NAME¶
discover — hardware detection utility
SYNOPSIS¶
discover [DATA_OPTIONS] [DISPLAY_OPTIONS] [--bus-summary] [bus ...]
discover [DATA_OPTIONS] [DISPLAY_OPTIONS] --type-summary [type ...]
discover [DATA_OPTIONS] --data-path=
path/to/data ...
[--data-version=
version] [--normalize-whitespace] [--format=
format
string] [type | id ...]
- DATA_OPTIONS
- •
- -d | --disable-bus=bus
- •
- -e | --enable-bus=bus
- •
- --insert-url=url
- •
- --append-url=url
- •
- -v | --verbose
- DISPLAY_OPTIONS
- •
- --model | --no-model
- •
- --model-id | --no-model-id
- •
- --vendor | --no-vendor
- •
- --vendor-id | --no-vendor-id
Description¶
discover provides an extensible hardware detection and reporting
interface. Hardware information is stored in an XML data format and can be
retrieved across the network.
Fundamental modes of operation:
- •
- Display a list of hardware devices based on type of device
or system bus on which the devices reside, via --type-summary or
--bus-summary (the latter of which is the default behavior).
- •
- Query specified data for attached hardware, via
--data-path.
Options¶
- -h | --help
- Display a simple help message.
- -v | --verbose
- Instruct the tool to provide feedback as it operates. This
will affect the output as discover parses certain arguments, so
this should appear early in the command line.
- -V | --version
- Display the tool name and version.
- -b | --bus-summary
- This is the default behavior: Display basic information
regarding all devices on the appropriate buses. See "Selecting
Buses" >.
- -t | --type-summary
- Summarize devices by class of hardware. Examples of valid
device types include broadband, fixeddisk, display,
and network. See "Device Types" >.
- --data-path=path/to/data
- Query matching devices for detailed information.
Device-specific data is stored in a hierarchical fashion, and the query
argument comprises strings naming each level in that hierarchy.
-
- Typically, the top-level component of the data path will be
the `` platform'' that will need the information, such as
linux or xfree86. For example, to retrieve the Linux kernel
module name for a piece of hardware, the --data-path argument would
be linux/module/name.
-
- If multiple --data-path arguments are given and no
format string (see --format) is provided, only the last path is
used.
-
- See also the --data-version argument.
- --data-version=version
- Specify a version string for the platform that will use the
information specified by the argument to --data-path.
-
- This string must be in dotted-decimal notation in order to
be matched against a range of values, and thus may be shorter than the
real version.
- --format=format string
- Dictate the output of the results of the queries specified
by --data-path arguments. This format string should follow
printf(3) specifications, although only %s and appropriate
flags, precision, and width values are supported (or make sense); literal
text and %% can also be used. The behavior when the string is
poorly formatted is undefined. See also
--normalize-whitespace.
- -d | --disable-bus=bus
- Use this option to override the list of buses to scan by
default as defined in discover.conf. Use all as an argument
to disable all buses; this is useful only if followed by
--enable-bus (or -e) arguments.
- -e | --enable-bus=bus
- Specify a bus to be scanned.
- --insert-url=url
- Insert a URL at the head of the list of network resources
to include in the search for hardware information. Earlier data overrides
later data; to override the local data sources, insert URLs into the list.
See also --append-url.
- --append-url=url
- Append a URL to the end of the list of network resources to
search for hardware information. See also --insert-url.
- --model
- Include the model description in summary information. This
is enabled by default.
- --model-id
- Include the numeric model identifier in summary
information.
- --no-model
- Do not include the model description in summary
information.
- --no-model-id
- Do not include the numeric model identifier in summary
information. This is the default.
- --vendor
- Include the vendor description in summary information. This
is enabled by default.
- --vendor-id
- Include the numeric vendor identifier in summary
information.
- --no-vendor
- Do not include the vendor description in summary
information.
- --no-vendor-id
- Do not include the numeric vendor identifier in summary
information. This is the default.
- --normalize-whitespace
- Consolidate whitespace in the results of a
--data-path query. The default is not to do so, which faithfully
reproduces all text in the raw XML data.
-
- With this option enabled, leading and trailing whitespace
is removed, and any consecutive internal whitespaces are compressed to a
single space character.
Selecting Buses¶
discover.conf defines two lists of system buses: one to scan by default
(used by the
discover command), and one never to scan (used by the
Discover library).
You can override and/or extend the list of default buses with
--disable-bus and
--enable-bus. The list of buses
not to
scan cannot be overridden without changing
discover.conf, so that list
should be used only for buses that may be dangerous to probe.
Both arguments take the string ``
all'' as a value.
If a bus summary is being performed, which is indicated either by the presence
of
--bus-summary or the absence of
--type-summary and
--data-path, any unattached arguments on the command line will be
interpreted as the only buses to scan. This is equivalent to using
--disable-bus all before invoking
--enable-bus for the
buses of interest.
The following buses are currently supported by
Discover:
- •
- ata
- •
- pci
- •
- pcmcia
- •
- scsi
- •
- usb
Device Types¶
Discover defines its own device types, to which the device types used by
each bus are mapped.
