NAME

       pcscd - PC/SC Smart Card Daemon

SYNOPSIS

       pcscd [-acfTdeCvHSI] [--apdu] [--config dir] [--foreground] [--color] [--debug] [--info] [--error]
             [--critical] [--force-reader-polling] [-t number] [--max-thread number] [-s number]
             [--max-card-handle-per-thread number] [-r number] [--max-card-handle-per-reader number] [--version]
             [--hotplug] [--reader-name-no-serial] [--reader-name-no-interface] [--disable-polkit]

       pcscd -h
       pcscd --help

OPTIONS

       -a, --apdu
              log APDUs and SW using the debug method (see --debug).

       -c, --config dir
              Specifies the directory dir as an alternate location for /etc/reader.conf.d/.   The  argument  can
              also be a single configuration file (for backward compatibility).

       -f, --foreground
              Runs pcscd in the foreground and sends log messages to stderr instead of syslog(3).

       -T, --color
              force use of colored logs.

       -d, --debug
              use  the  lowest  log  level.  Any  log  message  of this level or above will be sent to stderr or
              syslog(3) depending on the use of --foreground.

       --info use info log level. This is the default log level.

       -e, --error
              use error log level.

       -C, --critical
              use critical log level.

       The log levels are ordered as: debug < info < error < critical. Use a log level l will log this level and
       all the levels above it.

       --force-reader-polling
              ignore the IFD_GENERATE_HOTPLUG reader capability

       -t, --max-thread number
              maximum number of threads (default 200).

              This is the maximum number of clients (SCardEstablishContext) that pcscd can handle.

       -s, --max-card-handle-per-thread number
              maximum number of card handle per thread (default: 200).

              This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per client (SCardEstablishContext).

       -r, --max-card-handle-per-reader number
              maximum number of card handle per reader (default: 200)

              This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per reader.

       -h, --help
              Displays information about the pcscd command line

       -v, --version
              Displays the program version number

       -H, --hotplug
              Ask  pcscd  to re-read the /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf files to detect added or removed non-
              USB readers (serial or PCMCIA).

       -x, --auto-exit
              pcscd will quit after 60 seconds of inactivity after the release of the last PC/SC  context.  This
              is used when pcscd is started on demand by systemd.

       -S, --reader-name-no-serial
              Do not include the USB serial number in the reader name.

       -I, --reader-name-no-interface
              Do not include the USB interface name in the reader name.

       --disable-polkit
              Ignore polkit rules. All accesses are allowed.

DESCRIPTION

       pcscd  is the daemon program for pcsc-lite. It is a resource manager that coordinates communications with
       smart card readers and smart cards and cryptographic tokens that are connected to the system.

       It allows applications to access smart cards and readers using  the  WinSCard  API  but  without  knowing
       details of the card or reader.

       pcscd coordinates the loading of drivers for card readers.

SERIAL SMART CARD READER DRIVERS

       Smart card reader drivers are placed in the /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers directory. Each driver is simply an .so
       file.   pcscd  locates  the  driver  using  the   /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf   files.    See   the
       reader.conf(5) manual page for more information.

       Some drivers are available at https://muscle.apdu.fr/musclecard.com/drivers.html.

USB SMART CARD READER DRIVERS

       USB  smart  card reader drivers are located in /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers directory as a bundle. You shall NOT
       add a USB driver in a /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf file.

CONFIGURATION FILE

       It is possible to set arguments that will be used by pcscd with the configuration file /etc/default/pcscd
       For example you can increase the debug level using:
              PCSCD_ARGS=--debug

       Or set environment variables like:
              PCSCLITE_FILTER_IGNORE_READER_NAMES="Twin"
              PCSCLITE_FILTER_EXTEND_READER_NAMES=" $HOSTNAME"

       See https://blog.apdu.fr/posts/2021/08/pcsc-lite-configuration-using/ ⟨⟩ for more details.

FILES

       /etc/default/pcscd : daemon configuration file

       /etc/reader.conf.d/* : Serial reader configuration files

       /run/pcscd/pcscd.pid : process id of the running pcscd

       /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers/ : directory containing bundles for USB drivers

SEE ALSO

       reader.conf(5), syslog(3)

AUTHORS

       David Corcoran <corcoran@musclecard.com> and Ludovic Rousseau <ludovic.rousseau@free.fr>