Windows wmic bios get serialnumber equivalent in Linux
Reads hardware information from the system BIOS/UEFI including serial numbers, model numbers, and firmware versions.
wmic bios get serialnumber
sudo dmidecode
sudo dmidecode
sudo dmidecode
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "wmic bios get serialnumber" is used to read BIOS and hardware serial numbers. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "sudo dmidecode". Reads hardware information from the system BIOS/UEFI including serial numbers, model numbers, and firmware versions. This reference is grouped under System & Storage → System Info.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows wmic bios get serialnumber maps to sudo dmidecode for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
Elevated privilege appears in this workflow
At least one example uses sudo. Confirm the target path, device, service or package before running the elevated form; do not add sudo simply to bypass an unexplained permission error.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux disks, storage and mounts.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Read BIOS and hardware serial numbers
Reads hardware information from the system BIOS/UEFI including serial numbers, model numbers, and firmware versions.
sudo dmidecode -t system
System serial number and model
sudo dmidecode -t bios
BIOS version and release date
sudo dmidecode -t memory
RAM slot and DIMM details
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sudo dmidecode -s system-serial-number
sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name
sudo dmidecode -t bios | grep -i version
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -E 'Size|Speed|Type'
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: wmic bios get serialnumber
sudo dmidecode -s system-serial-number
sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name
# BIOS version:
sudo dmidecode -t bios | grep -i version
# RAM slots and speed:
sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -E 'Size|Speed|Type'Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
sudo dmidecode -t system | System serial number and model |
sudo dmidecode -t bios | BIOS version and release date |
sudo dmidecode -t memory | RAM slot and DIMM details |
sudo dmidecode -s system-serial-number | Just the serial number |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "sudo dmidecode" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | sudo dmidecode |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | sudo dmidecode |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | sudo dmidecode |
Same command on this distribution. |
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