One of Linux\u2019s most useful tools is the watch command, which lets users run a command repeatedly at fixed intervals and see the results in real time. It\u2019s beneficial for keeping an eye on resource use, system status, or script results without having to manually rerun tasks.
\nThis tutorial will describe the operation of the watch command, provide real-world examples, and cover helpful settings for more efficient monitoring.<\/p>\n
The following explains when you need to use the watch command:<\/strong><\/p>\n Simply, as an alternative to pressing the up-arrow and re-running the same command, \u201cwatch\u201d automates the procedure and updates the output in real time.<\/p>\n Basic Syntax: Common use cases of the watch command:<\/strong><\/p>\n Runs the \u201cdf -h\u201d command every 2 seconds by default, showing real-time disk usage in a human-readable format.<\/li>\n Continuously displays a live view of users currently logged into the system.<\/li>\n Useful for monitoring file activity, such as uploads or deletions, in a specific folder.<\/li>\n Displays the system\u2019s memory usage in megabytes, updating every 2 seconds to reflect real-time changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Helpful watch Command Options:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best Practices:<\/strong><\/p>\n Troubleshooting:<\/strong> If the watch utility isn\u2019t installed, you can add it using:<\/p>\n This is how you can effectively use the watch command for real-time command monitoring. If you need further assistance, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to our support team.<\/p>\n Want to monitor file changes too? Learn How to watch a directory for new file creation in Linux<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of Linux\u2019s most useful tools is the watch command, which lets users run a command repeatedly at fixed intervals and see the results in real time. It\u2019s beneficial for…<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>watch [options] command<\/p>\n\n
\n
watch df -h<\/pre>\n
watch who<\/pre>\n
watch \u201cls -1 \/path\/to\/directory | wc -l\u201d<\/pre>\n
watch free -m<\/pre>\n
\n
Let's take an example: Monitor Disk Usage Every 5 Seconds with Highlighting\r\nwatch -n 5 -d df -h<\/pre>\n
\n
watch \u201cps aux | grep apache\u201d<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
\nwatch: command not found<\/p>\n\n
sudo apt install procps<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
sudo yum install procps-ng<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n