Discover currently recognizes the following device
types:
- •
- audio
-
- A device capable of producing an analog or digital sound
signal is an audio device. Typically, any device commonly referred
to as a `` sound card'' is classified by Discover as an
audio device.
- •
- bridge
-
- A device that provides access to devices of a different
type, commonly on a different bus, is a bridge device. For
instance, consumer PCI chipsets often feature a bridge to ATA (also known
as IDE) devices.
- •
- broadband
-
- An interface device to a computer communications network
implemented on top of a technology not explicitly designed for that
purpose is a broadband device. Examples include ISDN terminal
adapters as well as DSL and cable `` modems''; analog phone-line
modems are not included in this classification (see `` modem''
below).
- •
- display
-
- A device controlled by the host machine's CPU and capable
of producing an analog or digital video signal for output purposes is a
display device. Typically, any device commonly referred to as a ``
video card'' is classified by Discover as a display
device.
- •
- fixeddisk
-
- A high-speed, fixed magnetic storage device such as a hard
disk drive is a fixeddisk device. Removable media devices such as
floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, magneto-optical devices, tape drives,
and Compact Flash card readers are not included in this
classification.
- •
- humaninput
-
- A device that receives tactile input from a person for the
purpose of directing a computer's activity is a humaninput device.
Examples include keyboards, mice, trackballs, joysticks, gamepads, digital
tablets manipulated with a stylus or finger, and so forth. Input devices
that rely upon non-tactile means of determining a person's intent, such as
speech-recognition devices or cameras, are not included in this
classification.
- •
- imaging
-
- A device that captures still images for input purposes is
an imaging device. Scanners and digital cameras are examples of
imaging devices. Motion-capture devices such as television tuner cards,
webcams, and digital video cameras are not included in this
classification.
- •
- miscellaneous
-
- Any device that cannot logically be classified as another
device type is a miscellaneous device.
- •
- modem
-
- An analog phone-line modulator/demodulator (modem) is
classified by Discover as a modem device. No other kind of
device is so classified.
- •
- network
-
- An interface device to a conventional computer data
communications network that does not require the use of a terminal adapter
is a network device. For example, Ethernet and Token Ring network
interface cards are network devices. Analog phone-line modems; terminal
adapters for technologies such as ISDN and DSL; and `` cable
modems'' are not `` network'' devices.
- •
- optical
-
- An optical-technology storage device, often using read-only
media, is an optical device. By far the most common examples of
these devices are CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives, including versions of these
drives that can `` burn'' (write to) optical discs.
- •
- printer
-
- A device that renders visual output in a permanent or
semi-permanent manner to a physical medium is a printer. Typically,
any device colloquially referred to as a `` printer'' is also
classified by Discover as a printer.
- •
- removabledisk
-
- Storage devices that feature removable media using just
about any technology except that of magnetic tape, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM
drives are removabledisk devices. Examples include floppy disk
drives, magneto-optical drives, and Compact Flash card readers.
- •
- tape
-
- A sequential-access mass storage device using magnetic tape
is a tape device. Commonly used for archival and backup purposes,
DAT drives are examples of tape devices.
- •
- video
-
- A device that produces a real-time digital video signal for
input purposes is a video device. Webcams, digital video cameras,
and television tuners are examples of video devices. Note that still
digital cameras with `` movie'' capability are not
considered video devices unless they can transmit the live video signal to
the host in real time.
Examples¶
Scan the local buses
# discover
Intel Corporation 82815 Chipset Host Bridge and Memory Controller Hub
unknown unknown
unknown unknown
unknown unknown
Intel Corporation 82815 Chipset IDE controller
Intel Corporation 82815 Chipset USB (A)
Intel Corporation 82815 System Management bus controller
ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 Pro GL [PF]
3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX [Fast Etherlink]
Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97]
unknown unknown
View PCI video cards
# discover -v --type-summary --disable-bus all --enable-bus pci display
Disabled pci
Disabled pcmcia
Disabled scsi
Disabled usb
Enabled pci
Loading XML data... pci Done
Scanning buses... pci Done
ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 Pro GL [PF]
Query for the driver module for XFree86 server version 4.2.0
# discover --data-path=xfree86/server/device/driver --data-version=4.2.0 display
ati
Get model and vendor information by type
$ discover -t --no-model
Intel Corporation
NVIDIA Corporation
3Com Corporation
$ discover -t --no-vendor
82815 System Management bus controller
Vanta [NV6]
3c905C-TX [Fast Etherlink]
Files¶
- /etc/discover.conf.d
- The directory containing configuration files that control
the default behavior for both the discover tool and the
Discover library.
- file:///lib/discover/list.xml
- An XML file containing URLs with hardware information. This
list can be extended with --append-url and --extend-url.
Authors¶
Josh Bressers, John R. Daily, and G. Branden Robinson developed the current
implementation of
Discover for Progeny Linux Systems.
The Linux implementation of the system-dependent interfaces is derived from
detect, by MandrakeSoft SA.
See Also¶
discover.conf(5),
discover-modprobe(8)