Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

lshw review

Free#19 of 33 in System Information Software

A detailed, open-source Linux utility for hardware and firmware reporting.

6.9/10Editor score
Visit lshw
lshw6.9 Visit lshw

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

lshw is an open-source Linux utility for extracting detailed information about a computer’s hardware configuration. It is aimed at administrators, technicians, and developers who need local hardware inventory, diagnostics, or automated system reports. The command-line tool can inspect firmware, the mainboard, CPU, memory, cache, buses, storage, USB, SCSI, PCI/AGP, and other supported device classes. An optional X11 graphical interface is also available for users who prefer a visual view of the collected information.

Its strongest quality is the depth and structure of its reporting. Hardware-class filtering helps narrow output to relevant components, while support for PCI/AGP, USB, SCSI, IDE/ATA, PCMCIA, CPUID, and OpenFirmware provides coverage across several device and firmware areas. Reports can be produced as plain text, HTML, XML, or JSON, and lshw can also create SQLite database dumps. Sensitive-information sanitization adds a practical control when reports need to be shared or incorporated into other workflows.

The main trade-off is its narrow focus and platform scope. lshw is built for Linux hardware configuration reporting, not a broad, cross-platform system information suite. Its command-line orientation suits scripted or terminal-based work, while the X11 interface remains optional rather than the primary experience. Choose lshw when detailed hardware and firmware visibility, filtering, and multiple export formats matter most. Users who need operating-system coverage beyond Linux or information outside hardware configuration should consider a different category of tool.

lshw pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Detailed reporting across firmware, CPU, memory, buses, and storage
    • Exports to HTML, XML, JSON, plain text, and SQLite
    • Hardware-class filtering and sensitive-information sanitization
  • Where it doesn't
    • Designed for Linux rather than multiple operating systems
    • Focused on hardware configuration rather than broader system information
    • The graphical interface is optional and requires X11

lshw fact sheet, pricing and score →

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Last updated · How we research and update