Glances as a Linux alternative to Process Explorer
Updated
Our verdict
Glances can replace Process Explorer for users who need a quick, terminal‑based overview of system resources and per‑process statistics. It shows CPU, memory, disk, network, and a sortable process list, and it can filter by name or PID. However, it lacks the deep Windows‑specific details such as handle counts, DLL listings, and a full process tree view. It is best suited for Linux admins or developers who prefer a lightweight, cross‑platform tool and are willing to trade some Windows‑specific diagnostics for a more general, extensible monitor.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 4.5.8
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Real‑time per‑process CPU and memory usage
- Process list with filtering and sorting
- Real‑time updates
- Cross‑platform availability
- Web UI for remote monitoring
What is different
- No per‑process handle or socket listing
- No DLL or shared library view
- No detailed parent/child process tree
- No Windows‑specific registry or service info
- Limited to terminal/web UI, no native GUI
Opening your Process Explorer files
Process Explorer produces proprietary .PE files and logs that Glances cannot read or export. To move data, you would need to export Process Explorer logs to CSV or XML and then parse them with a custom script; Glances does not natively support importing these formats.
Switching from Process Explorer to Glances, step by step
- Install Glances via your distro’s package manager (e.g., apt install glances).
- Run glances in terminal to view real‑time system stats.
- Use the built‑in filter (press F) to narrow the process list to a specific PID or name.
- If remote monitoring is needed, start the web UI with glances -w.
- Export process data to CSV with glances --export csv if required.
- Compare the CSV with Process Explorer logs to verify key metrics.
Key features of Glances
- Real‑time CPU, memory, disk, network stats
- Process list with filtering and sorting
- Web UI for remote monitoring
- Plugin architecture for custom metrics
- Cross‑platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)
- Python‑based, easy to extend
How to install Glances on Linux
sudo apt install glancessudo apt install glancessudo dnf install glancessudo pacman -S glancessudo zypper install python-GlancesFrequently asked questions
Does Glances show network connections per process?
Glances shows overall network usage and can list open sockets if the plugin is enabled, but it does not display a full per‑process socket table like Process Explorer.
Can I get a full process tree in Glances?
Glances lists parent and child PIDs, but it does not render a hierarchical tree view; you can infer relationships from the PID columns.
Is Glances suitable for monitoring Windows systems?
Yes, Glances runs on Windows as well, but it provides the same limited set of metrics; Windows‑specific details such as handle counts are still missing.
2 other alternatives to Process Explorer
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