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Linux lsusb Guide

Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Linux lsusb Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to lsusb on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including listing USB devices, USB device information, and hardware detection.


Table of Contents

  1. Understanding lsusb
  2. lsusb Installation
  3. lsusb Basics
  4. USB Device Information
  5. Troubleshooting

Understanding lsusb

What is lsusb?

lsusb lists USB devices.

Uses:

  • List USB devices: Show connected USB devices
  • Device information: Get USB device details
  • Hardware detection: Detect USB hardware
  • Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot USB issues

Why it matters:

  • Hardware detection: See USB devices
  • Troubleshooting: Debug USB problems
  • Device management: Manage USB devices

lsusb Installation

Install lsusb

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install usbutils
sudo pacman -S usbutils

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install usbutils

Fedora:

sudo dnf install usbutils

lsusb Basics

List Devices

Basic usage:

# List all USB devices
lsusb

# Shows device list

Verbose Output

Detailed information:

# Verbose output
lsusb -v

# -v = verbose (detailed info)

USB Device Information

Tree View

Hierarchical view:

# Tree format
lsusb -t

# Shows USB bus tree

Specific Device

Device details:

# Specific device
lsusb -d vendor:product

# -d = device (vendor:product ID)

Troubleshooting

lsusb Not Found

Check installation:

# Check lsusb
which lsusb

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S usbutils

Summary

This guide covered lsusb usage, USB device listing, and hardware detection for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.


Next Steps


This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.

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