Hardware configuration in linux

5 GUI Tools to See Hardware Information in Ubuntu/Linux

Here are 5 best graphical tools to check your Linux hardware information without using harsh commands.

Checking hardware (CPU, motherboard, process, etc.) information is one of the most common and important tasks we do in our computers. Viewing details of physical components of a computer lets us get idea about a computer’s configuration. It let’s us assume which physical system we are working with, as well as having idea how good a machine would perform and which operating systems and drivers are applicable for it. In one word, hardware info is an obvious part of the details a user should know about his/her system.

In Windows OS, the most general way to see hardware configuration is to right-click on My Computer icon and then clicking Properties from context menu. This provides a minimal information. For more detailed view, Windows Device Manger and System Information utilities can be used. As third party tools, Speccy and CPU-Z seem to be very popular, though the number of system/hardware information tool for Windows is endless.

As of Linux OS, most of the tools you get to see system information are command-line based. This means, once you install those tools, you need to type-in commands in Terminal to get output about installed hardware units. This is really a boring procedure and not convenient to anyone.

I have searched for programs that present hardware specifications in Linux system without requiring any command to input, and found a plenty of utilities. I have selected 5 best ones to show here that works out of the box. You may search for the following tools in your software store (if you have one in your Linux) for jump installation.

1. I-Nex

Probably the best CPU-Z alternative for Linux. I-Nex resembles CPU-Z’s UI. And you would probably like it.

I-Nex shows detailed information on your CPU, Graphics(GPU), Motherboard, Audio hardware and many more in very beautiful way. Major hardware units have their one tab. Every tab contains the device name/model, manufacturer, driver info, and other available data. The presentation provided here is very clear and easy to understand. It even lets you generate customizable report on the whole system. It lets you take screenshot too.

Along with hardware, in also shows useful details on your operating system, such as, Linux distro name, version, GCC version, X.Org version, etc. There’s also a tab for Kernel information.

To install I-Nex on Ubuntu/Mint or any derivatives, type the following commands one after another at each prompt in Terminal.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:i-nex-development-team/stable

For Arch Linux, Fedora, openSUSE, Manjaro and other derivatives, here’s the official guide to install.

2. Hardinfo

HardInfo is a hardware analysis, system benchmark and report generator tool that can be found pre-installed in Linux Mint. It lists all hardware units vertically on left side of the program. You need to click on the name of a device to reveal details of that component. The Summary entry shows overview of your whole system in a short form.

Besides generating report in HTML, you can compare your system with other systems with its benchmarking tools from bottom.

To install Hardinfo, run the following commands into Terminal in Debian/Ubuntu/Mint and its derivatives.

sudo apt-get install hardinfo

On Fedora, use the following command:

sudo yum install hardinfo 

3. Sysinfo

A lightweight program that shows your hardware information in simple way. Unlike above programs, it doesn’t show much information.

Use the following command to install in Ubuntu/Mint:

sudo apt-get install sysinfo

4. lshw-gtk (Hardware Lister)

This the graphical version the popular command-line hardware info tool lshw. Use Refresh from toolbar if you see blank window. Though it looks so simple, the information it provides are really extensive and informative. It also features export function with XML, HTML and plain text support. Use Save button to export your report.

Installation command for Ubuntu/Mint:

sudo apt-get install lshw-gtk

Then type lshw-gtk in Terminal to launch it.

For Fedora, use the following command:

Use lshw-gui command in Terminal to launch it.

5. KInfoCenter (KDE Info Center)

KInfoCenter is a part of KDE desktop environment. But it can be installed on other desktops too. This utility provides various information that are unique to your hardware. You get information on PCI, Network Interfaces, X Server, USB Devices, IO Ports, etc. along with main hardware units. If you have a Linux with KDE desktop, you may already have this installed.

Install KInfoCenter in Ubuntu/Mint using following command:

sudo apt-get install kinfocenter

To install in Fedora, use following command:

sudo yum install kinfocenter

On both OS, type kinfocenter in Terminal to launch it.

I personally like I-Nex. It’s sleek design and faster startup beats anything. Let us know which hardware info utility you are using.

Author: Jaber Al Nahian

Jaber is a Programmer and Tech Enthusiast Geek from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is the founder and Chief-Editor of TechGainer. While he is away from his keyboard, either he’s fishing or messing with wildlife. In case, you can contact him at rijans[at]techgainer[dot]com.

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