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Each vendor has a different method for giving its host a unique ID number. (You should consult the appropriate man page for more information.) This unique host ID is required, for example if you need to install software which uses a node-locked license, etc.
AIX: uname -a will show a 12 digit number in the output. Reading from the left, digits 3 thru 8 represent the unique ID for the entire system, e.g.
# uname -a
AIX 2 4 00085488A600
The unique machine ID is 085488. The first two digits are always 00, as are the last two. The penultimate pair of digits identify the model ID of the CPU planar.
HP-UX: uname -i gives you a unique identification number under HP-UX. The output is a ten digit number, described in the man pages as a "machine identification number."
IRIX: To obtain a truly unique ID number from the IRIX machine you should use the command sysinfo -v. This will show a 32 bit number which should distinguish your computer from all other SGI products. The number displayed is actually a decimal equivalent of the MAC address.
Linux: Since the hardware Linux runs on is usually a generic PC, the closest thing to a system ID is probably the MAC address of the network interface (NIC or ethernet) card. You can use the ifconfig command to get the MAC address.
Solaris: hostid produces a 32-bit number (in hexidecimal) that is taken from the CPU board's ID PROM.
Tru64 UNIX: Digital systems do not use a serial number. The MAC address is used instead.
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