A command-line system information tool
Command Line – neofetch

© Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash
Neofetch displays system information about your hardware, operating sytem, and desktop settings in visually appealing output perfect for system screenshots.
Linux has never lacked applications that display system information, but perhaps the most comprehensive tool is neofetch [1], a Bash script that displays the current information about hardware, operating systems, and desktop settings. The information is presented by default in a somewhat haphazard order, which can be compensated for by a high degree of customization. Little wonder, then, that in recent years neofetch has found its way into most distributions. Not only is it a useful summary of system information, supporting a wide array of hardware and software, but, as its GitHub page notes, its visually appealing output is also useful in screenshots of your system.
For many, the output of the bare command may be enough (Figure 1). On the left of Figure 1 is an ASCII rendition of the installed distribution's logo. On the right are 15 system statistics. Which statistics are shown, the details of each statistic, and the general layout are all customizable either from the command line or from .config/neofetch/config.conf
in the user's home directory (Figure 2). At the bottom, a line of colored blocks does nothing except to mark the end of the display.
Display Options
Neofetch has dozens of options, most of which are self-explanatory. They cover a bewildering array of statistics, covering every aspect of a system (Table 1). After each option, you can specify whether its display is off or on. Alternatively, you can use --disable OPTION
to turn options off in a space-separated list. In addition, some options have multiple settings. Some stats display on separate lines, while others simply add a few characters to a default line.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.