Linux: Get BIOS Settings
This post will guide you how to check BIOS settings with a Linux command. How do get BIOS version information from the command line interface under Linux operating system. How to view BIOS, firmware, Hardware and Drives details in Linux system.
Linux Get BIOS Settings
To get BIOS, Firmware, or hardware information, you can use the biosdecode or dmidecode commands to achieve the result.
Biosdecode parses the BIOS memory and prints information about all structures (or entry points) it knows of. Currently known entry point types are:
- SMBIOS (System Management BIOS)
- DMI (Desktop Management Interface, a legacy version of SMBIOS)
- SYSID
- PNP (Plug and Play)
- ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
- BIOS32 (BIOS32 Service Directory)
- PIR (PCI IRQ Routing)
- 32OS (BIOS32 Extension, Compaq-specific)
- SNY (Sony-specific, not decoded)
- VPD (Vital Product Data, IBM-specific)
- FJKEYINF (Application Panel, Fujitsu-specific)
Dmidecode is a tool for dumping a computer’s DMI (some say SMBIOS) table contents in a human-readable format. This table contains a description of the system’s hardware components, as well as other useful pieces of information such as serial numbers and BIOS revision.
Check BIOS Settings
Type the following command from Command line interface:
# biosdecode | less
Outputs:
# biosdecode 3.0 ACPI 2.0 present. OEM Identifier: VBOX RSD Table 32-bit Address: 0x3FFF0000 XSD Table 64-bit Address: 0x000000003FFF0030 BIOS32 Service Directory present. Revision: 0 Calling Interface Address: 0x000FDA00 PCI Interrupt Routing 1.0 present. Router ID: 00:01.0 Exclusive IRQs: None Compatible Router: 8086:7000 Slot Entry 1: ID 00:01, on-board Slot Entry 2: ID 00:02, slot number 1 Slot Entry 3: ID 00:03, slot number 2 Slot Entry 4: ID 00:04, slot number 3 Slot Entry 5: ID 00:05, slot number 4 Slot Entry 6: ID 00:06, slot number 5 Slot Entry 7: ID 00:07, slot number 6 Slot Entry 8: ID 00:08, slot number 7 Slot Entry 9: ID 00:09, slot number 8
Or type another command:
# dmidecode | less
Outputs:
# dmidecode 3.0 Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs. SMBIOS 2.5 present. 10 structures occupying 449 bytes. Table at 0x000E1000. Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 20 bytes BIOS Information Vendor: innotek GmbH Version: VirtualBox Release Date: 12/01/2006 Address: 0xE0000 Runtime Size: 128 kB ROM Size: 128 kB Characteristics: ISA is supported PCI is supported Boot from CD is supported Selectable boot is supported 8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h) CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h) ACPI is supported Handle 0x0001, DMI type 1, 27 bytes System Information Manufacturer: innotek GmbH Product Name: VirtualBox Version: 1.2 Serial Number: 0 UUID: 708AE3FE-A71F-423F-880C-C8E4454DB883 Wake-up Type: Power Switch SKU Number: Not Specified Family: Virtual Machine Handle 0x0008, DMI type 2, 15 bytes Base Board Information Manufacturer: Oracle Corporation Product Name: VirtualBox Version: 1.2
Get Information about Hadware with Hwinfo Tool
You can also use another tool called hwinfo to get more information about the hardware. Hwinfo is used to probe for the hardware present in the system. It can be used to generate a system overview log which can be later used for support.
OPTIONS
Note that running hwinfo without any options is roughly equivalent to ‘hwinfo –all –log=-‘.
–<HARDWARE_ITEM>
This option can be given more than once. Probe for a particular HARDWARE_ITEM.
