Provided by: discover_2.1.2-10_amd64 bug

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:

          •  atapcipcmciascsiusb

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)