CentOS - Jul 2008 - Hardware serial number access from (a) command(s)

Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one of my
DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message mentioned I should
have my serial number handy.  I thought there was a way to read that
from at least one piece of software on the system, but I couldn't
remember one and man -k on a number of subjects was unrevealing.

Can someone enlighten me (us)?

Thanks.

mhr

On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 11:26:30AM -0700, MHR wrote:
> Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one of my
> DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message mentioned I should
> have my serial number handy.  I thought there was a way to read that
> from at least one piece of software on the system, but I couldn't
> remember one and man -k on a number of subjects was unrevealing.
On a Dell, "dmidecode" will give you the serial number of the system.
(I can see motherboard, chasis, memory sticks on my machine).

Doubt if you can get the serial number of the DVD burner.

-- 

rgds
Stephen

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:26:30 -0700
MHR <mhullrich at gmail.com> took out a #2 pencil and scribbled:
> Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one
> of my DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message
> mentioned I should have my serial number handy.  I thought there
> was a way to read that from at least one piece of software on the
> system, but I couldn't remember one and man -k on a number of
> subjects was unrevealing.
> 
> Can someone enlighten me (us)?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> mhr
You can try hdparm -i /dev/yourdevice

You may need to run this as root. There is a field for Serial
Number, but for my devices no serial number is provided. This may
not help you, but it could work.

Output from my system:

[prata at crane ~]$ sudo hdparm -i /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:

Model=Pioneer DVD-ROM ATAPIModel DVD-106S 011, FwRev=E1.14,
SerialNo= Config={ Fixed Removeable DTR<=5Mbs DTR>10Mbs
nonMagnetic }.....other info is there but is not relevant.


HTH

Alex White
-- 
ethericalzen at gmail.com
Life is a prison, death is a release

On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 1:26 PM, MHR <mhullrich at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one of my
> DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message mentioned I should
> have my serial number handy.  I thought there was a way to read that
> from at least one piece of software on the system, but I couldn't
> remember one and man -k on a number of subjects was unrevealing.
>
> Can someone enlighten me (us)?
PITA. You will probably need to open the box and look at the label on
the  drive.

The Maxtor software I use to check our hard drives tells what the SN is,
among other things.

Now, the company should be open. Possibly send their Tech Support an
email and ask if there is a way for you to get the SN, without opening the box.

Two of our Dell Dimension boxes are very easy to open, if the plastic
doesn't bend,
but in our 3 other boxes, this would be a PITA.

On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 1:26 PM, MHR <mhullrich at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one of my
> DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message mentioned I should
> have my serial number handy.  I thought there was a way to read that
> from at least one piece of software on the system, but I couldn't
> remember one and man -k on a number of subjects was unrevealing.
>
> Can someone enlighten me (us)?
Follow on: When I had a problem with the Teac CD-RW drive in my daughters box,
I sent an email to Teac Tech Support, asking if they had Diagnostics
for it. The reply
was that they had no Diagnostics. I put it into the trash and I will
not buy any more
Teac drives, because they have no Diagnostics. If the company has Diagnostics
for your DVD burner, that will probably be able to show you the SN.

MHR wrote:
> Over the weekend, I had to make a technical support call on one of my
> DVD burners, and at one point the recorded message mentioned I should
> have my serial number handy.  I thought there was a way to read that
> from at least one piece of software on the system, but I couldn't
> remember one and man -k on a number of subjects was unrevealing.
> 
> Can someone enlighten me (us)?
libsmbios is good getting Dell service tag serial number of system.

hal-device is good getting specific device information:

23: udi =
'/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_HL_DT_ST_GCR_8240N'
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage.method_execpaths = {
'hal-storage-eject', 'hal-storage-closetray' } (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage.method_argnames = {
'extra_options', 'extra_options' } (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage.method_signatures = { 'as',
'as' } (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage.method_names = { 'Eject',
'CloseTray' } (string list)
  info.interfaces = { 'org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage',
'org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Storage' } (string list)
  info.addons = { 'hald-addon-storage' } (string list)
  block.storage_device =
'/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_HL_DT_ST_GCR_8240N' 
(string)
  info.udi =
'/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_HL_DT_ST_GCR_8240N' 
(string)
  storage.cdrom.write_speeds = {  } (string list)
  storage.cdrom.write_speed = 0  (0x0)  (int)
  storage.cdrom.read_speed = 4224  (0x1080)  (int)
  storage.cdrom.support_media_changed = true  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.hddvdrw = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.hddvd = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.bdre = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.bdr = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.bd = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdplusrdl = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdplusrwdl = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdplusrw = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdplusr = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdram = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdrw = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvdr = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.dvd = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.cdrw = false  (bool)
  storage.cdrom.cdr = false  (bool)
  storage.requires_eject = true  (bool)
  storage.hotpluggable = false  (bool)
  info.capabilities = { 'storage', 'block',
'storage.cdrom' } (string list)
  info.category = 'storage'  (string)
  info.product = 'HL-DT-ST GCR-8240N'  (string)
  storage.size = 0  (0x0)  (uint64)
  storage.removable = true  (bool)
  storage.removable.media_available = false  (bool)
  storage.physical_device =
'/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_8086_27df_ide_0_0'  (string)
  storage.firmware_version = '1.10'  (string)
  storage.vendor = ''  (string)
  storage.model = 'HL-DT-ST GCR-8240N'  (string)
  storage.drive_type = 'cdrom'  (string)
  storage.automount_enabled_hint = true  (bool)
  storage.media_check_enabled = true  (bool)
  storage.no_partitions_hint = true  (bool)
  storage.bus = 'ide'  (string)
  block.is_volume = false  (bool)
  block.minor = 0  (0x0)  (int)
  block.major = 3  (0x3)  (int)
  block.device = '/dev/hda'  (string)
  linux.hotplug_type = 3  (0x3)  (int)
  info.parent = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_8086_27df_ide_0_0' 
(string)
  linux.sysfs_path_device = '/sys/block/hda'  (string)
  linux.sysfs_path = '/sys/block/hda'  (string)

-Ross

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