discover

discover(1) General Commands Manual discover(1)

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 be‐
         havior).

      •  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 appro‐
             priate 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  com‐
   mand 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 in‐
             clude 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 com‐
             monly 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-op‐
             tical 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, in‐
             cluding 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.