Getting system information with uname

Information about your UNIX system might come in handy if you're planning to try some new software or need to figure out system idiosyncrasies. Some systems tell you this information when you log in. Sometimes, however, especially if you're using an ISP, you may not have been told any particulars about the UNIX system. You can easily find out what kind of UNIX system you're using with uname, as shown in Code Listings 7.1 and 7.2.

To find out about the system using uname:

  • uname
    To begin, type uname to find out what kind of a system you're on. The UNIX system in Code Listings 7.1 and 7.2 is SunOS. Other common systems (not an exhaustive list, by any means) are Linux, AIX, BSD, and HP/UX.
  • uname -sr
    Add the ...

Get Unix: Visual QuickStart Guide now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.