Hwinfo

Overview

The command hwinfo prints information about your hardware:

• CPU
• block devices aka hard disk, CD ROM, floppy
• BIOS
• network card

Install it

hwinfo should be installed by default. However if it is not find out your distribution to find out how to install it:

• for SUSE:

yast -i hwinfo

• for Debian, Raspbian, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Flubuntu, Xubuntu, GEUbuntu, Edubuntu, ...:

apt-get install hwinfo

• for Fedora, Red Hat, Red Flag, Asianux, ...:

yum install hwinfo

Run it

To print information about your hardware:

# hwinfo --help
Usage: hwinfo [options]
Probe for hardware.
  --short        just a short listing
  --log logfile  write info to logfile
  --debug level  set debuglevel
  --version      show libhd version
  --dump-db n    dump hardware data base, 0: external, 1: internal
  --hw_item      probe for hw_item
  hw_item is one of:
   all, bios, block, bluetooth, braille, bridge, camera, cdrom, chipcard,
   cpu, disk, dsl, dvb, fingerprint, floppy, framebuffer, gfxcard, hub,
   ide, isapnp, isdn, joystick, keyboard, memory, modem, monitor, mouse,
   netcard, network, partition, pci, pcmcia, pcmcia-ctrl, pppoe, printer,
   scanner, scsi, smp, sound, storage-ctrl, sys, tape, tv, usb, usb-ctrl,
   vbe, wlan, zip

  Note: debug info is shown only in the log file. (If you specify a
  log file the debug level is implicitly set to a reasonable value.)

Examples

CPU

• find out your processor type

# hwinfo --cpu --short
cpu:                                                            
                       Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8250U CPU @ 1.60GHz, 1800 MHz

Note

If you want to know what your CPU is doing, use the command top.

network

• find out what eth0, eth1 and the like stands for

# hwinfo --netcard --short
network:
  eth0                 Intel 82562V-2 10/100 Network Connection
  eth1                 D-Link DGE-528T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
  wlan0                Ralink 802.11 bg WLAN

• find out drivers for your network cards:

# hwinfo --netcard | grep -Ei "model\:|driver\:"
 Model: "Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet PCIe"
 Driver: "tg3"
 Model: "Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100"
 Driver: "iwlwifi"

Note

If you want to know what data is being transmitted over your network, use iptraf and tcpdump.

storage

• find out your hdd controllers

hwinfo --storage --short
storage:
                       Floppy disk controller
                       Intel 82801I (ICH9 Family) 2 port SATA IDE Controller
                       Intel 82801IR/IO/IH (ICH9R/DO/DH) 4 port SATA IDE Controller

• find out your harddisks and partitions

hwinfo --block --short
disk:
  /dev/sdb             WDC WD3200AAKS-7
  /dev/sda             SAMSUNG HD103UJ
partition:
  /dev/sdb1            Partition
  /dev/sdb2            Partition
  /dev/sda1            Partition
cdrom:
  /dev/sr1             TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-H653B
  /dev/sr0             HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDRH20N

Note

If you want more info on your partitions, you may want to call fdisk.

See also

• hwinfo man page