CSCI251 - Systems and Networks

Lab1 - Computer Hardware Inventory

Wednesday Jan 13, 2009

Instructions

Task #1: External examination of your assigned computer

Examine your machine (front panel and back) and its peripherals. Record the folloing:

  1. Monitor type, model, vendor
  2. Mouse type, model, vendor
  3. Keyboard type, model, vendor
  4. Computer type, model, vendor
  5. Externally visible storage devices
  6. Externally visible ports, their number, and the function of any if they are in use

Task #2: Hardware information obtained through software reports

We could open the machine case and determine some information. Although a good idea, we don't want the machines for a general purpose lab to be jeopardized by such an exercise. Additionally, more and more functionality is being incorporated into the CPU or onto the mother board and can be hard to determine visually. Fortunately, when the machine starts up, the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and OS (Operating System) investigate the hardware for their own purposes and may make that information available. Certainly, Linux does so.

Linux commands which give information about hardware include:
There are other commands which may or may not be available, but the above are included with most Linux installations. Now we'll try them. Record in your own words, what the following commands report (the instructor will explain the syntax):
  1. lspci | less
    Then try
        lspci -v | less
        lspci -vv | less
    but only record the nature of the difference in the information reported when compared to the prior lsusb command syntax.
  2. lsusb | less
    Then try
        lsusb -v | less
    but only record the nature of the difference in the information reported when compared to the prior lsusb command syntax.
  3. cat /proc/cpuinfo | less
  4. cat /proc/meminfo | less
  5. cat /proc/ioports | less
  6. cat /proc/interrupts | less
  7. dmesg | less

Task #3: Submit your results

Submit your report for this first assignment to the instructor (jayeward@viu.ca) by email per the following specification:

Report Specification