Cheatsheet & Examples: uname

Cheatsheet & Examples: uname

The uname command displays information about the operating system. It provides details like the kernel name, hostname, operating system release, version, and hardware architecture.

Display the kernel name

Example Usage: uname

What it does: Prints the name of the operating system's kernel. This is the most basic and common usage.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

No arguments are needed for this default behavior.

Display the kernel name, the node hostname, the kernel release, the kernel version, the machine hardware name, and the operating system

Example Usage: uname -a

What it does: Displays all available system information in a single line. This is the most comprehensive output.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-a: Displays all system information in a single line.

Display the kernel release

Example Usage: uname -r

What it does: Prints the kernel release information, which often includes the version numbers and build details.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-r: Displays the kernel release information.

Display the machine hardware name

Example Usage: uname -m

What it does: Prints the hardware architecture or machine type. This indicates the type of processor your system is using (e.g., x86_64, i686, ARM).

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-m: Displays the machine hardware name.

Display the operating system

Example Usage: uname -s

What it does: Prints the kernel name (same as uname without arguments).

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-s: Displays the operating system name.

Display the node hostname

Example Usage: uname -n

What it does: Prints the hostname of the system.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-n: Displays the node hostname.

Display the kernel version

Example Usage: uname -v

What it does: Prints the kernel version. This provides the specific version and build information of the kernel.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

-v: Displays the kernel version.

Show help

Example Usage: uname --help

What it does: Displays a help message with all possible options of the uname command.

Command-line Arguments Explained:

--help: Displays the help message.