display the number of processor howto

If you've just bought a new desktop or laptop, and the box says the box is powered by 2 processors, you can actually verify that.

Here's how to display the number of processor of your linux box.

Simply issue as root

# cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep processor

Everything in linux is files. This command simply retrieves the number of processors that linux detected from /proc/cpuinfo and displays it. Usually, the processor number comes at the first set of line from issuing the command.

Here's what the command returned for me:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
processor : 0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

which means I have 1 processor with a processor ID number 0. Processor counting starts with 0.
So if you have a PC with core duo, you will probably have 2 lines that says 0 and 1.That is 2 processors.

HTH