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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)

                                                                   discover(1)