Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python.

Here is a summary of its main features and functionalities:

I. Core Monitoring Capabilities

Glances is designed to provide "An Eye on your system" and tracks a comprehensive list of system metrics:

• System Resources: Monitors CPU, Memory, and system Load.

• Process Information: Provides a detailed Process list.

• Storage and Networking: Tracks Disk I/O (Input/Output), Network interface activity, and Filesystem usage (including specific folders).

• Hardware and Status: Reports on IRQ / Raid status, Sensors, System info, and Uptime.

• Containers: Supports monitoring of Docker and Podman containers.

• Advanced Features: Includes basic Monitor and Alert capabilities.

• Quicklook: Offers a simplified view showing CPU, MEM, and LOAD.

II. Platform and Installation

• Cross-platform Compatibility: Written in Python, Glances runs on almost any platform, including GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, and Windows.

• Installation: It is available on PyPI (Python Package Index).

  • A minimal version can be installed using $ pip install --user glances.

  • A full installation, including all plugins, is done via $ pip install --user glances[all].

III. Data Access and Integration (API and Export)

Glances provides several ways to access and utilize the monitored data outside of the command-line interface:

• Web User Interface (Web UI): It features a built-in Web UI allowing users to monitor their system from any device when a terminal is not available.

• API: It includes both an XML-RPC server and a RESTful JSON API, which can be used by other client software.

• Data Export: System statistics can be exported to multiple backends, including CSV, InfluxDB, Cassandra, OpenTSDB, StatsD, ElasticSearch, or even RabbitMQ.

• Grafana Integration: Glances also provides a dedicated Grafana dashboard.