how to find out about platform, cpu info etc.
 

I was trying to compile some code on a remote machine. It asks for following information
Machine:
CPU type:
Operation system:
Fortran compiler:
C compiler:

Where can I find out what they are and where these compilers are installed? thanks in advance.

The answer varies wildly depending on:

a) the machine
b) the compilers
c) the "it" that's asking you for this information (and what, exactly, "it" might be expecting to find)

Suggestion: talk to the administrator who gave you access to the remote machine. He/she might be able to help.

If the remote machine is Linux, you could probably also do worse than typing:

d) uname -a
e) gcc -v
f) gfortran -v

'Hope that helps .. PSM

lscpu will give you CPU info. Along with the commands paulsm4 already suggested will give you all of the info you should need.

Also you might take a look at one of the sysinfo scripts like http://gsysinfo.sourceforge.net/ or http://code.google.com/p/inxi/

$ inxi -F
System: Host craigevil Kernel 2.6.32-4.dmz.1-liquorix-686 i686 (32 bit) Distro Debian GNU/Linux squeeze/sid
CPU: Single core Intel Pentium 4 (UP) cache 1024 KB flags (sse3 nx lm) bmips 5587.56
Clock Speeds: (1) 2792.568 MHz (2) 2792.568 MHz
Graphics: Card Intel 82915G/GV/910GL Integrated Graphics Controller X.Org 1.7.4 Res: 1280x1024@60.0hz
GLX Renderer Mesa DRI Intel 915G GEM 20090712 2009Q2 RC3 x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version 1.4 Mesa 7.6.1 Direct Rendering Yes
Audio: Card Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller driver HDA Intel
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Version 1.0.21
Network: Card Intel 82562ET/EZ/GT/GZ - PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller driver e100 at port dcc0
Disks: HDD Total Size: 160.0GB (15.7% used) 1: /dev/sda 160.0GB
Partition: ID:/ size: 103G used: 24G (24%) fs: ext3 ID:swap-1 size: 5.25GB used: 0.27GB (5%) fs: swap
Info: Processes 116 Uptime 1:56 Memory 166.5/493.0MB Client Shell inxi 1.3.2

In the Makefile of that software I was compiling, there are these choices for fortran compiler:
IBM, Intel, SUN, HP, GNU g77, gnu gfortran, PGI. It seems gfortran is just one of them. Is there way to know which fortran compiler is being used by the remote machine?