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)