Command line

The vitals command reads the same numbers the window shows.

Install

The CLI is not bundled with the installer, the Microsoft Store build or the package managers yet. Until a release carries it, build it from source with Rust installed:

cargo install --git https://github.com/dragoscv/vitals vitals-cli

That puts vitals.exe in %USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin.

Live view

vitals top

A live process list, like the app’s, in the terminal. Press q to quit.

One-shot process list

vitals ps --top 10

The ten busiest processes, printed once. Add --json to get machine-readable output for another program:

vitals ps --json
vitals ps --top 5 --json | ConvertFrom-Json

About the machine

vitals info
vitals report --duration 30

info describes the hardware and Windows version. report samples for the given number of seconds and writes what happened to a JSON file (vitals-report-<timestamp>.json in the current folder unless you pass --output).

Efficiency mode

vitals eco 1234        # turn Windows 11 efficiency mode on for PID 1234
vitals eco 1234 --off  # restore normal scheduling

The PID is checked against a fresh sample first and refused if it is not there, so a recycled PID is never acted on. The state read back afterwards is printed.

Ending, pausing and reprioritising a process

vitals kill 1234                    # end PID 1234
vitals suspend 1234                 # freeze it
vitals resume 1234                  # let it run again
vitals priority 1234 below-normal   # idle, below-normal, normal, above-normal, high, realtime

The same PID check applies. Processes Windows cannot do without are refused rather than ended or frozen: the desktop app asks before touching them, and a script cannot be asked. A process that belongs to another account needs an elevated prompt. Each command exits non-zero with the reason on standard error when it is refused, so a script only has to check the exit code.

Headless LAN server

vitals serve

Starts the same remote access server without the desktop app, on port 7331. It generates a token and prints it once; copy it then, because it is not shown again. The same rules apply as in the app: local network only, plain HTTP, read scope by default. Press Ctrl+C to stop it.

Where the numbers come from

When the desktop app is running, the CLI attaches to it — over a private named pipe first, then the app’s loopback API — and shows exactly what the app sees, so one machine runs one sampler. When the app is not running, the CLI samples the machine itself. Which one happened is printed on standard error, so standard output stays clean for --json.

• --source app insists on the running app and fails if it is not there.
• --source local always samples directly.
• The default, auto, tries the app first.

Reference

Global options work with every command.

Option	Meaning
--json	Machine-readable JSON instead of a table.
--source <auto|app|local>	Where to read from. Default auto.
--attach <URL>	Attach to a local API at this address, e.g. http://127.0.0.1:7330.
--no-attach	Never attach; always sample directly. Same as --source local.
-h, --help	Help for the command.
-V, --version	Print the version.

--source, --attach and --no-attach cannot be combined.

Command	Options
vitals ps	-f, --filter <TEXT>: only processes whose name contains it. -n, --top <N>: the N highest consumers (0, the default, means all).
vitals top	-i, --interval <MS>: refresh interval in milliseconds, default 1000.
vitals info	None.
vitals eco <PID>	--off: restore normal scheduling instead of turning efficiency mode on.
vitals kill <PID>	None. Ends the process.
vitals suspend <PID>	None. Freezes the process until vitals resume.
vitals resume <PID>	None.
vitals priority <PID> <LEVEL>	idle, below-normal, normal, above-normal, high or realtime.
vitals report	-d, --duration <SECONDS>: how long to record, default 60. -o, --output <PATH>: where to write the JSON.
vitals serve	-p, --port <PORT>: default 7331. --token <TOKEN>: use this token instead of generating one. --control: give it control scope.

serve never attaches to the desktop app, so a headless server does not go dark when the window closes.