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lscpu

system informationLinux

The lscpu command is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux/Unix-like operating systems. lscpu Display information about the CPU architecture

See Examples View Syntax

Quick Reference

Command Name:

lscpu

Category:

system information

Platform:

Linux

Basic Usage:

lscpu [options] [arguments]

Common Use Cases

Syntax

lscpu [options]

Options

Option	Description
`-a, --all`	Print both online and offline CPUs
`-b, --online`	Print online CPUs only
`-c, --offline`	Print offline CPUs only
`-e, --extended[=list]`	Print a table of available CPUs
`-p, --parse[=list]`	Print in parsable format
`-s, --sysroot directory`	Use specified directory as system root
`-x, --hex`	Print CPU masks in hexadecimal format
`-y, --physical`	Print physical instead of logical IDs
`-C, --caches[=list]`	Display cache information in a table
`-J, --json`	Use JSON output format
`-h, --help`	Display help information
`-V, --version`	Display version information

Examples

How to Use These Examples

The examples below show common ways to use the lscpu command. Try them in your terminal to see the results. You can copy any example by clicking on the code block.

# Basic Examples Basic

lscpu

Display information about CPU architecture.

# Advanced Examples Advanced

lscpu -e

Display the list of available CPUs in a table format.

lscpu -p Display information in a parsable format. lscpu -J Display information in JSON format. lscpu -b Display only online CPUs. lscpu -p=CPU,CORE,SOCKET,NODE Show only specified columns in parsable format. lscpu -s=ONLINE Sort the output by the ONLINE column. lscpu -c Display information in cache-hierarchy format. lscpu --hex Display CPU masks in hexadecimal format.

Try It Yourself

Practice makes perfect! The best way to learn is by trying these examples on your own system with real files.

Understanding Syntax

Pay attention to the syntax coloring: commands, options, and file paths are highlighted differently.

Notes

The 'lscpu' command is a utility that displays detailed information about the CPU architecture on Linux systems. It gathers CPU-related information from various sources like /proc/cpuinfo, sysfs, and other system-specific locations, presenting it in a unified and easily readable format. Key features of the lscpu command: 1. Comprehensive CPU Information: lscpu provides a wealth of information about the processor(s) in a system, including architecture, model name, number of cores, threads per core, cache sizes, and supported features. 2. Multiple Output Formats: The command supports various output formats, including human-readable (default), parsable format for scripts, and JSON for structured data processing. 3. NUMA Node Information: For systems with Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture, lscpu displays node-specific information, which is valuable for performance optimization in high-performance computing environments. 4. Cache Hierarchy Details: lscpu can show detailed information about the CPU cache hierarchy, including sizes and relationships between different cache levels. 5. CPU Topology Visualization: The command helps visualize the logical and physical topology of CPUs, cores, and threads, which is essential for understanding the system's processing capabilities. 6. Virtualization Support: lscpu indicates whether virtualization features (like VT-x for Intel or AMD-V for AMD processors) are available and enabled. 7. CPU Flag Information: It lists CPU flags that indicate supported features and extensions, such as SSE, AVX, AES, etc. Common use cases for lscpu include: - System analysis and troubleshooting - Hardware inventory and documentation - Performance tuning and optimization - Verifying virtualization capabilities before setting up virtual environments - Checking CPU features for compatibility with specific software requirements - Scripting and automation for system management lscpu is part of the util-linux package and is available on most Linux distributions by default. It's a valuable tool for system administrators, developers, and power users who need to understand the capabilities and configuration of their system's processors. The information provided by lscpu is particularly useful when dealing with modern multi-core, multi-socket systems, where understanding the CPU topology can significantly impact application performance and system configuration decisions.

Related Commands

These commands are frequently used alongside lscpu or serve similar purposes:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

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Use Cases

Learn By Doing

The best way to learn Linux commands is by practicing. Try out these examples in your terminal to build muscle memory and understand how the lscpu command works in different scenarios.

See Examples Try Lab Exercises

$ lscpu

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