Using inxi for Comprehensive System Information

📥Installation

inxi is available in the package repositories of most major Linux distributions:

Ubuntu / Debian / Linux Mint:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y inxi

Fedora / RHEL / CentOS / Rocky Linux:

sudo dnf install -y inxi

Arch Linux / Manjaro:

sudo pacman -S inxi

openSUSE:

sudo zypper install inxi

🚀Basic Usage

The most useful command for comprehensive system information is:

inxi -Fxz

Flag breakdown:

• -F - Full output mode. Shows all available system information including CPU, GPU, memory, drives, network, audio, and more.
• -x - Extra data. Adds additional details like driver versions, chip IDs, and module information.
• -z - Privacy filter. Hides sensitive data like MAC addresses, IP addresses, serial numbers, and location information.

Sample output:

System:
  Host: myserver Kernel: 6.8.0-51-generic x86_64 bits: 64
  Desktop: N/A Distro: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 15 v: N/A
  Mobo: Dell model: 0ABCDE v: A00 serial: <filter>
  UEFI: Dell v: 2.18.0 date: 08/15/2024
CPU:
  Info: quad core Intel Core i7-10510U [MT MCD]
  speed (MHz): avg: 1200 min/max: 400/4900
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 620 driver: i915 v: kernel
  Display: server: X.org v: 1.21.1.13 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
Memory:
  RAM: total: 15.4 GiB used: 4.2 GiB (27.3%)
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 89.3 GiB (18.7%)
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless 8265 / 8275 driver: iwlwifi
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>

The output is organized into logical sections, making it easy to find specific information quickly.

🎯Targeted Information Queries

For specific information without the full output, inxi offers targeted flags:

# CPU information only
inxi -C

# Memory/RAM details
inxi -m

# Disk/storage information
inxi -D

# Graphics/GPU details
inxi -G

# Network interfaces
inxi -n

# Audio devices
inxi -A

# Battery information (laptops)
inxi -B

# Sensors and temperatures
inxi -s

# System information (distro, kernel)
inxi -S

Flags can be combined for specific combinations:

# CPU + Graphics + Memory
inxi -CGm

# Network + Drives with extra details
inxi -nDx

# Full CPU info with all available details
inxi -Cxxx

💡Common Use Cases

Troubleshooting hardware detection:

# Check what driver is being used for graphics
inxi -Gx

# Verify all storage drives are detected
inxi -Dxx

# Check network card model and driver status
inxi -nx

Saving system information to file:

# Save full system info with timestamp
inxi -Fxz > system-info-$(date +%Y%m%d).txt

# View the saved file
cat system-info-*.txt

Quick system summary for support requests:

# Concise system overview
inxi -b

# Full details with privacy filter (safe to share)
inxi -Fxz

Checking thermal status:

# Show temperatures and fan speeds
inxi -sx

# Include CPU frequencies and thermal data
inxi -Csx

⚡Advanced Features

Verbosity levels:

Add more x flags for increasing detail levels:

# Level 1: Standard extra details
inxi -Fx

# Level 2: More details (driver versions, etc.)
inxi -Fxx

# Level 3: Maximum available details
inxi -Fxxx

JSON output for scripting:

# Output as JSON for parsing
inxi -Fxz --output json

# Can be piped to jq for processing
inxi -Fxz --output json | jq '.System'

Color output control:

# Disable colors (for file output)
inxi -Fxz -c 0

# Full color scheme
inxi -Fxz -c 31

System uptime and processes:

# Show top 5 CPU and memory processes with full system info
inxi -Fxz -t cm5

📖Interpreting Output

Understanding key sections of inxi output:

• System/Machine: Hardware model, manufacturer, BIOS/UEFI version.
• CPU: Processor model, core count, current/min/max frequencies, and architecture.
• Graphics: GPU model, driver in use (driver: i915 for Intel, nvidia for NVIDIA, etc.).
• Memory: Total RAM, current usage, and swap status.
• Drives: Storage devices with model numbers, sizes, and used space.
• Network: Network interfaces with driver information and link status.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Does inxi take up a lot of resources?

