hardware-assessment

name	hardware-assessment
version	1.1.0
description	Cross-platform hardware assessment and system maintenance — assess hardware, update OS/tools/custom software, and track changes over time via JSON changelogs
type	reference
author	workspace-hub
category	operations
capabilities	["Collect full hardware inventory on Linux (Bash) and Windows (PowerShell)","Update OS packages, common tools, and custom software lists","Orchestrate assess → update → re-assess with automatic changelog generation","Zero external dependencies — uses built-in OS tools only","Unified JSON schema across platforms for easy comparison","Optional root/admin mode for SMART data and RAM type detection","GPU VRAM detection via nvidia-smi integration"]
tags	["hardware","inventory","assessment","system-info","cross-platform","json","diagnostics","updates","maintenance"]
platforms	["linux","windows"]
related_skills	["docker","cli-productivity"]
requires	[]
freedom	low

Hardware Assessment

When to Use This Skill

USE when:

• Inventorying machines for consolidation or repurposing decisions
• Comparing hardware specs across multiple devices
• Planning GPU, RAM, or storage upgrades
• Auditing SMART health status across storage devices
• Keeping machines updated (OS packages, tools, custom software)
• Tracking what changed after updates via changelogs
• Documenting system configurations for compliance or handoff

DON'T USE when:

• You need real-time monitoring (use Prometheus/Grafana instead)
• You need benchmark/performance data (this collects specs, not performance)

Quick Start

Linux

# Copy script to target machine, then:
bash hardware-assess.sh -p

# With sudo for SMART data + RAM type:
sudo bash hardware-assess.sh -p

# Custom output path:
bash hardware-assess.sh -o /tmp/inventory.json --pretty

Windows (PowerShell)

# Run in PowerShell:
.\hardware-assess.ps1 -Pretty

# Custom output:
.\hardware-assess.ps1 -OutputFile C:\temp\inventory.json -Pretty

Full Maintenance (assess + update + re-assess)

# Linux — runs all 4 phases, outputs to maintenance/ directory:
sudo bash system-maintain.sh -d ./maintenance

# With custom software config:
sudo bash system-maintain.sh -c ./custom-packages.json -d ./maintenance

# Assessment only (no updates):
bash system-maintain.sh --skip-update -d ./maintenance

See sub-skills for full details.

Update Only (no assessment)

# Linux:
sudo bash system-update.sh -c ./custom-packages.json

# Windows:
.\system-update.ps1 -ConfigFile .\custom-packages.json

Workstation Input Troubleshooting

X11: typing is uppercase even though Caps Lock looks off

Observed on ace-linux-1 with a Logitech K350 receiver attached: a plain text editor typed uppercase, Caps Lock initially appeared off, and unplugging the keyboard left X11 with but no physical key held. Treat this as an XKB latched modifier before assuming an application bug.