discover

discover [options] [type...]

discover is a hardware identification system for Linux that identifies hardware devices and maps them to kernel modules, X drivers, or other software components. It queries system buses to detect attached hardware.The tool is used in installation and configuration systems to automatically detect hardware and load appropriate drivers. It maintains a database mapping device IDs to driver names and configuration data.discover can identify devices across various buses including PCI, USB, and others, providing information needed for automatic hardware configuration.

TYPE

Device type to discover: video, network, audio, etc.

List available device types.

Verbose output.

Output data format version.

Output format (human, data, etc.).

Display help information.

Database may not include newest hardware. Some devices require manufacturer-specific detection. Results depend on kernel support and permissions. May miss devices on non-standard buses.

discover was developed for the Progeny and Debian distributions as part of automatic hardware detection and configuration systems. It emerged in the early 2000s when automatic hardware detection became important for user-friendly Linux installations.

lspci(8), lsusb(8), hwinfo(8), udevadm(8)