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Introduction

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Glances upis an open-source, cross-platform system monitoring tool for Docker containers that provides a real-time dashboard of your system and its running containers. The Docker version is a self-hosted application that allows you to easily monitor your host machine and all of its containers through a web interface or terminal.

Key features of Glances for Docker
  • Comprehensive monitoring: Glances tracks a wide range of metrics, including CPU, memory, disk I/O, network activity, load average, and process lists.
  • Container-specific insights: In addition to host-level metrics, Glances directly monitors Docker containers, allowing you to view statistics for individual containers.
  • Flexible interfaces: You can access the Glances dashboard through a console-based interface in your terminal or a web-based interface that works in any browser.
  • Client-server and standalone modes: Glances can run in standalone mode to monitor a single machine or in client-server mode for remote monitoring of multiple systems.
  • Data export: Statistics can be exported to various formats and databases, including CSV, JSON, InfluxDB, and Elasticsearch, for long-term storage and analysis.
  • Lightweight and customizable: Written in Python, Glances uses minimal system resources and can be customized with plugins and configuration options.
How it works with Docker
The official Glances Docker image, available on Docker Hub as nicolargo/glances, provides a pre-packaged way to run the application.
To function correctly within a container, the Glances application typically needs access to the host machine's resources and the Docker daemon's socket. This is achieved by running the container iswith Homebox.specific Althoughflags: not
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  • --pid ithost: hasAllows turned outGlances to besee theall mostprocesses useful. Homebox is labelled as an inventory and organisation system built for the home user.

    I can login to itrunning on the laptop,host tabletsystem, andnot mobilejust phone,those within the container.

  • -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro: Mounts the Docker socket as read-only, giving Glances access to addthe orDocker locateAPI whatever.

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    I use it to get organised. I have cupboards full of plastic boxes and drawers. A lot of stuff just gets thrown in the drawers and if I ever need something specific, it used to take me an age to find it.

    Now, having listed most things in most drawers and boxes, if I ever want to find something quickly, I open Homebox, hit the Search button and find its location in a jiffy.

    I obviously don't get too carried away. I don't, for example itemise every HDMI cable, although I could if I wanted. I just add 'bag of HDMI cables'. As long as I keep all my HDMI cables in the same bag, in the same location, it works perfectly.

    I can even have a photo of all my items. I found that is not really necessary, but I do add photos using the phone, if I think it'machine's necessarynetwork andinterfaces Idirectly. can

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I do list all my DVDs and CDs, just because I can and I can't bring myself to throw or give them away. There are probably better Docker Apps to do that, that will bring metadata as well, but I already have the list, if I want to use one of those. I don't ever have to open their respective boxes again. I just know they are there.

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