- Add cargo-deb metadata to socktop and socktop_agent Cargo.toml
- Create systemd service file for socktop_agent
- Add postinst/postrm maintainer scripts for user/group management
- Create GitHub Actions workflow to build .deb packages for AMD64 and ARM64
- Add comprehensive documentation in docs/DEBIAN_PACKAGING.md
- Packages will be available as artifacts on every push
- Automatic GitHub releases for version tags
This check in offers alpha support for per process metrics, you can view threads, process CPU usage over time, IO, memory, CPU time, parent process, command, uptime and journal entries. This is unfinished but all major functionality is available and I wanted to make it available to feedback and testing.
non functional update:
- refactor stream of consciousness into separate files.
- combine equivelent functions used in networking and wasm features.
- cleanups and version bumps.
- socktop connector allows you to communicate with socktop agent directly from you code without needing to implement the agent API directly.
- will also be used for non tui implementation of "socktop collector" in the future.
- moved to rust 2024 to take advantage of some new features that helped with refactor.
- fixed everything that exploded with update.
- added rust docs for lib.
BREAKING: Process list over WS is now Protocol Buffers; client required.
Agent: returns all processes (no server-side top-k); large payloads gzip-compressed.
Client: decodes protobuf (gz/raw), moves sorting/pagination to TUI.
Build: add prost/prost-build with vendored protoc; enable thin LTO, panic=abort, strip symbols.
Cleanup: cfg-gate Linux-only code; fix Clippy across platforms; tests updated (ws probe TLS CA).
Here are concise release notes you can paste into your GitHub release.
Release notes — 2025-08-12
Highlights
Agent back to near-zero CPU when idle (request-driven, no background samplers).
Accurate per-process CPU% via /proc deltas; only top-level processes (threads hidden).
TUI: processes pane gets scrollbar, click-to-sort (CPU% or Mem) with indicator, stable total count.
Network panes made taller; disks slightly reduced.
README revamped: rustup prereqs, crates.io install, update/systemd instructions.
Clippy cleanups across agent and client.
Agent
Reverted precompressed caches and background samplers; WebSocket path is request-driven again.
Ensured on-demand gzip for larger replies; no per-request overhead when small.
Processes: switched to refresh_processes_specifics with ProcessRefreshKind::everything().without_tasks() to exclude threads.
Per-process CPU% now computed from /proc jiffies deltas using a small ProcCpuTracker (fixes “always 0%”/scaling issues).
Optional metrics and light caching:
CPU temp and GPU metrics gated by env (SOCKTOP_AGENT_TEMP=0, SOCKTOP_AGENT_GPU=0).
Tiny TTL caches via once_cell to avoid rescanning sensors every tick.
Dependencies: added once_cell = "1.19".
No API changes to WS endpoints.
Client (TUI)
Processes pane:
Scrollbar (mouse wheel, drag; keyboard arrows/PageUp/PageDown/Home/End).
Click header to sort by CPU% or Mem; dot indicator on active column.
Preserves process_count across fast metrics updates to avoid flicker.
UI/theme:
Shared scrollbar colors moved to ui/theme.rs; both CPU and Processes reuse them.
Cached pane rect to fix input handling; removed unused vars.
Layout: network download/upload get more vertical space; disks shrink slightly.
Clippy fixes: derive Default for ProcSortBy; style/import cleanups.
Docs
README: added rustup install steps (with proper shell reload), install via cargo install socktop and cargo install socktop_agent, and a clear Updating section (systemd service steps included).
Features list updated; roadmap marks independent cadences as done.
Upgrade notes
Agent: cargo install socktop_agent --force, then restart your systemd service; if unit changed, systemctl daemon-reload.
TUI: cargo install socktop --force.
Optional envs to trim overhead: SOCKTOP_AGENT_GPU=0, SOCKTOP_AGENT_TEMP=0.
No config or API breaking changes.
Release highlights
Introduced split client/agent architecture with a ratatui-based TUI and a lightweight WebSocket agent.
Added adaptive (idle-aware) sampler: agent samples fast only when clients are connected; sleeps when idle.
Implemented metrics JSON caching for instant ws replies; cold-start does one-off collection.
Port configuration: --port/-p, positional PORT, or SOCKTOP_PORT env (default 3000).
Optional token auth: SOCKTOP_TOKEN on agent, ws://HOST:PORT/ws?token=VALUE in client.
Logging via tracing with RUST_LOG control.
CI workflow (fmt, clippy, build) for Linux and Windows.
Systemd unit example for always-on agent.
TUI features
CPU: overall sparkline + per-core history with trend arrows and color thresholds.
Memory/Swap gauges with humanized labels.
Disks panel with per-device usage and icons.
Network download/upload sparklines (KB/s) with peak tracking.
Top processes table (PID, name, CPU%, mem, mem%).
Header with hostname and CPU temperature indicator.
Agent changes
sysinfo 0.36.1 targeted refresh: refresh_cpu_all, refresh_memory, refresh_processes_specifics(ProcessesToUpdate::All, ProcessRefreshKind::new().with_cpu().with_memory(), true).
WebSocket handler: client counting with wake notifications, cold-start handling, proper Response returns.
Sampler uses MissedTickBehavior::Skip to avoid catch-up bursts.
Docs
README updates: running instructions, port configuration, optional token auth, platform notes, example JSON.
Added socktop-agent.service systemd unit.
Platform notes
Linux (AMD/Intel) supported; tested on AMD, targeting Intel next.
Raspberry Pi supported (availability of temps varies by model).
Windows builds/run; CPU temperature may be unavailable (shows N/A).
Known/next
Roadmap includes configurable refresh interval, TUI filtering/sorting, TLS/WSS, and export to file.
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README.md