SystemStatsPlus For Linux

Monitoring the resource usage of your computer and all the input and output values can provide a lot of value. The best part is that regardless of your Linux distro of choice, there are are a lot of good options out there (desktop apps, scripts, command-line tools, widgets, you name it).

If you're a GNOME user, you probably already tried a couple of system monitors in the form of various GNOME Shell extensions, which is good, since most of them are really great.

SystemStatsPlus is yet another system monitor tool that comes in the form of a GNOME Shell extension and, just like most other tools of this sort, it delivers quick information directly form the top bar.

I can already tell what you're thinking "Why should I try it? The one I'm using now works just fine." The short answer is - SystemStatsPlus is really good at what it does, and what it does is provide you with reliable "real-time visualization of key system resources."

Is it the best system monitor out there? No. Is it the most feature-packed? Also no. Where SystemStatsPlus shines is in the visual department, and I don't just mean that it looks good (even though, it really does).

Once installed, SystemStatsPlus provides a series of nice, real-time graphs, updating various resource graphs (for the CPU Usage/per core, RAM usage, Swap Memory, and Network Activity) in the top bar.

Another great aspect of SystemStatsPlus is that it never gets in your way. Simply gover the cursor over the top bar icons to see the current resource utilization. Doing so reveals specific pop-overs that display relevant values, as well as the short-term trend for specific resources.

By clikcing any graph (or icon) automatically opens the default System Monitor app (for more detailed information). This is what I like the most about SystemStatsPlus. It's always there displaying quick and useful information, without being annoying and without overflooding your screen with tons of stats.

If SystemStatsPlus looks a bit familiar, that might be because you have tried GNOME Stats Pro in the past. This was, for intents and purposes a decent little GNOME Shell utility back in the day, but sadly, the project hasn't been updated since 2019.

The easiest way to install SystemStatsPlus (at least in my opinion) is to install it via the Extension Manager app. Of course, you can also install it directly from its official EGO page, if that's a process you're familiar with, but it's going to inevitably make you jump through a few extra hoops, so to speak.

Last thing you should know is that SystemStatsPlus requires gtop. To be more specific, it requires the gir1.2-gtop-2.0 package (please note that you may need to log out and back in after you install this package for the extension to work).

If you're on Wayland, simply restart the GNOME Shell using the ALT+F2 combo, then press the "R" key.

There you have it. A cool system monitor for your GNOME top bar, if you need it.