uname Command Cheatsheet

The uname command in Unix/Linux is used to display system information. It provides details about the operating system and the hardware on which it is running.

Syntax

uname [OPTION]...

Common Options

• -s: Print the kernel name.

• -n: Print the network node hostname.

• -r: Print the kernel release.

• -v: Print the kernel version.

• -m: Print the machine hardware name.

• -p: Print the processor type.

• -i: Print the hardware platform.

• -o: Print the operating system.

• -a: Print all available system information.

Examples and Use Cases

Print the Kernel Name

uname -s

• Outputs the name of the kernel (e.g., Linux).

Print the Network Node Hostname

uname -n

• Outputs the network node hostname (e.g., hostname).

Print the Kernel Release

uname -r

• Outputs the kernel release number (e.g., 5.4.0-42-generic).

Print the Kernel Version

uname -v

• Outputs the kernel version (e.g., #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 10 00:24:02 UTC 2020).

Print the Machine Hardware Name

uname -m

• Outputs the machine hardware name (e.g., x86_64).

Print the Processor Type

uname -p

• Outputs the processor type (e.g., x86_64). Note: may show unknown on some systems.

Print the Hardware Platform

uname -i

• Outputs the hardware platform (e.g., x86_64). Note: may show unknown on some systems.

Print the Operating System

uname -o

• Outputs the operating system (e.g., GNU/Linux).

Print All System Information

uname -a

• Outputs all available system information in a single line:

    Linux hostname 5.4.0-42-generic #46-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 10 00:24:02 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
  

Combining Options

You can combine multiple options to get specific pieces of information together. For example:

Print Kernel Name and Release

uname -sr

• Outputs the kernel name and release:

    Linux 5.4.0-42-generic
  

Additional Information

• To get help or see the full list of options, you can use:

    uname --help
  

• For detailed documentation, refer to the man page by typing:

    man uname
  

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This cheatsheet provides a quick reference to the most common usages and options for the uname command. For more detailed information, you can always refer to the uname man page.