Windows msinfo32 / dxdiag equivalent in Linux
Displays detailed hardware inventory — CPU, RAM, motherboard, GPU, and more.
msinfo32 / dxdiag
lshw / inxi
lshw / inxi
lshw / inxi
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "msinfo32 / dxdiag" is used to full hardware information. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "lshw / inxi". Displays detailed hardware inventory — CPU, RAM, motherboard, GPU, and more. This reference is grouped under System & Storage → System Info.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows msinfo32 / dxdiag maps to lshw / inxi for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux disks, storage and mounts.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Full hardware information
Displays detailed hardware inventory — CPU, RAM, motherboard, GPU, and more.
inxi -Fz
Full system info, privacy-masked
sudo lshw
Detailed hardware tree
sudo lshw -short
Compact hardware summary
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
inxi -Fz
sudo lshw -short
lspci
lsusb
lscpu
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: msinfo32 (GUI)
inxi -Fz # full system summary
sudo lshw -short # compact hardware list
lspci # graphics card, network card, etc.
lsusb # USB devices
lscpu # CPU architecture detailsReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
inxi -Fz | Full system info, privacy-masked |
sudo lshw | Detailed hardware tree |
sudo lshw -short | Compact hardware summary |
lscpu | CPU details |
lspci | PCI devices (GPU, network card, etc.) |
lsusb | USB devices connected |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "lshw / inxi" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | lshw / inxi |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | lshw / inxi |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | lshw / inxi |
Same command on this distribution. |
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