Linux knowledge: Inxi – information on hardware and software – Computer Base

Inxi is a small, useful command line tool that displays information about the hardware and software to parameters of a Linux computer. It is available in Debian and its derivatives, in Arch, Fedora, Mageia, Mandriva, openSUSE and other distributions, but can also be installed manually.

Inxi is for about eight developed years and originated from a similar script that had created a user for the distribution Sidux. Since the tool is constantly evolving. It now displays an exuberant variety of information on hardware and software. To not get cluttered displays a lot of information, the user can control the information on switch. It can be queried selected individual hardware components, the same level of detail can be adjusted respectively.

Inxi installs quickly

First let’s determine whether Inxi in the respective distribution in the archives is available. In Debian or derived systems extends to a apt-cache policy inxi or applicable in the new notation, the apt since version 1.0: apt policy inxi . The result, if successful, output similar to this:

  apt policy inxi inxi Installs: 2.2.33-1 installation candidate: 2.2.33- 1 version table: *** 2.2.33-1 500 500 http://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/siduction/extra unstable / main amd64 Packages 500 http://ftp.uni-stuttgart.de/siduction/extra unstable / main i386 Packages 100 / var / lib / dpkg / status 2.2.28-1 500 500 http://httpredir.debian.org/debian unstable / main amd64 Packages 500 http://httpredir.debian.org/debian unstable / main i386 Packages 500 http://httpredir.debian.org/debian testing / main amd64 Packages 500 http://httpredir.debian.org/debian testing / main i386 Packages  

Under the item installed of course there is not specified, since the installation of the apt-get update & amp; & amp; apt-get install inxi should only be made. In current systems, the -get are omitted. In a few seconds Inxi is installed and ready for use.

For distributions that do not lead Inxi in the archives, it is necessary to manually install the little tool. This is done quickly using the command line:

  cd / usr / local / bin & amp; & amp; wget -Nc smxi.org/inxi & amp; & amp; chmod + x inxi  

If Inxi manually installed in this way, the user has to take care of the update. This is done with inxi -U . Some distributions have however this switch disabled. This can be changed /etc/inxi.conf in the file.

give Overview

Diversity the options and parameters can the user initially killed, but shows the man page for Inxi, or failing that, the command inxi -h two full screens of parameters to control the output and narrow. There will be case-sensitive application. Here, the developer is followed in that capital letters provide the most important information of a component, while lower case letters are in charge of the details. The parameters can be combined. In addition, it does not matter if the letters are written consecutively or contain spaces.

Short Out

But let’s look first at the regular speed output that the command inxi without parameters outputs:

  ~ $    inxi CPU ~ quad core Intel Core i7-6700 (-HT-MCP ) speed / max ~ 799/4000 MHz ~ kernel 4.5.0-towo.1-siduction amd64 x86_64 Up ~ 15 days ~ Mem 13790.1 / 31943.3MB HDD ~ 3250.6GB (28.1% used) procs ~ 340 ~ client Shell inxi ~ 2.3.0  

to ensure that only the main specifications of the system are listed. In this form Inxi is often used in IRC chats or forums. So are the people seeking help the supporters a first overview of the hardware used, without wasting too much space. Thereafter, the parameter -v can provide further information in scaled-down form. To complete the confusion, the parameter -x goes into depth. The ratio of -vn -x , -xx or -xxx is described in detail in the man at the end.

Dear detail

So yields inxi -v3 already a good overview. Even more are from inxi -Fv7 . Individual components may also be interrogated in varying degrees of detail. For example, shows inxi -P partition information for /, / boot, / home, / tmp, / usr, and / var whereas inxi -p here more goes into depth and displays all partitions.

also configurations shows Inxi on. So the parameter r presents about the source list for many distributions. Inxi can be called directly with various IRC clients, so that copying from the console eliminates the client. This automatically takes a switch is used, which filters out private information such as IP addresses. The purpose competent switch is z . Will these data nevertheless – as in a private chat room – See, you can do this with -Z . The color scheme of Inxi can using the c (1 – 32) are adapted to the preferences.

Inxi is in constant evolution. Just a few days has added developer Harald Hope (h2) the useful parameter B , which provides important information about batteries. So in addition to the charging status and the overall status is displayed. After a bit of training time hardware hobbyists are this tool does not want to miss.

Alternatives to Inxi

A graphic surface for Inxi called Guanxi is also in the works. All information about Inxi and other scripts from h2 can be found on the website of the developer. In the evening he is usually found on the server OFTC IRC channel #smxi and accepts suggestions and criticisms. As a graphical alternative I-Nex may apply, which is modeled on the Windows tool CPU-Z, but long can not be so fine-grained control. On most distributions, the tools and Sysinfo HARDiNFO also included, which includes but not reach Inxi.