Selection of utilities

usbtree – TUI tool to inspect the USB device tree

usbtree is a cross-platform terminal user interface for inspecting USB device hierarchies.

It presents connected devices and hubs as a live, colour-coded tree with device classes, connection speeds, friendly names, port paths, identifiers, serial numbers, power requirements, and child devices.

The utility automatically detects hardware being connected or removed and records these events in a timestamped log. On Linux, it can display live device activity, measure bandwidth through usbmon, safely eject storage devices, and show PCI hardware in a separate view.

usbtree uses nusb for USB enumeration, avoiding dependencies on libusb. Basic operation does not require root privileges.

This is free and open source software.

Key Features

  • Displays USB hubs and devices in a live, colour-coded tree.
  • Shows device classes, connection speeds, port paths and identifiers.
  • Detects connected and removed devices with a timestamped event log.
  • Provides friendly names using descriptors, usb.ids and custom overrides.
  • Offers detailed device information including serial numbers and power requirements.
  • Displays live USB activity and bandwidth measurements on Linux.
  • Safely ejects USB mass-storage devices on Linux.
  • Includes a separate view for inspecting PCI devices.
  • Supports live filtering, collapsible hubs and copying device details.
  • Provides a non-interactive mode for printing the USB tree.
  • Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Website: github.com/gnomeria/usbtree
Support:
Developer: Sami
License: MIT License

usbtree in action
Click animation for full size

usbtree is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.


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Best Free and Open Source Software Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.

The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk.

LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more.

Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form.
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