Inventory software on Linux
Taking Stock

© Lead Image © Wong Yu Liang, 123RF.com
As a network grows in size, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of hardware, software, licenses, and infrastructure. Inventory solutions can provide significant relief.
IT administrators are responsible for computers working smoothly. As a company expands, keeping an eye on individual hardware components, cabling, software packages, licenses, and operating systems becomes increasingly time consuming. Having multiple locations aggravates the situation.
Inventory solutions that deliver a precise overview of the installed hardware and software and take into account the entire lifecycle of an installation (including maintenance, support contracts, and planning) promises some relief. This month's column looks at three of these software tools.
Standards
The most professional inventory solutions are geared toward the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standard. The ITIL standard, developed in the 1980s, originated in the United Kingdom. It comprehensively describes the components of IT service management [1]. Meanwhile, the requirements have evolved constantly to take account of technical development. Professional inventory and monitoring packages are therefore often ITIL certified.
[...]
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
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
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.