Re: RAM

[The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm>]

On 2023-06-12 at 16:45, Bret Busby wrote:

> On 13/6/23 04:30, The Wanderer wrote:
>
>> On 2023-06-12 at 16:06, Mick Ab wrote:
>> 
>>> I wish to obtain information about the RAM installed on my PC using the
>>> command line. The information needed is :-
>>>
>>> Total RAM stored
>>> Number of sticks used and amount of RAM on each stick
>>> Type of RAM e.g. DDR4
>>> Speed of RAM e.g. 3200 MHz
>>> Manufacturer and model number of RAM
>>>
>>> I have seen the dmidecode command being used, but the reliability of the
>>> information returned is not reliable.
>>>
>>> Is there any command that will reliably give the required RAM information ?
>> 
>> There are probably multiple ways to get it, but the first one that comes
>> to my mind involves the 'hwinfo' command, from the package of the same
>> name.
>> 
>> I don't remember exactly how I invoked it, but I have a historical trail
>> of files listing the hardware specifications of my last few machines as
>> they've changed over time, each generated from the output of that
>> command.
>> 
>> 
>> If I search the latest such file for "DIMM", I see two entries, each for
>> a different DIMM (i.e., "RAM stick"), each with multiple data items. The
>> fact that there are two of them gives you the "number of sticks used"
>> you asked for.
>> 
>> Those entries are sub-entries of a larger entry called "memory", which
>> has a data item called "size", which is the "total RAM" you asked for.
>> 
>> One of the data items in each sub-entry is "product", which appears as
>> if it might be the "model number" you asked for. (It certainly looks
>> like a model number, anyway.)
>> 
>> Another is "vendor", which appears to be the "manufacturer" you asked
>> for.
>> 
>> Another is "size", which gives you the "amount of RAM on each stick" you
>> asked for.
>> 
>> Another is "clock", which is the "speed of RAM" you asked for.
>> 
>> Another is "description", which at least in my case specifies (as part
>> of what appears to be a freeform string) that the DIMMs I'm looking at
>> are DDR4. I don't see that information specified anywhere else in the
>> listing.
> 
>  From the above, whilst this computer is running Linux Mint Mate 21.1, 
> which is based (?) on Ubuntu 22.04 ("jammy"), rather than Debian, I 
> expect that the same will apply for Debian;

> Tue Jun 13 04:33:23 bret@bret-Precision-Tower-5810:~$hwinfo

> and, in the output (lots of it - it outputs alot of details), is
> 
> "
> P: /devices/virtual/dmi/id
>    L: 0
>    E: DEVPATH=/devices/virtual/dmi/id
>    E: SUBSYSTEM=dmi
>    E: 
> MODALIAS=dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA34:bd10/19/2020:br65.34:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionTower5810:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0K240Y:rvrA02:cvnDellInc.:ct7:cvr:sku0617:
>    E: USEC_INITIALIZED=2533353
>    E: ID_VENDOR=Dell Inc.
>    E: ID_MODEL=Precision Tower 5810
>    E: MEMORY_ARRAY_LOCATION=System Board Or Motherboard
>    E: MEMORY_ARRAY_EC_TYPE=Multi-bit ECC
>    E: MEMORY_ARRAY_MAX_CAPACITY=137438953472

<snip lots of et-cetera>

I have to apologize; I completely misremembered the name of the program
that I was referencing, probably because of the filenames I store its
output under. hwinfo is absolutely not it. I would not consider output
such as you presented to be appropriately readable for human
consumption.

Rather, I got the records I'm looking at from the program 'lshw'.

-- 
   The Wanderer

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.         -- George Bernard Shaw