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
US / Canada
UK / Australia
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
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.