stress utility is a workload generator that imposes certain types of stress on UNIX-like operating systems:
stress is not a benchmark. It is a tool used by system administrators to evaluate how well their systems will scale, by kernel programmers to evaluate perceived performance characteristics, and by systems programmers to expose the classes of bugs which only or more frequently manifest themselves when the system is under heavy load. Note that a primary design goal is simplicity and portability, so while stress runs on everything from Linux to AIX to K42, it is not as sophisticated as tools like gamut or dbench. In general, stress is has proved useful in a number of disparate research efforts.
I use this utility to test newly compiled “light” kernel before applying it onto the running and workable server. Nice and useful one definitely.
Packages for Debian are here, + Gentoo ebuild and FreeBSD port. Sources of latest version can be got from this link.
As usual Ubuntu users just run sudo aptitude install stress and get workable stress utility.
Interesting but would like to know more. what are gamunt and dbench?