1.5 KiB
ncpu
ncpu is a simple utility to fetch the number of CPU cores across different operating systems.
Introduction
In various scenarios, especially while compiling code, it's beneficial to know the number of available CPU cores to optimize the build process. However, the command to fetch the CPU core count differs between operating systems. For example, on Linux, we use nproc, while on macOS, it's sysctl -n hw.ncpu. The ncpu utility provides a unified way to obtain this number, regardless of the platform.
Usage
To retrieve the number of CPU cores, simply use the ncpu command:
$ ncpu
This will return an integer representing the number of available CPU cores.
Example:
Let's say you're compiling a project using make. To utilize all the CPU cores for the compilation process, you can use:
$ make -j $(ncpu) build # or any other build command
The above command will ensure the build process takes advantage of all the available CPU cores, thereby potentially speeding up the compilation.
Why use ncpu?
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Cross-platform compatibility: No need to remember or detect which OS-specific command to use. Just use
ncpu! -
Ease of use: A simple and intuitive command that's easy to incorporate into scripts or command-line operations.
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Consistency: Ensures consistent behavior and output across different systems and environments.
Installation
(Include installation steps here, e.g., how to clone the repo, build the tool, or install via package manager.)