downloaded and extracted....can't install it...no "make" command in file

What exactly do you want to achieve?

lshw does not have a GUI, but is a command line program.

If you are running a standard Ubuntu release, then the lshw package should already be installed without the need for compiling it with "make".
In case that it is not yet installed, you can install it with the command (to be executed in a terminal window):
sudo apt install lshw

and then you can run it (also in a terminal window) with

lshw

You can add options and parameters that modify its behaviour, e.g.

sudo lshw -C network

If this does not answer your question, please provide more information about your problem, and please also add the output of the following commands:

uname -a
lsb_release -crid
apt-cache policy lshw

ok, got it. am running LINUXMINT 20.3 , I guess i installed it thru the
terminal

with the apt install command. Don't understand why the
lshw_02.18.85.orig.tar.xz file

has a readme file that says compile with "make" and doesn't HAVE a make
file in it.

geez. why can't he say...install in the terminal apt install ??

On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 1:01 PM Manfred Hampl <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #700237 on lshw in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lshw/+question/700237
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
> What exactly do you want to achieve?
>
> lshw does not have a GUI, but is a command line program.
>
> If you are running a standard Ubuntu release, then the lshw package should
> already be installed without the need for compiling it with "make".
> In case that it is not yet installed, you can install it with the command
> (to be executed in a terminal window):
> sudo apt install lshw
>
> and then you can run int (also in a terminal window) with
>
> lshw
>
> You can add options and parameters that modify its behaviour, e.g.
>
> sudo lshw -C network
>
> If this does not answer your question, please provide more information
> about your problem, and please also add the output of the following
> commands:
>
> uname -a
> lsb_release -crid
> apt-cache policy lshw
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lshw/+question/700237/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lshw/+question/700237
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Manfred Hampl suggests this article as an answer to your question:
FAQ #3041: “No support for Linux Mint”.