It works as an overlay for Vulkan and OpenGL applications, displaying important information like FPS (frames per second), CPU and GPU usage, temperatures, and more.

In this article, we’ll explore what MangoHud is, how it works, and how you can use it to monitor your system’s performance. We’ll also provide step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring MangoHud on your system.

What is MangoHud?

MangoHud is an open-source project available on GitHub, which was created to provide a simple and customizable way to monitor system performance while running Vulkan and OpenGL applications. The overlay is designed to be lightweight, meaning it doesn’t use much of your system’s resources, so it won’t interfere with your gaming or other tasks.

Key Features of MangoHud:

• FPS Counter – Displays the current frames per second, which is useful for understanding how smoothly a game or application is running.
• CPU and GPU Usage – Shows how much of your processor and graphics card is being used.
• Temperature Monitoring – Tracks the temperature of your CPU and GPU to help you avoid overheating.
• Frame Timing – Provides information about the time it takes to render each frame.
• Customization – Allows you to change the position, size, and color of the overlay to suit your preferences.
• Support for Multiple APIs – Works with both Vulkan and OpenGL applications.

How to Install MangoHud on Linux

MangoHud is available in the official repositories of many Linux distributions and can be installed using the default package managers.

sudo apt install mangohud         [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint]
sudo dnf install mangohud         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
sudo pacman -S mangohud           [On Arch Linux]
sudo zypper install mangohud      [On OpenSUSE]    

After installation, you can verify that MangoHud is installed using:

mangohud --version

How to Use MangoHud in Linux

Once installed, MangoHud can be enabled for games and applications with simple commands.

Enable MangoHud for OpenGL Applications

To run an OpenGL game or application with MangoHud, use:

mangohud application_name

Enable MangoHud for Vulkan Applications

For Vulkan-based applications, simply prepend mangohud to the command:

mangohud vulkan_application

The overlay will appear in the top-left corner by default, showing FPS, CPU/GPU usage, and other metrics.

Enable MangoHud for Steam Games

To use MangoHud with Steam games, go to Library, right-click on a game, select Properties, and in the Launch Options, add.

MANGOHUD=1 %command%

Now, MangoHud will appear when launching the game.

Enable MangoHud for Proton Games

For Windows games running through Proton, use the following command in Steam’s launch options:

MANGOHUD=1 PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1 PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 %command%

Configuring MangoHud in Linux

MangoHud allows users to customize the overlay using a configuration file.

~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf

You can modify the config file to change the display settings.

fps_limit=60
no_display=0
position=top-left
background_alpha=0.4
font_size=24
cpu_temp=1
gpu_temp=1
ram=1

You can also change settings while running a game using the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Shift + F12 → Toggle MangoHud on/off.
• Shift + F11 → Toggle logging mode.

Conclusion

MangoHud is an excellent tool for Linux users who want to monitor system performance while running games or graphical applications. It provides real-time insights into FPS, CPU/GPU usage, temperatures, and memory consumption, helping users optimize their gaming experience.

The post MangoHud – Monitor FPS, CPU & GPU Load in Linux Games appeared first on MASSIVE News.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to set up FreeDOS on a Linux system using Qemu, a powerful open-source emulator.

What is Qemu?

Qemu is a generic and open source machine emulator and virtualizer that can emulate a full computer system, including the processor, memory, and peripherals, allowing you to run operating systems designed for different architectures.

Qemu is lightweight, fast, and perfect for running FreeDOS on Linux.

Why Use FreeDOS?

FreeDOS is a modern implementation of DOS that is fully compatible with classic DOS applications and games.

It’s ideal for:

• Running legacy software.
• Learning about DOS and its commands.
• Testing old programs in a controlled environment.
• Enjoying retro gaming.

Step 1: Install Qemu on Linux

Qemu is available in most Linux distribution repositories and to install it, open your terminal and run the following commands based on your distribution:

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update  
sudo apt install qemu qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils virt-manager  

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install qemu qemu-kvm virt-manager libvirt libvirt-python libvirt-client virt-install virt-viewer  

For Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S qemu qemu-arch-extra virt-manager libvirt  

Once installed, verify the installation by running:

qemu-system-x86_64 --version  

Sample Output:

QEMU emulator version 6.2.0 (Debian 1:6.2+dfsg-2ubuntu6.24)
Copyright (c) 2003-2021 Fabrice Bellard and the QEMU Project developers

Step 2: Install FreeDOS Using Qemu in Linux

First, visit the official FreeDOS website and download the latest ISO image (FD14-LiveCD.zip), and save the ISO file to a directory, such as ~/Downloads.

Next, you need to create a 2GB virtual disk in Qcow2 format to install FreeDOS, which is efficient and supports features like snapshots.

qemu-img create -f qcow2 freedos.img 2G

Now, extract the FD14-LiveCD.zip and boot the FD14LIVE.iso to install it on the virtual disk by running the following commands.

unzip FD14-LiveCD.zip
qemu-system-x86_64 -hda freedos.img -cdrom FD14LIVE.iso -boot d -m 512  

Once the virtual machine boots, select “Install to Harddisk” and press Enter.

Again choose the “Install to Harddisk” option, which will start formatting the drive.

After installation, you can boot FreeDOS directly from the virtual disk without the ISO.

qemu-system-i386 -m 64 -hda freedos.img -boot c

Run DOS Programs on FreeDOS in Linux

With FreeDOS up and running, you can now install and run DOS applications and games.

For example, to run a classic game like Doom:

• Download the Doom game files (e.g., doom1.zip).
• Extract the files to a directory on your Linux system.
• Mount the directory in Qemu using the -hdb option:

qemu-system-x86_64 -hda freedos.img -hdb ~/Games/Doom -m 512  

Inside FreeDOS, navigate to the directory and run:

C:> doom.exe

Conclusion

By following this guide, you have successfully set up FreeDOS on Linux using QEMU. You can now run old DOS programs, play classic games, or experiment with DOS applications without needing dedicated hardware.

