turns off the usual screen display.

- **-scale *integer***

  This option specifies the minimum number of tick marks in the histogram, where one division represents one load average point. If the load goes above this number, **xload** will create more divisions, but it will never use fewer than this number. The default is 1.

- **-update *seconds***

  This option specifies the interval in seconds at which **xload** updates its display. The minimum amount of time allowed between updates is 1 second. The default is 10.

- **-remote *host***

  This option tells **xload** to display the load of *host* instead of *localhost*. **Xload** gets the information from the **rwhod** database and consequently requires **rwhod** to be executing both on *localhost* and *host*.

- **-help**

  This option specifies that **xload** should print a usage message and exit.

- **-version**

  This option specifies that **xload** should print version info and exit.

## RESOURCES

In addition to the resources available to each of the widgets used by **xload** there is one resource defined by the application itself.

- **showLabel (class *Boolean*)**

  If False then no label will be displayed.

## WIDGETS

In order to specify resources, it is useful to know the hierarchy of the widgets which compose **xload**. In the notation below, indentation indicates hierarchical structure. The widget class name is given first, followed by the widget instance name.

```
XLoad  xload
        Paned  paned
                Label  label
                StripChart  load
```

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DISPLAY**

  to get the default host and display number.

- **XENVIRONMENT**

  to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE\_MANAGER property.

## FILES

- */usr/share/X11/app-defaults/XLoad*

  specifies required resources

## SEE ALSO

[**X**(7)](/X/7.md), [**xrdb**(1)](/xrdb/1.md), [**mem**(4)](/mem/4.md), Athena StripChart Widget.

## BUGS

On older platforms, this program may require the ability to open and read the special system file **/dev/kmem**.  Sites that do not allow general access to this file may need to make **xload** belong to the same group as **/dev/kmem** and turn on the *set group id* permission flag.

Reading the load average is inherently non-portable. Therefore, the routine used to read it (get\_load.c) must be ported to each new operating system.

## AUTHORS

K. Shane Hartman (MIT-LCS) and Stuart A. Malone (MIT-LCS);\
 with features added by Jim Gettys (MIT-Athena), Bob Scheifler (MIT-LCS), Tony Della Fera (MIT-Athena), and Chris Peterson (MIT-LCS).