Checking Linux system hardware manufacturer info

Obtaining system hardware information is not a difficult task for Linux GUI users, but could be a complex task for Linux CLI users.

There are numerous tools available in Linux, to locate system hardware information, but we will show you how to check hardware manufacturer name, system model and serial number.

We all understand the importance of having this information while reaching out to hardware vendor & this article covers best four commands, that can ease the process & help users for tracking the data faster.

Method-1 : Using Dmidecode Command

Dmidecode is a tool that reads computer’s DMI table contents and display’s system hardware information in a human-readable format.

The DMI table accommodates the details of system’s hardware components, along with other useful information such as, serial number, Manufacturer information, Release Date, and BIOS revision, etc.

Run ‘dmidecode’ command using system keyword to view system manufacturer information, as below:

# dmidecode -t system

# dmidecode 2.12
# SMBIOS entry point at 0x7e7bf000
SMBIOS 2.7 present.

Handle 0x0024, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
        Manufacturer: IBM
        Product Name: System x2530 M4: -[1214AC1]-
        Version: 0B
        Serial Number: MK2RL11
        UUID: 762A99BF-6916-450F-80A6-B2E9E78FC9A1
        Wake-up Type: Power Switch
        SKU Number: Not Specified
        Family: System X

Handle 0x004B, DMI type 12, 5 bytes
System Configuration Options
        Option 1: JP20 pin1-2: TPM PP Disable, pin2-3: TPM PP Enable

Handle 0x004D, DMI type 32, 20 bytes
System Boot Information
        Status: No errors detected

Method-2 : Using inxi Command

inxi is a unique command that helps collect all the required hardware information in Linux systems. This command comes with wide range of options that no other tool can offer. Let us see how this command works below.

Use the inxi command along with -M option to display system manufacture information (manufacturer Name, Chassis Information, Product Information, Bios Information and Serial Number) & there you go:

# inxi -M
Machine:   Device: server System: IBM product: N/A v: 0B serial: MK2RL11
           Mobo: IBM model: 00Y8494 serial: 37M17D UEFI: IBM v: -[VVE134MUS-1.50]- date: 08/30/2013

Method-3 : Using lshw Command

lshw (AKA Hardware Lister) is a small nifty tool that lists out detailed report, housing various hardware components in Linux machine, by reading multiple files under ‘/proc’ directory and DMI table.

Run ‘lshw’ command with system ‘class’ option to check system manufacturer information, as shown below:

# lshw -C system
enal-dbo01t
    description: Blade
    product: System x2530 M4: -[1214AC1]-
    vendor: IBM
    version: 0B
    serial: MK2RL11
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.7 dmi-2.7 vsyscall32
    configuration: boot=normal chassis=enclosure family=System X uuid=762A99BF-6916-450F-80A6-B2E9E78FC9A1

Method-4 : Using hwinfo Command

hwinfo, also called hardware information, is another significant tool, used to explore a hardware residing in system and display detailed output containing various components, in a human-readable format.

This command display’s an output in much detailed format, when compared to other tools (lshw, dmidecode, inxi, etc.)

Run the following command (shown below) to locate manufacturer information:

# hwinfo | egrep   "system.hardware.vendor|system.hardware.product"
  system.hardware.vendor = 'IBM'
  system.hardware.product = 'System x2530 M4: -[1214AC1]-'

Please refer below steps to collect system hardware information, If in case above tools are not installed on your system:

Bonus Tips-1: Using /sys file system

Kernel’s expose some of DMI information to the ‘/sys’ virtual file system. Hence, use ‘grep’ command (shown below) to collect system manufacture information manually:

# grep "" /sys/class/dmi/id/[pbs]*

As an alternate, we can also print a specific hardware information shown below:

# cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_vendor
IBM

# cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_name
System x2530 M4: -[1214AC1]-

# cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_serial
MK2RL11

# cat /sys/class/dmi/id/bios_version
-[VVE134MUS-1.50]-

Bonus Tips-2: Using dmesg Command

‘dmesg’ command is used to write the kernel messages (boot-time messages) in Linux before syslogd or klogd start. It obtains data by reading the kernel ring buffer. ‘dmesg’ can be very useful while troubleshooting & also for obtaining information about the hardware on a system.

# dmesg | grep -i DMI
DMI: System x2530 M4: -[1214AC1]-/00Y8494, BIOS -[VVE134MUS-1.50]- 08/30/2013

Conclusion:

The purpose of this article was to identify effective strategies to deal with our difficulties while handling routine tasks. We hope the content was to your satisfaction & look forward to contributing more to your success.

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