How to start Apache JMeter in non-graphical (non-GUI) mode?

Key takeaways

• Non-GUI mode is the only sensible way to run a real load test.
• Pass the test plan and the results file on the command line and let it run headless.
• The GUI is for building and debugging plans, not for generating load.

If you want to start Apache JMeter in non-GUI mode, use the following command line options:

• -n – non-GUI mode – this specifies JMeter is to run in non-GUI mode
• -t – JMX file – location of the test plan and the name of JMX file that contains the Test Plan
• -l – log file name of JTL file to log sample results to

Example

jmeter -n -t my_test_plan.jmx -l log.jtl

Optional

• -j – name of JMeter run log file
• -r – Run the test in the servers specified by the JMeter property “remote_hosts”
• -R – list of remote servers Run the test in the specified remote servers
• -H – proxy server hostname or ip address
• -P – proxy server port

Example

jmeter -n -t my_test_plan.jmx -l log.jtl -H my.proxy.server -P 8000

Tips for running JMeter in non-GUI mode:

• here are details on how to add jmeter to the PATH variable of your environment
• remove any listeners that are GUI mode specific (you can do this by opening your JMX file in GUI mode and remove the GUI specific listeners)
• get summary results in the terminal by activating the summary option in the jmeter.properties file

Additional scripts that come with Apache JMeter installation can be found in the /bin folder where you’ve downloaded JMeter.

For Windows systems:

• jmeter-n.cmd – drop a JMX file on this to run a non-GUI test
• jmeter-n-r.cmd – drop a JMX file on this to run a non-GUI test remotely
• mirror-server.cmd – runs the JMeter Mirror Server in non-GUI mode
• shutdown.cmd – Run the Shutdown client to stop a non-GUI instance gracefully
• stoptest.cmd – Run the Shutdown client to stop a non-GUI instance abruptly

For Unix/Linux systems:

• mirror-server.sh – runs the JMeter Mirror Server in non-GUI mode
• shutdown.sh – Run the Shutdown client to stop a non-GUI instance gracefully
• stoptest.sh – Run the Shutdown client to stop a non-GUI instance abruptly

The commands will only be accepted if the scripts are run from the same host. Details on how to start JMeter on Mac system can be found here. Also, here is how to load test a website with Apache JMeter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the command line options?

-n for non-GUI mode, -t for the JMX test plan and -l for the results file. Those three cover a standard headless run.

Why does non-GUI matter?

Because the interface consumes the CPU and memory you wanted for generating load. Running headless is the difference between measuring the server and measuring your own machine.

So what is the GUI for?

Building and debugging the plan. Use it to get the scenario right, then run the finished plan headless.

Related reading

• How to Increase Heap Size in JMeter?
• Should You Use the JMeter GUI to Run Load Tests?
• How To Use Apache JMeter To Load Test a Web Server

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