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What does load average mean in unix/linux?

I'm confused by the load averages produced by the 'uptime' command. I know it might be a stupid question but what are they out of?

(My guess is that they are out of 1)

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closed as exact duplicate by Sathya♦, DMA57361♦, nhinkle♦, Diago Dec 21 '10 at 7:30

This question covers exactly the same ground as earlier questions on this topic; its answers may be merged with another identical question. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

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In short it is the average sum of the number of processes waiting in the run-queue plus the number currently executing over 1, 5, and 15 minute time periods.

This page is old but explains it well enough.

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I was hoping I could graph it :( – Nick Brooks Dec 19 '10 at 20:34
Actually you can with nagios. frank4dd.com/howto/nagios/nagiosgraph/… – MrStatic Dec 19 '10 at 20:40
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