disk-mark-me
disk-mark-me is a free command-line shell script for benchmarking disk performance on Linux and macOS.
What disk-mark-me is
disk-mark-me is a free command-line shell script for benchmarking disk performance on Linux and macOS. It uses fio to measure sequential and random read and write performance, reporting results in MB/s and IOPS averaged over configured rounds. The default profile runs sequential 1 MiB tests at queue depths 8 and 1, plus random 4 KiB tests at queue depths 32 and 1, with one thread. Options let users choose the target directory, test-file size, number of rounds, read or write mode, and verbose output. The script requires fio, numfmt, and utilities including grep with PCRE support, awk, bc, df, stat, id, touch, and rm. It attempts operating-system-specific cache clearing before reads; sudo is optional and recommended when permitted. Installation is recommended through the included Makefile. Linux support includes Debian, Ubuntu, and JELOS or ROCKNIX handheld systems. macOS support is beta and requires fio and GNU coreutils from Homebrew. Results should be compared within the same operating-system environment.
Good
- Measures sequential and random read/write performance
- Reports MB/s and IOPS
- Configurable directory, size, rounds, and test type
- Supports Linux and beta macOS
- MIT-licensed shell script
Watch out
- macOS support is beta
- Requires fio and several command-line utilities
- Cross-operating-system comparisons are discouraged
- Intensive writes may wear SD cards
Who it suits
It suits users who want configurable disk benchmarks from a terminal on Linux or macOS. It is also relevant to supported handheld Linux systems.
Verdict
disk-mark-me offers a focused, configurable way to measure storage performance from the command line. Users should install its prerequisites and interpret results within the same operating-system environment.
The facts
Each one read from disk-mark-me's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Benchmark profile
- The default profile uses sequential 1 MiB tests at queue depths 8 and 1, and random 4 KiB tests at queue depths 32 and 1, each with one thread.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Cache clearing
- It attempts to clear disk caches before read tests using operating-system-specific methods when permissions allow; sudo is optional and recommended for this.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Comparability
- The maker advises using results to compare performance within the same operating-system environment because results across operating systems should not be directly compared.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The README advises against directly comparing results across operating systems because storage stacks, hardware interfaces, fio engines, and filesystems can affect results.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Options include the target directory, test file size, number of rounds, benchmark type (read, write, or both), and verbose output.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The maker recommends installing with the provided Makefile, either to ~/.local/bin or to a system-wide location such as /usr/local/bin.checked 5 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository states that the script is released under the MIT License.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Prerequisites
- The script requires fio, numfmt, and standard command-line utilities including grep with PCRE/-P support, awk, bc, df, stat, id, touch, and rm.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- disk-mark-me is a shell script that benchmarks disk performance using fio and formats results similarly to CrystalDiskMark’s default profile.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Read/write tests
- It tests sequential and random read and write performance.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- It requires fio, numfmt, and standard command-line utilities including grep with PCRE support, awk, bc, df, stat, id, touch, and rm.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Results
- Results are displayed in MB/s and IOPS, and measurements are averaged across the configured rounds.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Support and contributions
- The maker invites users to open an issue or submit a pull request for improvements or bug fixes.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The project describes support for Linux and beta support for macOS, including Linux handheld gaming consoles running JELOS or ROCKNIX.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Tests
- It tests sequential and random read and write performance and reports results in MB/s and IOPS.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Usage cautions
- The README says intensive write benchmarks can contribute to SD card wear and that other I/O-intensive processes can skew results.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Usage considerations
- The maker notes that benchmarks may take significant time, frequent intensive writes can wear SD cards, and other I/O activity can skew results.checked 5 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux support
- The maker describes support for Linux distributions including Debian/Ubuntu and embedded handheld systems running JELOS or ROCKNIX.checked 5 Oct 2026
- macOS limit
- The project labels macOS support beta and says GNU coreutils and, when needed, GNU grep should be installed and available in PATH.checked 5 Oct 2026
- macOS support
- macOS support is marked beta, and the instructions call for fio and GNU coreutils installed through Homebrew.checked 5 Oct 2026
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