CPU Temperature Monitoring on Ubuntu

As a system administrator or a power user, monitoring the temperature of your computer’s CPU can be an essential part of maintaining its health and longevity. In Ubuntu, there are several ways to monitor your CPU temperature, and in this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular methods.

Method 1: Using the sensors Command

One of the easiest ways to check your CPU temperature on Ubuntu is by using the sensors command. This command is part of the lm-sensors package, which is available in the Ubuntu repositories. To install it, open a terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install lm-sensors

Once lm-sensors is installed, you can use the sensors command to check your CPU temperature. To do this, simply open a terminal and type:

sensors

This will display the temperature readings for all the sensors on your system, including your CPU temperature. The output will look something like this:

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:       +48.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1:       +46.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

dell_smm-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
Processor Fan: 3408 RPM
CPU:            +48.0°C
Ambient:        +37.0°C

In this example, the CPU temperature is listed as +48.0°C.

Method 2: Using the psensor GUI Application

If you prefer a graphical user interface (GUI) for monitoring your CPU temperature, you can use the psensor application. psensor is a lightweight and customizable temperature monitoring tool that provides real-time temperature readings for your CPU and other sensors.

To install psensor, open a terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install psensor

Once psensor is installed, you can launch it from the Applications menu or by typing psensor in a terminal. The main window will display temperature readings for your CPU, GPU, and other sensors, as well as fan speeds and other system information.

Method 3: Using the conky System Monitor

If you’re looking for a more customizable solution for monitoring your CPU temperature, you can use conky. conky is a highly configurable system monitor that can display a wide range of system information, including CPU temperature.

To install conky, open a terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install conky-all

Once conky is installed, you can create a configuration file to display your CPU temperature. To do this, create a new file in your home directory called .conkyrc and add the following lines:

${color grey}CPU Temperature: ${color green}${execi 10 sensors | grep 'Core 0' | awk '{print $3}'}${color grey}°C

This will display your CPU temperature in the top right corner of your screen, with a refresh rate of 10 seconds. You can customize the appearance and location of the temperature display by editing the configuration file.

Conclusion

Monitoring your CPU temperature is an important part of maintaining the health and performance of your computer. In this article, we’ve explored three different methods for checking your CPU temperature on Ubuntu: using the sensors command, the psensor GUI application, and the conky system monitor. By using one or more of these tools, you can keep an eye on your CPU temperature and take action if it starts to get too high.