Getting Started

# Overview

The Phoronix Test Suite is the most comprehensive testing and benchmarking platform available for Linux, Solaris, macOS, Windows, and BSD operating systems. The Phoronix Test Suite allows for carrying out tests in a fully automated manner from test installation to execution and reporting. All tests are meant to be easily reproducible, easy-to-use, and support fully automated execution. The Phoronix Test Suite is open-source under the GNU GPLv3 license and is developed by Phoronix Media in cooperation with partners. Version 1.0 of the Phoronix Test Suite was publicly released in 2008.

The Phoronix Test Suite client itself is an automated test framework for providing seamless execution of test profiles and test suites. There are more than 650 tests available by default, which are transparently available via OpenBenchmarking.org integration. Of these default test profiles there is a range of sub-systems that can be tested and a range of hardware from mobile devices to desktops and workstations/servers. New tests can be easily introduced via the Phoronix Test Suite's extensible test architecture, with test profiles consisting of XML files and shell scripts. Test profiles can produce a quantitative result or other qualitative/abstract results like image quality comparisons and pass/fail. Using Phoronix Test Suite modules, other data can also be automatically collected at run-time such as the system power consumption, disk usage, and other software/hardware sensors. Test suites contain references to test profiles to execute as part of a set or can also reference other test suites. Test suites are defined via an XML schema.

Running the Phoronix Test Suite for the first time can be as simple as issuing a command such as phoronix-test-suite benchmark c-ray, which would proceed to install a simple CPU test, execute the test, and report the results. Along with the results, the system's hardware/software information is collected in a detailed manner, relevant system logs, and other important system attributes such as compiler flags and system state. Users can optionally upload their results to OpenBenchmarking.org for sharing results with others, comparing results against other systems, and to carry out further analysis.

# OpenBenchmarking.org

OpenBenchmarking.org is an open, collaborative testing platform that makes the Phoronix Test Suite an even more extensible platform for conducting automated tests with complete integration into Phoronix Test Suite test client. OpenBenchmarking.org serves as a repository for storing test profiles, test suites, and result data. Test profiles and suites are stored in the OpenBenchmarking.org cloud to allow for new/updated tests to be seamlessly obtained via the Phoronix Test Suite without needing to manually update the Phoronix Test Suite client. OpenBenchmarking.org also makes it easy to facilitate side-by-side comparisons with any other results stored in the OpenBenchmarking.org cloud. Any Phoronix Test Suite user is permitted to upload their test results, test profiles, and suites to OpenBenchmarking.org.

When finding a set of results on OpenBenchmarking.org, it's as easy as running the Phoronix Test Suite with that OpenBenchmarking.org ID to perform an automated side-by-side comparison (e.g. phoronix-test-suite benchmark 1203160-BY-NVTEGRA3785).

Thanks to the wealth of test data (results, system logs, etc) from crowd-sourced benchmarking via the Phoronix Test Suite, a plethora of analytical features are also available from OpenBenchmarking.org.

# Phoromatic

Phoromatic is a remote management system for the Phoronix Test Suite that allows the automatic scheduling of tests, remote installation of new tests, and the management of multiple test systems all through an intuitive, easy-to-use web interface. Tests can be scheduled to automatically run on a routine basis across multiple test systems. Phoromatic can also interface with revision control systems to offer support for issuing new tests on a context-basis, such as whenever a Git commit has been pushed or new daily image available. The test results are then available from this central, secure location.

Phoromatic is an add-on to the Phoronix Test Suite that's primarily intended for enterprise users when facilitating tests across a wide-spectrum of hardware within a test lab or when needing to carry out tests on a routine basis.

A Phoromatic server can be started using phoronix-test-suite start-phoromatic-server (or the included systemd phoromatic-server service file). Clients can connect to the server using the phoronix-test-suite phoromatic.connect command as well as a phoromatic-client systemd service. See the Phoromatic section of the documentation for more information on setting up Phoromatic.