How to calculate cpu load using linux top command?

@brock 

To calculate CPU load using the top command in Linux, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the terminal on your Linux machine.
2. Run the top command by typing top and hitting Enter.
3. In the top command interface, you will see various information related to the system, including CPU usage.
4. Look for the line that shows the CPU usage, usually located at the top-right corner of the screen.
5. The CPU usage is divided into percentages for each core or processor thread. For example, if you have a quad-core CPU, you will see four lines, each showing the usage for a different core.
6. The percentages represent the load on each core. A higher percentage means more load on the CPU core.
7. Additionally, you can check the overall CPU usage at the top of the top interface. Look for the line that shows the overall CPU usage in percentages. It is usually displayed as "%Cpu(s)" or "%Cpu". This line gives you the overall CPU load across all cores.
8. The CPU load is typically displayed in real-time, continuously updating as the load changes.

Note: The top command can provide more detailed information on CPU usage, memory usage, running processes, and other system metrics. Press q to exit the top command interface.

Keep in mind that there are alternative commands available (such as htop) that provide more user-friendly displays of CPU load and system information.