Originally posted: 1999-ish

wload

A multi-threaded web server load tester

Requirements: linux, solaris, c compiler (only tested with gcc)
Synopsis: curses (i.e. text) based multithreaded webserver load-tester
Download: wload-0.08.tar.gz

README for wload - a curses-based webserver load tester
=======================================================

DESCRIPTION
-----------

wload allows you to load test a webserver.  It can supports up to
128 simultaneous HTTP requests which allows you to:

    - determine the upper boundary of how many clients can
    simultaneously use your webserver or web application.

    - optimize hardware configurations

    - optimze software configurations

    - compare different web application architectures

    - prove or disprove the various nefarious theories and options 
    that everyone has concerning their OS, webserver, cpu and language
    of choice.

wload is a functional, though it does have a few rough areas (the error
handling is particularly crufty).  I am also planning to include a report
summary at the end of the test which summarized the results of the whole
test.  Patches and comments are welcome.


FEATURES
--------

	- multi-threaded (uses pthreads) 
	- HTTP request read from file (i.e. easy to edit)
	- Output results to file
	- HTTP status code
	- 4xx 5xx errors flagged and result saved
	- bytes read
	- Min Time
	- Max Time
	- Avg Time
	- ncurses interface


SUPPORTED PLATFORMS
-------------------

wload has been succesfully compiled and run on:

    - linux 2.0.* (using gcc 2.8.1)
    - solaris 2.5 (using gcc 2.7.2.2)

Tell me if you get it to compile and run on another platform.  (I'd like to support
free/bsd --  can anyone give me an account on a free/bsd machine?)


REQUIREMENTS
------------

    - pthreads (POSIX threads)
    - ncurses or curses

Note:

    If you have a linux glibc/libc6 system then you should already
    have pthreads.

    For more info on pthreads and linux:

	http://pauillac.inria.fr/~xleroy/linuxthreads/

	Note: to check if you have pthreads type: 

	$ ldconfig -p | grep thread


DOWNLOAD
--------

	Current Version 0.08 (Nov 13 2001)
	
	wload-0.08.tar.gz

    homepage: http://www.xinsight.ca/tools/wload.html


INSTALLATION
------------

	./configure
	make
	make install


USAGE
-----

    type "wload" without any arguments to see usage info.

    wload -u http://www.xinsight.ca/ > xinsight.conf
    wload -f xinsight.conf

CREDITS
-------

Thanks to Chris Plock for the rewrite of my broken averaging method.

The basic interface idea was taken from mtr - matt's traceroute.

Thanks to agent47 for the freebsd account.


LICENCE
-------

    wload - curses-based webserver load tester 
    Copyright (C) 1999 Jason Moore 

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
    (at your option) any later version.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    GNU General Public License for more details.

Download: wload-0.08.tar.gz