This document describes a hardware detection tool called HDT that is implemented as part of the Syslinux project. HDT collects detailed hardware configuration information from systems in a user-friendly way. It works at a low level to gather information like CPU, memory, storage, and network details. The tool outputs this data in JSON format for easy sharing and automated reporting. A live demo of HDT is then shown to illustrate its features.

1. Kernel Recipes 21th September 2012 @Paris

2. History
● How to make an efficient Linux support on irc ?
● Same question over & over :
– what configuration do you have ?
● How can we know the HW configuration if the OS
doesn't boot at all ?
● How can I make other reporting their hardware
configuration regardingless the Operating
System they use ?

3. Concept
● As low-level as possible
● Collecting all-possible HW information
● It has to be user-friendly
● An 'expert' mode would be a nice-to-have feat.
● Dumping the configuration should be easy
● Sharing the configuration would be lovely

4. Implementation
● Part of the Syslinux project since 2009 (3.74)
● Regular C code built as a COM32 module
● Uses Syslinux libs to get HW information
● Uses Syslinux menuing system
● Can be booted on ISO/PXE/Local

5. Features
● PCI devices (bus/slot/func/ids/class/kmod)
● DMI (board/bios/batt./chassis/cpu/ipmi/memory)
● CPU (vendor/model/flags/cores/speed)
● ACPI (tables/apic/io_apic)
● DISK (CHS/Size/Interface/Bus/Partionning)
● MEM (size/e820)
● PXE (local_ip/server_ip/pci_device/gPXE)
● VESA (version/modes/linux_style[vga=])
● VPD (Bios/Host/Motherboard)

6. Features
● Kernel Modules
– Display all needed modules for a given Kernel
● Command-Line Interface
● Ncurses-like interface
● Dumping over tftp (if PXE stack present)
– JSON output
– HTTP to come with Syslinux feat. LWIP
● Automated commands & reporting

7. Enough Slides !
Live Demo !

8. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

9. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

10. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

11. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

12. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

13. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

14. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

15. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

16. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

17. Live Demo
Slides added after KR2012 to keep some views of the demo

18. Usecases
● Regular use to analyse a particular system
● Helper for a support team
● Debugging a Virtualizer
● Discovering a prototype configuration (Lenovo)
● Generating a description sheet (FreeGeek)

19. Thanks !
● IRC : #hdt on freenode
● Mailing List : hdt@zytor.com