vpddecode

vpddecode [options] []

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit.

-v, --version
    Display version information and exit.

-i, --input
    Read VPD data from the specified file instead of directly accessing the system hardware.

-d, --device
    Read VPD data from the specified device node.

-q, --quiet
    Suppress error messages.

-u, --unfiltered
    Do not filter the VPD data.

The vpddecode command parses and displays the contents of Vital Product Data (VPD) structures. VPD contains information about a system's hardware, such as its serial number, manufacturer, product name, and other system-specific details. This information is typically stored in EEPROM or similar non-volatile memory devices accessible through system buses like I2C or IPMB. vpddecode can read VPD data from specified files, device nodes, or directly from the system's hardware using interfaces like IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface).

The tool is useful for system administrators, hardware developers, and anyone needing to identify or diagnose hardware issues. The output is human-readable and can be easily piped to other tools for further processing or analysis. Understanding VPD structures and how vpddecode interprets them is crucial for troubleshooting and managing system hardware effectively. It should be run with appropriate privledges

Requires appropriate privileges to access hardware devices directly. May not work on all systems or with all hardware.

vpddecode returns 0 on success and a non-zero value on failure. Common causes of failure include inability to access hardware or invalid VPD data.

vpddecode is part of the freeipmi project. It was developed to provide a user-friendly way to access and interpret VPD information, particularly in systems managed by IPMI. The command has evolved over time to support different VPD structures and hardware interfaces, becoming an essential tool for system management and diagnostics.

dmidecode(8), lspci(8), lshw(1)