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Use CPU_METER_STEAL for 'virtualized' CPU time in non-detailed mode #1922

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Use CPU_METER_STEAL for 'virtualized' CPU time in non-detailed mode #1922

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cee7077
Allow guest time to be hidden in "non-detailed" CPU meter
Explorer09 Mar 17, 2026
beba3a4
netbsd & openbsd: Simplify CPU meter value assignment code
Explorer09 Mar 17, 2026
715ee66
Revert "Fix CPU virtualization bar color and help text in non-detaile…
Explorer09 Mar 18, 2026
b61cdbb
Restore "virtualized" word for non-detailed CPU meter in help screen
Explorer09 Mar 18, 2026
9350262
Use CPU_METER_STEAL for 'virtualized' CPU time in non-detailed mode
Explorer09 Mar 18, 2026
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7 changes: 5 additions & 2 deletions Action.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -781,9 +781,12 @@ static Htop_Reaction actionHelp(State* st) {
addbartext(CRT_colors[CPU_GUEST], "/", "guest");
addbartext(CRT_colors[CPU_IOWAIT], "/", "io-wait");
addbartext(CRT_colors[BAR_SHADOW], " ", "used%");
} else if (CRT_colorScheme == COLORSCHEME_MONOCHROME) {
addbartext(CRT_colors[CPU_STEAL], "/-/-/", "virtualized");
addbartext(CRT_colors[BAR_SHADOW], " ", "used%");
} else {
addbartext(CRT_colors[CPU_GUEST], "/", "virt");
addbartext(CRT_colors[BAR_SHADOW], " ", "used%");
addbartext(CRT_colors[CPU_STEAL], "/", "virtualized");
addbartext(CRT_colors[BAR_SHADOW], " ", "used%");
}
addattrstr(CRT_colors[BAR_BORDER], "]");

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12 changes: 0 additions & 12 deletions CPUMeter.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -36,13 +36,6 @@ static const int CPUMeter_attributes[] = {
CPU_IOWAIT
};

static const int CPUMeter_attributes_summary[] = {
CPU_NICE,
CPU_NORMAL,
CPU_SYSTEM,
CPU_GUEST
};

typedef struct CPUMeterData_ {
unsigned int cpus;
Meter** meters;
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -89,11 +82,6 @@ static void CPUMeter_updateValues(Meter* this) {

const Machine* host = this->host;
const Settings* settings = host->settings;
if (settings->detailedCPUTime) {
this->curAttributes = CPUMeter_attributes;
} else {
this->curAttributes = CPUMeter_attributes_summary;
}

unsigned int cpu = this->param;
if (cpu > host->existingCPUs) {
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10 changes: 8 additions & 2 deletions linux/Platform.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -371,8 +371,14 @@ double Platform_setCPUValues(Meter* this, unsigned int cpu) {
v[CPU_METER_IOWAIT] = cpuData->ioWaitPeriod / total * 100.0;
} else {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = cpuData->systemAllPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = (cpuData->stealPeriod + cpuData->guestPeriod) / total * 100.0;
this->curItems = 4;
this->curItems = 3;

v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = 0.0; // Accounted in 'kernel'
v[CPU_METER_SOFTIRQ] = 0.0; // Accounted in 'kernel'
v[CPU_METER_STEAL] = (cpuData->stealPeriod + cpuData->guestPeriod) / total * 100.0;
if (settings->accountGuestInCPUMeter) {
this->curItems = 6;
}
}

percent = sumPositiveValues(v, this->curItems);
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10 changes: 2 additions & 8 deletions netbsd/Platform.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -268,16 +268,10 @@ double Platform_setCPUValues(Meter* this, int cpu) {
if (host->settings->detailedCPUTime) {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = cpuData->sysPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = cpuData->intrPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_SOFTIRQ] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_STEAL] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_GUEST] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_IOWAIT] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_FREQUENCY] = NAN;
this->curItems = 8;
this->curItems = 4;
} else {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = cpuData->sysAllPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = 0.0; // No steal nor guest on NetBSD
this->curItems = 4;
this->curItems = 3;
}
totalPercent = v[CPU_METER_NICE] + v[CPU_METER_NORMAL] + v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] + v[CPU_METER_IRQ];
totalPercent = CLAMP(totalPercent, 0.0, 100.0);
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10 changes: 2 additions & 8 deletions openbsd/Platform.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -219,16 +219,10 @@ double Platform_setCPUValues(Meter* this, unsigned int cpu) {
if (host->settings->detailedCPUTime) {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = cpuData->sysPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = cpuData->intrPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_SOFTIRQ] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_STEAL] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_GUEST] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_IOWAIT] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_FREQUENCY] = NAN;
this->curItems = 8;
this->curItems = 4;
} else {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = cpuData->sysAllPeriod / total * 100.0;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = 0.0; // No steal nor guest on OpenBSD
this->curItems = 4;
this->curItems = 3;
}
totalPercent = v[CPU_METER_NICE] + v[CPU_METER_NORMAL] + v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] + v[CPU_METER_IRQ];

