Systemload output from "w": what does it mean?

[Alan H. Mintz]

In article <262 at twg.wimsey.bc.ca>, bill at twg.wimsey.bc.ca (Bill Irwin) writes:
> [the "w" command]  reports "load  average" followed by three sets  of  numbers.   These
> numbers  get  higher as more users come on the system, as  they  probably
> should,  but why three of them?  What is considered medium or heavy  load
> conditions?  Is it measuring cpu usage and/or swapping and/or disk i/o?
> 
> I  am running SCO XENIX 2.3.2.  The help command doesn't know about  "w".
> Anyone familiar with this?

>From TFM w(C):

"Load averages are the number of processes in the run queue averaged over
1, 5, and 15 minutes"
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