WhatPulse on my server

Hey, I run my own site off my server which I completely manage. It runs CentOS, and I was wondering if WhatPulse could be installed within it? I ask as I do not have a way of accessing a GUI, and everything is done within the command line (putty). Could I install and run it in that environment?

Also, what stats would I be able to track with it? I am guessing that it would be capable of tracking uptime, and I would like if I could sync up upload/download with it as well, although I am not sure this is possible within CentOS. WinPCap seems to have a generic linux version that might work?

Let me know as I would love to give this a try. If I manage to get it all going, I’d be happy to pop a guide on how to do it within the KB so that other people can have a go should they wish to get whatpulse on their server that is running CentOS.

Thanks
Ash

IIRC, there isn’t a straightforward way to install/use WhatPulse without a GUI, but you can easily install GNOME or some other window manager, then work from there.

http://www.idevelopment.info/data/Unix/Linux/LINUX_AddGNOMEToCentOSMinimalInstall.shtml

Thanks mate, I will look into that and see if I can get it all working. Do you know what kinds of stats it would be capable of tracking?

I don’t know the specific limitations of the Linux client with CentOS, but I’ve seen servers tracking all stats (Input, bandwidth, and uptime). But, as with any Linux configuration, your mileage may vary.

Yeh, I wouldn’t want it tracking input such as keys/clicks unless it was definately my own input, not the users of the server, ie visitors of the site etc. I guess if its through Gnome, it would only be the input on Gnome. :slight_smile:

I could be wrong but I don’t think we actually condone installing WhatPulse on servers.

That said, without something like GNOME or any other desktop environment you wouldn’t really be able to keep up with much information. Specially not keyboard input.

I’m not after keyboard input in all honesty, I am more after the uptime/upload/download so that I can track and compare how my server is doing/handling visitors/uptime versus actual server uptime etc. Most of the top people on the uptime stats have many years of uptime, which is only possible from 24/7 servers/computers, and many of them being used per profile, so I assumed that servers were allowed for this reason. The only time I would condone it tracking keys/clicks would be if I was performing my own commands on the server as part of my maintanence etc, but this would only be minimal.

Have a look @ munin !
That’s a better option for what you want to see. Besides that when you install Whatpulse on your server not all traffic is generated by you so it’s cheating…

I don’t agree, because if I had a massive upload speed and torrented/seeded, I would be uploading endless data to users who are downloading my data. The same occurs with the server, and as it is my server which I am completely in control of, I feel I am generating that traffic in exactly the same way, and it is therefore not cheating.

Nope, you’re not generating that traffic, those users are.

Servers are not condoned, as whatpulse is a desktop application as it stands. I also tend to delete/contact the owners when I see them.

Sure, thanks for clarifying that. I won’t install the client on my server.

Maybe the rules need to be clarified somehow.

Generating traffic is kind of a grey area. What if people are serving things from their desktop PC? What about a p2p program such as bitcoin-qt? Most of the traffic is generated from network peers, and it can be used as both a desktop app for managing your bitcoin wallet, and a server utility. What if your mother-in-law is spamming you with video messages on Skype while you’re not home? :stuck_out_tongue:

Hi,

I just installed WhatPulse on one of my PCs’ but I run my own servers and on one of them that emails to my website subscribers I need to measure the bandwidth that that particular server uses when doing a large emailing. I don’t want to monitor anything else and doing it as a onetime event would also work for me.

I didn’t quite follow WHY servers aren’t condoned?

Would WhatPulse do this for me? And/or does anyone have any other suggestions for bandwidth measurement?

Server is CentOS.

Thanks all,

Nat

Nat: There are things like munin and vnstat that are designed for exactly what you’re trying to do.

Bloopy: Are those all running on a persons desktop computer? Okay, that’s fine. If it became a problem we’d look into it. The point is, servers are a no-no.

WhatPulse was not designed to be ran on servers, and is purposely not. The fact it requires the GUI to really do anything should be pretty clear that it’s made only for desktop computers.

It’s not going to be clear to users of Windows servers. Also, I can see why SearchBuzz thought that if he personally hosts the website, then it’s his traffic to record. I suggest writing something about servers in the rules on the knowledge base.

I do agree, we should have something about no servers in the rules. We’ll look into that.