Hardware Info

[glennzo]

So I'm sitting here bored out of my gourd when I get to thinking that Windows has a bunch of very nice system info type programs that will tell you more than you ever needed to know about your computer. I'm not aware of a really good program for Linux. Then my idle mind started wondering just how much system info I could squeeze out of my Linux box with command line tools. Not being a completely rounded Linux guru I came up with this:

System Information gleaned from Linux utilities - Computer Johnbonham
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Linux Version: 2.6.25.14-108.fc9.i686 (mockbuild@) (gcc version 4.3.0 20080428 (Red Hat 4.3.0-8) (GCC) ) #1 SMP Mon Aug 4 14:08:11 EDT 2008

MainBoard:
CPU: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.80GHz
Memory: 1034680 kB (1GB)
Video: nVidia Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 5500] (rev a1)
Audio: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 60)
Modem: VIA Technologies, Inc. AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 80)
Network: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 78)
Firewire:
Keyboard: Logitech, Inc. Classic New Touch Keyboard
Mouse:
Optical Drives:

Model=WDC WD800JB-00JJC0 - /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
Model=Maxtor 6Y160P0 - /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
Model=WDC WD5000AAJS-00TKA0 - /dev/sdc: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
Hdparm doesn't work for this USB drive - /dev/sdd: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes

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No mainboard info, no mouse info, no firewire info, no optical drive info. How could I get the missing info? The tools I used are lspci, lsusb and cat/proc/whatever-looked-interesting-when-I-did-an-ls-of-the-proc-folder.

[Seve]

Hello:
Try

yum install hardinfo

Seve

[glennzo]

Hi Seve. Thanks. I'll try that right now. You're not thinking of hwbrowser are you?

Edit: Wow! Nice call Seve. That's the one. More system info than I could ever use.

[Seve]

Originally Posted by glennzo

Hi Seve. Thanks. I'll try that right now. You're not thinking of hwbrowser are you?

No, hwbrowser is a different application.

Seve

[marko]

you can install "lshw" via yum and running it as root produces a ton of hardware info

[scottro]

There is also dmidecode. (Installed by default, IIRC)

[JohnVV]

well "System Profiler and Benchmark" aka the gui for hardinfo is nice

[stevea]

Don't forget "lshw-gui" too.


Nah - Linux has plenty of hardward-explore tools. What is lacking are tools like cpu-z (I think that's one) that an change the memory clock rate and such while the system is up.

[glennzo]

Well, lacking or not I got more info than I could ever have imagined using the tools you guys suggested, which is good because I have so many computers here (want one?) that its hard to remember which box has what hardware. Thanks for all the help.

That hardinfo thing told me than I really wanted to know... Like how slow my PC is

Wayne

[glennzo]

Originally Posted by Wayne

That hardinfo thing told me than I really wanted to know... Like how slow my PC is

Wayne

Funny you should mention that Wayne. That's where this all started with me. When I started this thread I said that I was bored. Frustrated may have been a better description. One of my computers seems to have turned into a real dog and I've been chasing the cause of this perceived slowdown for a few days now. Even bought an NVidia card since I thought it was the ATI card causing it. Didn't change a thing.

I have gotten a system message periodically stating that the CPU has been throttled due to temperature concerns.

Mine is slow due to age. I'm wondering if it will go the 10 year stretch, it must be 9 years old by now! Perhaps a case fan will help you?

Wayne

Has the case got enough Air Vents

[glennzo]

Case fan will definitely help. Problem there, not to be a baby, is that the fan will also increase the noise level. Since there are 3 desktops sitting on the floor 12" to my left noise is a concern. (Sounded like a server room in here until I put a piece of carpet under the boxes). The power supply is relatively new. Think fan there. The CPU heatsink / fan is a few months old. Yes, I used thermal compound when I installed that. I blew out the dust the other day also.

Things I wonder about with this computer:
Could the board be shorted to the case in such a way as to allow for operation but at a throttled rate?
Maybe the board is just getting old. I think there are a few capacitors that are leaking.
Memory issues? The memory is the correct and recommended memory for the board. Bad stick?
There are 3 hard disks in the box. All packed into the front of the case in the bays. Maybe the heat there is too much for the system?
How can I tell if the CPU is actually throttled or not at any given moment?

Let me add that EVERYTHING I do with this computer takes the CPU to 99-100%

The computer in question is the desktop in my signature.

[glennzo]

Originally Posted by Demz

Has the case got enough Air Vents

It's all stock, so in theory, yes. In practice, probably not.. If I have to I will take all hardware out of the case and reassemble it on the desk, out of the case. Then I'll run it and see if there's a noticeable difference. Not time to do that yet though.