How to Monitor Your Raspberry Pi’s CPU and GPU Temperature Using Kali Linux

Learn how to use the vcgencmd command to check your Raspberry Pi’s temperature with Kali Linux. …


Updated October 6, 2023

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Learn how to use the vcgencmd command to check your Raspberry Pi’s temperature with Kali Linux.

Kali Linux is a popular operating system for penetration testing and security auditing. If you are running Kali Linux on a Raspberry Pi, it’s important to monitor the CPU and GPU temperatures to ensure your device doesn’t overheat. This article will show you how to use the vcgencmd command to check the temperature of your Raspberry Pi 3 with Kali Linux.

  1. Open a terminal window on your Kali Linux Raspberry Pi.
  2. Type the following command and press Enter:
vcgencmd measure_temp

This will output the current temperatures in Celsius of the CPU and GPU cores, as well as the SoC temperature. The output should look similar to this:

temp=41.9'C

The number after “temp=” is the temperature in Celsius.

You can also check the temperature more frequently by using a loop with the sleep command. Type the following and press Enter:

while true; do vcgencmd measure_temp; sleep 5; done

This will print the temperatures every 5 seconds until you stop the process (Ctrl+C). You can adjust the time between measurements by changing the value after sleep.

  1. If you prefer a more visually appealing output, you can use the following command:
while true; do echo -e "\033[1;32mCPU temp:\033[0m $(vcgencmd measure_temp | cut -d= -f2) \t\t\t \033[1;35mGPU temp:\033[0m $(/opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd measure_temp | cut -d= -f2)"; sleep 5; done

This command will display the CPU and GPU temperatures in green and magenta, respectively. You can again adjust the time between measurements by changing the value after sleep. Press Ctrl+C to stop the loop.

Remember that high temperatures can reduce the lifespan of your Raspberry Pi and potentially damage its components. Make sure to monitor the temperatures regularly and take steps to cool the device down if necessary, such as using a fan or heat sinks.