Commands Reference, Volume 5

uname Command

Purpose

Displays the name of the current operating system.

Syntax

For POWER-based platforms:

uname [ -a | -x | -SName ] | [ -l ] [ -m ] [ -M ] [ -n ] [ -p ] [ -r ] [ -s ] [ -TName ] [ -u ] [ -v ]

For Itanium-based platforms, the -i flag has been added:

uname [ -a | -x | -SName ] | [ -l ] [ -i ] [ -m ] [ -M ] [ -n ] [ -p ] [ -r ] [ -s ] [ -TName ] [ -u ] [ -v ]

Description

The uname command writes to standard output the name of the operating system that you are using.

The machine ID number contains 12 characters in the following digit format: xxyyyyyymmss. The xx positions indicate the system and is always 00. The yyyyyy positions contain the unique ID number for the entire system. The mm position represents the model ID. The ss position is the submodel number and is always 00. The model ID describes the ID of the CPU Planar, not the model of the System as a whole.

You can use the uname -m command sometimes to determine which model you are using. The following list is not complete. Refer to hardware vendor supplied documentation for values in the range E0 - FF. Also note that not all machine types have a machine ID. Many new machines share a common machine ID of 4C. Hexadecimal codes for the system models (mm) are:

Machine        Machine      Machine
 Type          Model           ID

7006           410             42

7007           N40             F0

7008           M20             43
7008           M20A            43

7009           C10             48

7011           220             41
7011           230             47
7011           250             46

7012           320             31
7012           320H            35
7012           340             37
7012           350          38 or 77
7012           355             77
7012           360             76
7012           365             76
7012           370             75
7012           375             75
7012           380             58
7012           390             57
7012           G30             A6
7012           G40             A7

7013           520             30
7013           520H            34
7013           530             10
7013           530H            18
7013           540          14 or 11
7013           550             1C
7013           550L            77
7013           560             5C
7013           570             67
7013           580             66
7013           58H             71
7013           590             70
7013           590H            72
7013           J30             A0
7013           J40             A1

7015           930          20 or 02
7015           950             2E
7015           970             63
7015           970B            63
7015           980             64
7015           980B            64
7015           990             80
7015           R10             67
7015           R20             72
7015           R24             81
7015           R30             A3
7015           R40             A4

7016           730             10

7018           740             30
7018           770             67

7024           E20             C0

7025           F30             C4

7030           3AT             58
7030           3BT             57

7043           140             4C
7043           240             4C

7428           43P             4C

The machine identifier value returned by the uname command may change when new operating system software levels are installed. This change affects applications using this value to access licensed programs. To view this identifier, enter the uname -m command.

Contact the appropriate support organization if your application is affected.

Flags

-a	Displays all information specified with the -m, -n, -r, -s, and -v flags. Cannot be used with the -x or -SName flag. If the -x flag is specified with the -a flag, the -x flag overrides it.
-i	Displays the machine idenfication (system serial number). This is used only on Itanium-based platforms.
-l	Displays the LAN network number.
-m	On POWER-based platforms, displays the machine ID number of the hardware running the system. On 64-bit, Itanium-based platforms, returns the ia64 string.
-M	Displays the system model name. If the model name attribute does not exist, a null string is displayed.
-n	Displays the name of the node. This may be a name the system is known by to a UUCP communications network.
-p	Displays the architecture of the system processor.
-r	Displays the release number of the operating system.
-s	Displays the system name. This flag is on by default.
-S Name	Sets the name of the node. This can be the UUCP communications network name for the system.
-T Name	Sets the system name. This can be the UUCP communications network name for the system.
-u	Displays the system ID number. If this attribute is not defined, the output is the same as the output displayed by uname -m.
-v	Displays the operating system version.
-x	Displays the information specified with the -a flag as well as the LAN network number, as specified by the -l flag.

If you enter a flag that is not valid, the uname command exits with an error message, an error return status, and no output.

Note: The uname command does not preserve the new system name and node name values across system reboot.

Exit Status

This command returns the following exit values:

0	The requested information was successfully written.
>0	An error occurred.