Commands · Command
CommandmacOS
system_profiler
system_profiler [data type]macOS's command-line tool for generating a detailed report of a Mac's hardware, software, and network configuration — the CLI equivalent of the "About This Mac > System Report" window.
// FLAGS
-listDataTypeslist every available report section (data type) that can be queriedSPHardwareDataTypereport just the hardware overview section-detailLevelcontrol how much detail is included (mini, basic, full)// EXAMPLE
system_profiler SPHardwareDataType — prints just the hardware summary (model, chip, memory) instead of the full multi-page report.
// GOTCHA
Running system_profiler with no arguments generates the entire report across every data type, which can take a noticeable amount of time and produce an overwhelming wall of output — specifying a data type is almost always what you actually want.
// RELATED COMMANDS