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10 changes: 8 additions & 2 deletions pcp/Platform.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -560,9 +560,15 @@ static double Platform_setOneCPUValues(Meter* this, const Settings* settings, pm
v[CPU_METER_IOWAIT] = values[CPU_IOWAIT_PERIOD].ull / total * 100.0;
} else {
v[CPU_METER_KERNEL] = values[CPU_SYSTEM_ALL_PERIOD].ull / total * 100.0;
this->curItems = 3;

v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = 0.0;
v[CPU_METER_SOFTIRQ] = 0.0;
value = values[CPU_STEAL_PERIOD].ull + values[CPU_GUEST_PERIOD].ull;
v[CPU_METER_IRQ] = value / total * 100.0;
this->curItems = 4;
v[CPU_METER_STEAL] = value / total * 100.0;
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@natoscott natoscott Mar 18, 2026

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"value" here is not "steal" time though - its the sum of steal+guest now. So this hasn't really solved things for your unmerged graphing PR. IOW, there's a problem switching on/off detailed CPU mode because the historical data in the steal slot transitions between sum/not-sum/sum/not-sum ... so the "steal" value is incorrect whenever detailed mode changes state.

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@Explorer09 Explorer09 Mar 18, 2026

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I didn't get it… What are you suggesting? I think the historical data having "sum/not-sum/sum/not-sum", will not present any visual display glitch.

Because "steal" and "guest" are presented as the same color in all color schemes of htop

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@natoscott natoscott Mar 18, 2026

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| Because "steal" and "guest" are presented as the same color

Good point, it'll work by luck until someone wants to separate out those categories like in most tools.

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@Explorer09 Explorer09 Mar 18, 2026

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Good point, it'll work by luck until someone wants to separate out those categories like in most tools.

I won't call it working "by luck", because I can anticipate that the "steal" and "guest" colors be separate like this:

[CPU_STEAL] = A_BOLD | ColorPair(Cyan, Black),
[CPU_GUEST] = ColorPair(Cyan, Black),

But then, how is it wrong by merging the "steal" and "guest" into a single item in the non-detailed CPU meter mode?

Isn't that the whole point of the non-detailed mode? That the unnecessary details of CPU time items can be merged (just like "irq" and "sort-irq" merged with "kernel")?

I really don't get what you are suggesting.

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@natoscott natoscott Mar 18, 2026

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| I won't call it working "by luck",

It is just luck - we very rarely have two items sharing a color in a Meter.

| But then, how is it wrong by merging the "steal" and "guest" into a single item

Its not wrong - it just remains obfuscated - like the existing code has always been, overloading one CPU values slot with multiple values from another. The bug can be fixed by a trivial change compared to this proposal, so its a nack for me.

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| But then, how is it wrong by merging the "steal" and "guest" into a single item

Its not wrong - it just remains obfuscated - like the existing code has always been, overloading one CPU values slot with multiple values from another. The bug can be fixed by a trivial change compared to this proposal, so its a nack for me.

I would claim the use of IRQ slot for virtual CPU time is plain wrong despite your fix looks trivial. The CPU meter code has fixed ("fixing" for the "making things unmovable" meaning) that item/slot as CPU_METER_IRQ and it shouldn't be overloaded with another use such as "virtualized". It breaks forward compatibility - such as with the not-yet-merged #714.

#714 relies on an assumption that the meanings of item indices of a meter to remain stable. It's also so for the meter character allocation (|#*@$%&.) in the monochrome mode. It would be more of a UX surprise when the @ character in CPU meter suddenly means different things with the "detailed CPU time" toggle. I would rather have "virtual" CPU time permanently represented by % and & and document such in the manual.

if (settings->accountGuestInCPUMeter) {
this->curItems = 6;
}
}

percent = sumPositiveValues(v, this->curItems);
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