diff --git a/doc/api/os.md b/doc/api/os.md index 59ed110666d203..186447e7b772eb 100644 --- a/doc/api/os.md +++ b/doc/api/os.md @@ -2,25 +2,36 @@ Stability: 2 - Stable -Provides a few basic operating-system related utility functions. +The `os` module provides a number of operating system-related utility methods. +It can be accessed using: -Use `require('os')` to access this module. +```js +const os = require('os'); +``` ## os.EOL -A constant defining the appropriate End-of-line marker for the operating -system. +A string constant defining the operating system-specific end-of-line marker: + +* `\n` on POSIX +* `\r\n` on Windows ## os.arch() -Returns the operating system CPU architecture. Possible values are `'x64'`, -`'arm'` and `'ia32'`. Returns the value of [`process.arch`][]. +The `os.arch()` method returns a string identifying the operating system CPU +architecture *for which the Node.js binary was compiled*. + +The current possible values are: `'arm'`, `'arm64'`, `'ia32'`, `'mips'`, +`'mipsel'`, `'ppc'`, `'ppc64'`, `'s390'`, `'s390x'`, `'x32'`, `'x64'`, and +`'x86'`. + +Equivalent to [`process.arch`][]. ## os.constants @@ -33,80 +44,116 @@ defined are described in [OS Constants][]. added: v0.3.3 --> -Returns an array of objects containing information about each CPU/core -installed: model, speed (in MHz), and times (an object containing the number of -milliseconds the CPU/core spent in: user, nice, sys, idle, and irq). +The `os.cpus()` method returns an array of objects containing information about +each CPU/core installed. -Example inspection of os.cpus: +The properties included on each object include: + +* `model` {String} +* `speed` {number} (in MHz) +* `times` {Object} + * `user` {number} The number of milliseconds the CPU has spent in user mode. + * `nice` {number} The number of milliseconds the CPU has spent in nice mode. + * `sys` {number} The number of milliseconds the CPU has spent in sys mode. + * `idle` {number} The number of milliseconds the CPU has spent in idle mode. + * `irq` {number} The number of milliseconds the CPU has spent in irq mode. + +For example: ```js -[ { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', +[ + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 252020, - nice: 0, - sys: 30340, - idle: 1070356870, - irq: 0 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 252020, + nice: 0, + sys: 30340, + idle: 1070356870, + irq: 0 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 306960, - nice: 0, - sys: 26980, - idle: 1071569080, - irq: 0 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 306960, + nice: 0, + sys: 26980, + idle: 1071569080, + irq: 0 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 248450, - nice: 0, - sys: 21750, - idle: 1070919370, - irq: 0 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 248450, + nice: 0, + sys: 21750, + idle: 1070919370, + irq: 0 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 256880, - nice: 0, - sys: 19430, - idle: 1070905480, - irq: 20 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 256880, + nice: 0, + sys: 19430, + idle: 1070905480, + irq: 20 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 511580, - nice: 20, - sys: 40900, - idle: 1070842510, - irq: 0 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 511580, + nice: 20, + sys: 40900, + idle: 1070842510, + irq: 0 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 291660, - nice: 0, - sys: 34360, - idle: 1070888000, - irq: 10 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 291660, + nice: 0, + sys: 34360, + idle: 1070888000, + irq: 10 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 308260, - nice: 0, - sys: 55410, - idle: 1071129970, - irq: 880 } }, - { model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', + times: { + user: 308260, + nice: 0, + sys: 55410, + idle: 1071129970, + irq: 880 + } + }, + { + model: 'Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz', speed: 2926, - times: - { user: 266450, - nice: 1480, - sys: 34920, - idle: 1072572010, - irq: 30 } } ] + times: { + user: 266450, + nice: 1480, + sys: 34920, + idle: 1072572010, + irq: 30 + } + } +] ``` -Note that since `nice` values are UNIX centric in Windows the `nice` values of +*Note*: Because `nice` values are UNIX-specific, on Windows the `nice` values of all processors are always 0. ## os.endianness() @@ -114,124 +161,186 @@ all processors are always 0. added: v0.9.4 --> -Returns the endianness of the CPU. Possible values are `'BE'` for big endian -or `'LE'` for little endian. +The `os.endianness()` method returns a string identifying the endianness of the +CPU *for which the Node.js binary was compiled*. + +Possible values are: + +* `'BE'` for big endian +* `'LE'` for little endian. ## os.freemem() -Returns the amount of free system memory in bytes. +The `os.freemem()` method returns the amount of free system memory in bytes as +an integer. ## os.homedir() -Returns the home directory of the current user. +The `os.homedir()` method returns the home directory of the current user as a +string. ## os.hostname() -Returns the hostname of the operating system. +The `os.hostname()` method returns the hostname of the operating system as a +string. ## os.loadavg() -Returns an array containing the 1, 5, and 15 minute load averages. +The `os.loadavg()` method returns an array containing the 1, 5, and 15 minute +load averages. The load average is a measure of system activity, calculated by the operating system and expressed as a fractional number. As a rule of thumb, the load average should ideally be less than the number of logical CPUs in the system. -The load average is a very UNIX-y concept; there is no real equivalent on -Windows platforms. That is why this function always returns `[0, 0, 0]` on -Windows. +The load average is a UNIX-specific concept with no real equivalent on +Windows platforms. On Windows, the return value is always `[0, 0, 0]`. ## os.networkInterfaces() -Get a list of network interfaces: +The `os.networkInterfaces()` method returns an object containing only network +interfaces that have been assigned a network address. + +Each key on the returned object identifies a network interface. The associated +value is an array of objects that each describe an assigned network address. + +The properties available on the assigned network address object include: + +* `address` {String} The assigned IPv4 or IPv6 address +* `netmask` {String} The IPv4 or IPv6 network mask +* `family` {String} Either `IPv4` or `IPv6` +* `mac` {String} The MAC address of the network interface +* `internal` {boolean} `true` if the network interface is a loopback or + similar interface that is not remotely accessible; otherwise `false` +* `scopeid` {number} The numeric IPv6 scope ID (only specified when `family` + is `IPv6`) ```js -{ lo: - [ { address: '127.0.0.1', - netmask: '255.0.0.0', - family: 'IPv4', - mac: '00:00:00:00:00:00', - internal: true }, - { address: '::1', - netmask: 'ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff', - family: 'IPv6', - mac: '00:00:00:00:00:00', - internal: true } ], - eth0: - [ { address: '192.168.1.108', - netmask: '255.255.255.0', - family: 'IPv4', - mac: '01:02:03:0a:0b:0c', - internal: false }, - { address: 'fe80::a00:27ff:fe4e:66a1', - netmask: 'ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::', - family: 'IPv6', - mac: '01:02:03:0a:0b:0c', - internal: false } ] } +{ + lo: [ + { + address: '127.0.0.1', + netmask: '255.0.0.0', + family: 'IPv4', + mac: '00:00:00:00:00:00', + internal: true + }, + { + address: '::1', + netmask: 'ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff', + family: 'IPv6', + mac: '00:00:00:00:00:00', + internal: true + } + ], + eth0: [ + { + address: '192.168.1.108', + netmask: '255.255.255.0', + family: 'IPv4', + mac: '01:02:03:0a:0b:0c', + internal: false + }, + { + address: 'fe80::a00:27ff:fe4e:66a1', + netmask: 'ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::', + family: 'IPv6', + mac: '01:02:03:0a:0b:0c', + internal: false + } + ] +} ``` -Note that due to the underlying implementation this will only return network -interfaces that have been assigned an address. - ## os.platform() -Returns the operating system platform. Possible values are `'darwin'`, -`'freebsd'`, `'linux'`, `'sunos'` or `'win32'`. Returns the value of -[`process.platform`][]. +The `os.platform()` method returns a string identifying the operating system +platform as set during compile time of Node.js. + +Currently possible values are: + +* `'aix'` +* `'darwin'` +* `'freebsd'` +* `'linux'` +* `'openbsd'` +* `'sunos'` +* `'win32'` + +Equivalent to [`process.platform`][]. + +*Note*: The value `'android'` may also be returned if the Node.js is built on +the Android operating system. However, Android support in Node.js is considered +to be experimental at this time. ## os.release() -Returns the operating system release. +The `os.release()` method returns a string identifying the operating system +release. + +*Note*: On POSIX systems, the operating system release is determined by calling +uname(3). On Windows, `GetVersionExW()` is used. Please see +https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uname#Examples for more information. ## os.tmpdir() -Returns the operating system's default directory for temporary files. +The `os.tmpdir()` method returns a string specifying the operating system's +default directory for temporary files. ## os.totalmem() -Returns the total amount of system memory in bytes. +The `os.totalmem()` method returns the total amount of system memory in bytes +as an integer. ## os.type() -Returns the operating system name. For example `'Linux'` on Linux, `'Darwin'` -on OS X and `'Windows_NT'` on Windows. +The `os.type()` method returns a string identifying the operating system name +as returned by uname(3). For example `'Linux'` on Linux, `'Darwin'` on OS X and +`'Windows_NT'` on Windows. + +Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uname#Examples for additional +information about the output of running uname(3) on various operating systems. ## os.uptime() -Returns the system uptime in seconds. +The `os.uptime()` method returns the system uptime in number of seconds. + +*Note*: Within Node.js' internals, this number is represented as a `double`. +However, fractional seconds are not returned and the value can typically be +treated as an integer. ## os.userInfo([options])