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Easily View Hardware Information in Ubuntu 10

Easily View Hardware Information in Ubuntu 10

 

If you need to know the details of your PC’s hardware, there is a simple graphical application, called GNOME Device Manager, in Ubuntu 10.04 that allows you to view the technical details of your computer’s hardware.

To install the GNOME Device Manager, select Administration | Synaptic Package Manager from the System menu.

Opening the Synaptic Package Manager

If you have never used Synaptic Package Manager before, or if you have de-selected the Show this dialog at startup check box, the Quick Introduction dialog box displays. If you don’t want to see this dialog box again, be sure there is no check mark in the Show this dialog at startup check box. Click Close to continue.

Synaptic Package Manager Quick Introduction

Enter gnome device manager in the Quick search edit box. The results display automatically.

Selecting the GNOME Device Manager for installation

Right-click on gnome-device-manager and select Mark for Installation from the pop-up menu.

Marking gnome-device-manager for installation

A dialog box displays informing you of another package needs to be installed in order to install GNOME Device Manager. Click Mark to mark the extra package for installation.

Marking additional required changes

You’ll notice the libgnome-device-manager0 checked and highlighted in green. It will be installed with gnome-device-manager.

Additional dependency marked

Click the Apply button to apply the changes.

Applying all marked changes

A Summary screen displays showing you the changes to be made. Click Apply to continue with the installation.

Summary of changes to be applied

The progress of the installation displays.

Applying changes

When the installation is finished, a dialog box displays telling you the changes have been applied. Click Close.

Changes applied

Close the Synaptic Package Manager by selecting Quit from the File menu.

Closing the Synaptic Package Manager

To start the GNOME Device Manager, select System Tools | Device Manager from the Applications menu.

Opening the GNOME Device Manager

The GNOME Device Manager main window opens displaying a tree on the left containing entries for all of the hardware in your computer. Select an item in the tree to view a summary of information about the selected piece of hardware on the right side of the window.

The GNOME Device Manager main window

To view more details about the hardware, select Device Properties from the View menu.

Viewing Device Properties

The Properties tab displays on the right side of the window.

Properties tab

To close the GNOME Device Manager, select Quit from the File menu.

Closing the GNOME Device Manager

NOTE: The hardware information in the GNOME Device Manager is only viewable. You cannot use the GNOME Device Manager to configure devices. However, sometimes finding out about your hardware is all you need to do and this tool provides a quick and easy method for doing so.

writer: Lori Kaufman