lshw

Overview

The lshw (List Hardware) command provides detailed information about the physical hardware configuration of the machine. It can report exact memory configuration, firmware version, mainboard configuration, CPU version and speed, cache configuration, bus speed, etc.

Syntax

lshw [options]

Common Options

Option Description
-short Brief output
-businfo Bus information
-class class Show specific class
-C class Same as -class
-html HTML output
-xml XML output
-json JSON output
-sanitize Hide sensitive info
-numeric Numeric IDs
-quiet Less verbose
-version Show version

Hardware Classes

Class Description
system System info
cpu Processor
memory Memory devices
disk Storage
network Network interfaces
display Display adapters
multimedia Multimedia devices
power Power device
input Input devices

Key Use Cases

  1. Hardware inventory
  2. System diagnostics
  3. Configuration check
  4. Troubleshooting
  5. Documentation

Examples with Explanations

Example 1: Basic Usage

lshw -short

Brief hardware list

Example 2: Specific Class

lshw -class disk

Show storage devices

Example 3: HTML Output

lshw -html > hardware.html

Generate HTML report

Common Usage Patterns

  1. Full system scan:

    lshw

  2. Network devices:

    lshw -class network

  3. Memory info:

    lshw -class memory

Security Considerations

  1. Sensitive information
  2. System access
  3. Output sanitization
  4. Report distribution
  5. Access control

Additional Resources

Best Practices

  1. Regular scanning
  2. Documentation
  3. Change tracking
  4. Report formatting
  5. Data protection

Output Formats

  1. Text (default)
  2. HTML
  3. XML
  4. JSON
  5. Short format

Troubleshooting

  1. Missing information
  2. Access errors
  3. Output format
  4. Device detection
  5. System compatibility