Available hardware items are:
all, arch, bios, block, bluetooth, braille, bridge, camera, cdrom, chipcard, cpu, disk, dsl, dvb, fingerprint, floppy, framebuffer, gfxcard, hub, ide, isapnp, isdn, joystick, keyboard, memory, modem, monitor, mouse, netcard, network, partition, pci, pcmcia, pcmcia-ctrl, pppoe, printer, redasd, reallyall, scanner, scsi, smp, sound, storage-ctrl, sys, tape, tv, uml, usb, usb-ctrl, vbe, wlan, xen, zip
Probe for disk hardware information
type the following command:
#hwinfo –disk
Outputs:
root@ubuntu-dev:/# hwinfo --disk 13: IDE 200.0: 10600 Disk [Created at block.245] Unique ID: 3OOL._4Tyjt5t4R6 Parent ID: qnJ_.3_X41NtKT36 SysFS ID: /class/block/sda SysFS BusID: 2:0:0:0 SysFS Device Link: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:0d.0/ata3/host2/target2:0:0/2:0:0:0 Hardware Class: disk Model: "VBOX HARDDISK" Vendor: "VBOX" Device: "HARDDISK" Revision: "1.0" Serial ID: "VB25706191-345f6172" Driver: "ahci", "sd" Driver Modules: "ahci" Device File: /dev/sda Device Files: /dev/sda, /dev/disk/by-id/ata-VBOX_HARDDISK_VB25706191-345f6172, /dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:0d.0-ata-1 Device Number: block 8:0-8:15 BIOS id: 0x80 Geometry (Logical): CHS 4177/255/63 Size: 67108864 sectors a 512 bytes Capacity: 32 GB (34359738368 bytes) Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown Attached to: #8 (SATA controller)
Probe for BIOS Settings
Type the following command:
#hwinfo –bios
Outputs:
root@ubuntu-dev:/# hwinfo --bios 01: None 00.0: 10105 BIOS [Created at bios.186] Unique ID: rdCR.lZF+r4EgHp4 Hardware Class: bios BIOS Keyboard LED Status: Scroll Lock: off Num Lock: off Caps Lock: off Base Memory: 638 kB MP spec rev 1.4 info: OEM id: "VBOXCPU" Product id: "VirtualBox" 1 CPUs (0 disabled) BIOS32 Service Directory Entry: 0xfda00 SMBIOS Version: 2.5 BIOS Info: #0 Vendor: "innotek GmbH" Version: "VirtualBox" Date: "12/01/2006" Start Address: 0xe0000 ROM Size: 128 kB Features: 0x00010000000048018090 ISA supported PCI supported CD boot supported Selectable boot supported 8042 Keyboard Services supported CGA/Mono Video supported ACPI supported System Info: #1 Manufacturer: "innotek GmbH" Product: "VirtualBox" Version: "1.2" Serial: "0" UUID: undefined, but settable Wake-up: 0x06 (Power Switch) Board Info: #8 Manufacturer: "Oracle Corporation" Product: "VirtualBox" Version: "1.2" Serial: "0" Type: 0x0a (Motherboard) Features: 0x01 Hosting Board Chassis: #3 Chassis Info: #3 Manufacturer: "Oracle Corporation" Type: 0x01 (Other) Bootup State: 0x03 (Safe) Power Supply State: 0x03 (Safe) Thermal State: 0x03 (Safe) Security Status: 0x03 (None) Inactive Record: #7 Data 00: 7e 2a 07 00 01 03 b1 02 76 06 01 00 ff fb eb 0f Data 10: 03 02 00 00 b8 0b b8 0b 41 04 ff ff ff ff ff ff Data 20: 00 00 00 01 01 01 04 00 00 00 String 1: "Socket #0" String 2: "GenuineIntel" String 3: "Pentium(R) III" Inactive Record: #5 Data 00: 7e 0f 05 00 03 03 01 00 00 10 00 fe ff 01 00 Inactive Record: #6 Data 00: 7e 1c 06 00 05 00 fe ff ff ff ff ff 00 04 09 00 Data 10: 01 02 03 00 00 40 06 03 04 05 06 00 String 1: "DIMM 0" String 2: "Bank 0" String 3: "innotek GmbH" String 4: "00000000" String 5: "00000000" String 6: "00000000" OEM Strings: #2 vboxVer_4.3.20 vboxRev_96997 Type 128 Record: #8 Data 00: 80 08 08 00 32 c1 34 00 Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