No, inxi does not take up a lot of resources. It is a lightweight, command-line system information script designed for speed and efficiency. It runs only when called and does not operate in the background.

• Low Impact: As a Perl script, inxi has a negligible footprint on CPU and memory while generating reports. It's intended for quick debugging and system checks.
• Execution Time: In most cases, inxi provides output almost instantaneously. However, intensive arguments (like inxi -Fxxx or inxi -D on systems with many drives) may take a few seconds while querying detailed system data.
• Optional Depth: You control resource usage through verbosity levels (-x, -xx, -xxx). Higher levels take longer as they query more detailed hardware data, but still don't monopolize system resources.

In summary, inxi is highly efficient and safe to use even on resource-constrained systems.

Does inxi install a lot of dependencies?

Yes, installing inxi through a package manager may pull in a significant number of dependencies. This is primarily because inxi is a comprehensive system information tool that queries hundreds of different system components.

• Perl Dependencies: As a Perl script, inxi requires various Perl modules to function, which can add to the package count.
• Comprehensive Data Gathering: To provide detailed output about graphics, network, audio, sensors, and drives, inxi relies on system utilities like lsusb, lspci, and dmidecode, which are registered as dependencies.
• Repository Differences: Some distributions pull in recommended packages. Using sudo apt install --no-install-recommends inxi on Debian/Ubuntu can reduce the footprint.
• Alternative Method: You can download the inxi script directly from the GitHub project and run it standalone to avoid package manager dependencies, though you'll need to ensure required utilities are available.

Do inxi dependencies take up a lot of space?

No, inxi and its dependencies do not take up a lot of space. The script itself is lightweight, and most dependencies are tools that are already present on typical Linux systems or are very small utilities.

• Minimal Core Dependencies: inxi requires Perl 5.008 or higher, which is standard on most Linux distributions. Beyond that, it leverages existing system tools.
• Small Footprint: The inxi script itself is a single file. It's often considered for inclusion in default installations due to its minimal size.
• Alternative to Large Tools: Unlike GUI system information tools or containerized apps (like Flatpaks) that bundle libraries and consume significant disk space, inxi is a lightweight script.
• Optional Recommendations: While inxi has optional dependencies for detailed information (like smartmontools for drive data or dmidecode for hardware), these are not required for core functionality.

Installing inxi is very safe for systems with limited disk space.

Does installing inxi increase attack surface?

Technically, installing inxi increases your attack surface, but the risk is generally considered negligible to extremely low for typical users.

• Increased Surface Area: In cybersecurity, every installed application is a potential point of entry for an attacker. Installing any new software technically adds to this surface.
• Low-Risk Tool: inxi is a command-line script primarily used for reading system information. It does not run as a persistent background service (daemon) or open network ports, which are the main sources of high-risk vulnerabilities.
• Information Disclosure Risks: While inxi output is comprehensive, using the -z privacy filter prevents disclosure of sensitive information like MAC addresses and serial numbers. Without this flag, detailed system information could potentially help an attacker identify specific vulnerabilities, though inxi itself is not a direct attack vector.
• Safety Profile: inxi is a reputable, open-source tool often pre-installed or available in official repositories for many Linux distributions. It is actively maintained and not considered malware.

📋Quick Reference

Most commonly used commands:

# Complete system information (privacy-filtered)
inxi -Fxz

# Short summary
inxi -b

# CPU details
inxi -Cx

# Memory details
inxi -mx

# Disk information
inxi -Dx

# Network information
inxi -nx

# Graphics details
inxi -Gx

# Temperatures and sensors
inxi -sx

# Everything with maximum detail
inxi -Fxxxz

# JSON output for parsing
inxi -Fxz --output json