The post How to Set Up FreeDOS on Linux Using Qemu appeared first on MASSIVE News.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical methods to reduce RAM and CPU usage on Linux. We’ll cover monitoring tools, process management, kernel tweaks, and system optimization techniques to keep your system running efficiently.

1. Identify Resource Hungry Processes

The first step in reducing RAM and CPU usage is identifying which processes are consuming the most resources by utilizing several command-line tools:

a. Using top Command

The top command provides a real-time view of system processes, including CPU and memory usage.

top

• Press P to sort processes by CPU usage.
• Press M to sort processes by memory usage.
• Look for processes consuming excessive resources and note their Process ID (PID).

b. Using htop Command

htop is an interactive process viewer that provides a more user-friendly interface than top.

To install htop on Linux, use the following appropriate command for your specific Linux distribution.

sudo apt install htop         [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint]
sudo dnf install htop         [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux]
sudo emerge -a sys-apps/htop  [On Gentoo Linux]
sudo apk add htop             [On Alpine Linux]
sudo pacman -S htop           [On Arch Linux]
sudo zypper install htop      [On OpenSUSE]    
sudo pkg install htop         [On FreeBSD]

Run htop to view and manage processes easily.

htop

• Press F6 to sort processes by CPU or memory usage.
• Press F9 to kill a selected process.

c. Using ps Command

The ps command can be used to list processes and their resource usage.

ps aux --sort=-%mem | head  # Top memory-consuming processes
ps aux --sort=-%cpu | head  # Top CPU-consuming processes

2. Kill Unnecessary Processes

Once you’ve identified resource-hogging processes, you can terminate them to free up resources using the kill command followed by the PID.

kill PID

If the process doesn’t terminate, use the -9 flag to force-kill it.

kill -9 PID

Alternatively, use the pkill command to kill processes by name.

pkill process_name

3. Optimize Startup Applications

Many applications and services start automatically at boot, consuming valuable system resources.

To manage startup applications:

a. Using systemctl Command

List all enabled services using the systemctl command.

systemctl list-unit-files --type=service | grep enabled

Disable unnecessary services.

sudo systemctl disable service_name

b. Using GUI Tools

If you’re using a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE, use the built-in startup applications manager to disable unnecessary programs.

4. Reduce Swappiness (Optimize Swap Usage)

Swappiness controls how often the system uses swap space instead of RAM. A high swappiness value can lead to excessive swapping, slowing down your system.

To check the current swappiness value:

cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

The default value is usually 60, but to reduce swappiness you need to edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file.

sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Add or modify the following line.

vm.swappiness=10

Save the file and apply the changes.

sudo sysctl -p

5. Use Lightweight Desktop Alternatives

Heavy desktop environments and applications can strain system resources, so consider switching to lightweight alternatives:

a. Desktop Environments

Replace GNOME or KDE with lighter options like XFCE, LXDE, or MATE.

b. Applications

Use lightweight applications such as:

• Text Editor: Replace LibreOffice with AbiWord or Mousepad.
• Web Browser: Use Firefox with fewer extensions or switch to lightweight browsers like Midori.
• File Manager: Replace Nautilus with Thunar or PCManFM.

6. Clear Cache and Buffers

Linux uses RAM to cache files and improve performance. However, you can manually clear the cache if needed:

sudo sync; sudo sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3

This command clears pagecache, dentries, and inodes. Use it cautiously, as it may temporarily slow down file access.

7. Optimize Kernel Parameters

To tune or optimize kernel parameters, you need to edit /etc/sysctl.conf file and add the following or adjust parameters to improve system performance.

vm.dirty_background_ratio=5
vm.dirty_ratio=10
vm.min_free_kbytes=65536
kernel.sched_autogroup_enabled=0

These settings control how often dirty data is written to disk, reducing RAM usage.

8. Reduce Memory Usage with ZRAM

Zram and Zswap are compressed memory technologies that can reduce RAM usage.

sudo apt install zram-config 
sudo systemctl start zram-config

Once installed, you need to edit the GRUB configuration file (/etc/default/grub) and add:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="zswap.enabled=1"

Update GRUB and reboot:

sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

9. Limit CPU Usage of Processes

If a process is hogging the CPU, limit its usage using cpulimit.

sudo apt install cpulimit  # Debian/Ubuntu  
sudo yum install cpulimit  # RHEL/CentOS  

Limit a process (e.g., firefox) to 30% CPU usage.

sudo cpulimit -e firefox -l 30

To permanently limit a process, use systemd.

sudo systemctl set-property <service_name> CPUQuota=30%

10. Regularly Update Your System

Keeping your system updated ensures you have the latest performance improvements and bug fixes.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade  # For Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum update  # For CentOS/RHEL

Troubleshooting Tips

• If a process doesn’t terminate with kill, use kill -9 PID to force-kill it.
• If zram or zswap doesn’t work, ensure your kernel supports these features.
• If system performance doesn’t improve, consider upgrading your hardware (e.g., adding more RAM or switching to an SSD).

Conclusion

Optimizing RAM and CPU usage on Linux is a blend of monitoring, tweaking, and occasionally upgrading hardware. By identifying resource-hogging processes, adjusting system settings, and opting for lightweight alternatives, you can breathe new life into your system.

Have you tried these optimization techniques? Share your experience in the comments below or visit Tecmint.com for more Linux guides and tutorials.

The post How to Reduce RAM & CPU Usage on Linux appeared first on MASSIVE News.