How to Use the Command 'pfetch' (with examples)

pfetch is a lightweight system information tool that displays system details in a clean and simple layout, alongside ASCII art of your operating system’s logo. This tool is popular among users who prefer a minimalist approach to system information displays, often used in screenshots shared within tech communities. It provides a quick overview of your system’s specifications without the need for a graphical user interface, making it efficient and resource-light.

Use Case 1: Display the ASCII art and default fields

Code:

pfetch

Motivation: Using the command without additional parameters allows you to quickly and easily access fundamental information about your system. It showcases your system’s default fields, making it suitable for general purposes where detailed examination is not required. Additionally, it’s perfect for users who want a straightforward display of their system information with minimal fuss.

Explanation: When you run pfetch without any options or environment variables, it automatically retrieves and displays the default set of information that includes system specifications like the OS, Hostname, Kernel version, and Uptime, alongside a default ASCII artwork that represents your operating system.

Example Output:

      _         os
     | |        user@host
     | | _   _  kernel
     | || | | | uptime
     |_| |_|_| pkgs
            shell

Use Case 2: Display only the ASCII art and color palette fields

Code:

PF_INFO="ascii palette" pfetch

Motivation: This use case is particularly useful for users interested in artistic representations and visual elements of their system. By focusing solely on the ASCII art and color palette, users can appreciate the aesthetic aspects of their OS, which might be useful for theme designers or individuals who want to share visually appealing images of their systems.

Explanation: The PF_INFO variable is set to "ascii palette", which instructs the tool to only display the ASCII representation of the operating system and the terminal color palette. This removes any textual information about the system, focusing purely on visuals.

Example Output:

      _       
     | |      
     | | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
     |_| 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Use Case 3: Display all possible fields

Code:

PF_INFO="ascii title os host kernel uptime pkgs memory shell editor wm de palette" pfetch

Motivation: Providing a comprehensive view of system information, this use case is ideal for users who wish to have a detailed snapshot of their system’s status. Developers, system administrators, or users troubleshooting system issues may find this useful as it displays all aspects of the system’s configuration.

Explanation: The PF_INFO environment variable is set to a string listing all possible information fields. This tells pfetch to gather and display detailed data, covering every aspect available from OS name to the desktop environment (DE) and window manager (WM), providing a holistic view of the system.

Example Output:

      _         title
     | |        os
     | | _   _  user@host
     | || | | | kernel
     |_| |_|_| uptime
            pkgs
            memory
            shell
            editor
            wm
            de
            palette

Use Case 4: Display a different username and hostname

Code:

USER="user" HOSTNAME="hostname" pfetch

Motivation: This feature is particularly useful for custom scripts or environments where user identity needs to be anonymized or substituted for demonstration purposes. Users may also want to mask their true username or hostname when sharing system information online for privacy reasons.

Explanation: By setting the environment variables USER and HOSTNAME to specific strings, pfetch is directed to override the actual system values with the provided ones. This substitution does not affect the system but purely changes the display output of pfetch.

Example Output:

      _         os
     | |        user@hostname
     | | _   _  kernel
     | || | | | uptime
     |_| |_|_| pkgs
            shell

Use Case 5: Display without colors

Code:

PF_COLOR=0 pfetch

Motivation: Running pfetch without color output can be beneficial in environments where color display is not feasible, such as in plain text logs or on devices with limited graphical capabilities. This is also useful for users with disabilities that make distinguishing between colors challenging.

Explanation: Setting the PF_COLOR environment variable to 0 tells pfetch to disable any colorization in its output. Consequently, the tool outputs system information purely as plain text, ensuring its usability across a broader array of environments and user needs.

Example Output:

      _         os
     | |        user@host
     | | _   _  kernel
     | || | | | uptime
     |_| |_|_| pkgs
            memory

Conclusion

pfetch offers a versatile command-line utility to visualize system information with simplicity and elegance. Through various command use cases, users can adapt the output to fit their particular needs, whether for aesthetic enjoyment, comprehensive system analysis, or privacy concerns. Its flexibility in field selection and color management adds to its appeal, making it a useful tool for a wide range of users.