Introduction
In the world of Linux system management, having tools that provide detailed information about hardware and software is essential to diagnose problems, plan updates or simply satisfy curiosity. Among the available options, inxi stands out for its ability to present a complete and legible summary of the machine in question, without requiring complex configurations. This script, written in bash, collects data from multiple sources of the kernel and system services, and shows them in a format that can be adapted to both beginners and advanced users. In this article we will explore what is inxi, how to install it in the most common distributions, its basic syntax, the most useful options and some practical examples to make the most of it.
What's inxi?
Inxi is a command line script that collects and displays information about the operating system, hardware installed and relevant software components. His name comes from «in X», referring to its origin as a tool for obtaining data from the X Window environment, although today it works independently of any graphic environment. The output includes CPU details, RAM memory, disks, network cards, graphics, audio, as well as kernel version, distribution, desktop environment and charged drivers. With its modular design, users can select which sections they want to see by means of specific options, which allows you to obtain from a short summary to a comprehensive report adapted to particular diagnostic or documentation needs.
Inxi installation
The inxi installation is simple because it is found in the official repositories of most Linux distributions. In Debian and its derivatives, like Ubuntu, just run sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install inxi. In Fedora dnf install inxi is used, while in openSUSE zypper install inxi is used. For Arch Linux-based distributions, the package is available in the official repositories and installed with sudo pacman -S inxi. In case the repository version is old, it is also possible to get the latest release directly from the GitHub repository of the project, clone it and run the script from the downloaded directory, although normally the packaged version is sufficient for most users.
Basic syntax
The simplest way to use inxi is to write the command without arguments, which produces a general summary of the system. For example, simply type inxi in the terminal will show basic information such as CPU, memory, disk and kernel version. If you want a greater detail, you can add options that activate specific sections. The syntax follows the inxi [options] [level of detail] pattern, where the level of detail is indicated with numbers from 1 to 7, with 1 being the shortest summary and 7 being the most complete. In addition, multiple options can be combined to customize the output as needed, making it a very flexible tool for administrators and enthusiasts.
Most commonly used options
- -F, -full: shows complete information from all available sections.
- -b, -basic: provides an ideal short summary for quick reviews.
- -c 0-32: changes the color scheme of the output (0 disable colors).
- -N: focuses on network information, including interfaces, IP addresses and speed.
- -G: shows details of the graphic subsystem, such as the GPU, the driver and the resolution.
- -S: includes operating system data, distribution, desktop environment and kernel version.
- -A: focused on audio, listing sound cards and associated drivers.
- -d: shows details of storage devices, such as disk models and sizes.
Practical examples
To get a quick summary of the hardware, just run inxi -b. If a full report is needed to share with a support team, the inxi-F command generates an extensive output covering from the processor to the temperature sensors. When a network problem is diagnosed, inxi-N shows all network interfaces, their status, MAC and IP addresses, as well as the link speed. Game enthusiasts can verify the GPU and drivers with inxi-G, while those working with professional audio use inxi-A to confirm that the system correctly recognizes their sound interfaces. In addition, several indicators can be combined, for example inxi-SGd to simultaneously obtain system information, graphics and disks in one view.
Interpretation of the exit
The inxi output is designed to be legible even without prior experience. Each section starts with a header that indicates the type of information, followed by key-value pairs or simple tables. For example, the CPU section shows the model, the amount of cores, threads, base frequency and turbo, as well as architecture. The memory section indicates the total capacity, used and free, often accompanied by the details of the swap memory. Disks appear with their model, capacity, interface type (SATA, NVMe) and, if available, temperature. When looking at the colors (if activated), values within normal ranges are usually shown in green, while warnings or critical values appear in red, facilitating the rapid detection of anomalies.
Tips and best practices
To make the most of inxi, consider creating aliases in your shell configuration file that include your favorite options, such as sysinfo = 'inxi -Fxxxz' to get a full report without showing sensitive data such as IP addresses or serial numbers. It is also useful to redirect the output to a text file for documentation or to attach it in error reports: inxi -F > informe.txt. Remember that, although inxi is very safe, some options can reveal information considered private; therefore check the output before sharing it publicly. In short, inxi is a powerful, light and versatile tool that provides a clear view of the state of your Linux system, facilitating both routine maintenance and the solution of advanced problems.
