Comprehensive Guide to Checking Hardware Information in Linux

Why Monitor Hardware in Linux?

Understanding your system’s hardware is essential for troubleshooting, driver compatibility, performance tuning, and upgrade planning. Linux offers powerful built-in commands and tools to extract detailed hardware insights without third-party software.

Essential Terminal Commands

1. CPU & Architecture

Command: lscpu
Output Includes:

• CPU model, cores, threads, and architecture (e.g., x86_64, ARM)
• CPU family, model name, and clock speed
• Virtualization support (VT-x/AMD-V)
  Example:

  lscpu | grep "Model name"  
  Model name:            Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10750H CPU @ 2.60GHz

2. PCI Devices (GPUs, NICs, etc.)

Command: lspci
Flags:

• -v: Verbose details (driver/module in use)
• -k: Show kernel drivers
  Example:

  lspci -v | grep -A 8 VGA  # Identify graphics card

3. USB Devices

Command: lsusb
Output: Vendor IDs, connected devices (keyboards, webcams, etc.)
Pro Tip: Use lsusb -t for a tree view of USB ports/hubs.

4. Comprehensive Hardware Overview

Command: sudo lshw
Flags:

• -short: Simplified summary
• -html > report.html: Generate HTML report
  Example:

  sudo lshw -short | grep -i disk  # List disks

5. Storage (Disks & Partitions)

• Block Devices: lsblk (shows disk partitions, sizes, mount points)
• Disk Free Space: df -h (human-readable storage usage)
• Partition Details: sudo fdisk -l

6. RAM & BIOS

Command: sudo dmidecode
Target Specifics:

• Memory: sudo dmidecode -t memory
• BIOS: sudo dmidecode -t bios
• System: sudo dmidecode -t system

User-Friendly Tools

inxi (Install via sudo apt install inxi)

All-in-One Summary:

inxi -Fxz  

Flags:

• -F: Full system report
• -x: Extended details
• -z: Hide sensitive data (MAC addresses)

Hardinfo (GUI Tool)

Install with sudo apt install hardinfo for graphical hardware exploration.
Features: Interactive menus, benchmark tests, and report generation.

Practical Examples

1. Identify Unknown Network Controller:

   lspci | grep -i network

2. Check RAM Slots & Capacity:

   sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -i size

3. Verify Disk Health:

   sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda  # Requires `smartmontools`

Key Notes

• Use sudo for commands accessing low-level hardware (e.g., dmidecode, lshw).
• Pipe outputs to grep for quick filtering (e.g., lspci | grep -i "vga").
• Combine tools: lshw + dmidecode gives the most exhaustive details.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tip: If hardware isn’t detected, update the PCI ID database with sudo update-pciids.

Master these commands to unlock complete visibility into your Linux system’s hardware! 🐧💻