Syslinux - Mar 2009 - Introducing a new com32 module : HDT

Since a while, I've been contributing some code to syslinux to improve 
the hardware detection.
Most of that code have been revamped from other project like dmidecode 
or the linux kernel itself.
The com32 api is really a nice play for developing new features.
All of that work is only available in libraries or sample code.

During his fosdem presentation 
(http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/fosdem-video/2009/maintracks/syslinux.xvid.avi), 
hpa said publicly that all that code could be a nice base for having an 
hardware detection tool.
That tool would be able to detect computer's components and display them 
nicely to users.

I was really motivated in developing such tool and even more because I 
already tried two times this without success... who said motivation ? ;o))
This fosdem conference gave me enough energy to restart that project.

HDT (hardware detection tool) is now under active development and .... 
sounds to works pretty well.

It features a menu mode (using murali's work) and a CLI (command line 
interface) mode.

HDT is able to detect :
- CPU (product name, speed, flags,...)
- DMI (bios, motherboard, memory, system, chassis)
- PXE (if pxelinux is loaded : mac address, ip address)
- PCI devices (using real product names, product class)
- Linux Kernel modules needed by that host
- Disks (work is in progress)

HDT is now showing publicly for the first time on  Mandriva Linux 2009.1 
RC1's isos.
Maybe other project projects, linux distro or end users could take 
benefits of it.

So please, welcome this new com32 module in the Syslinux world. ;o)

Current version is : 0.2.3 and requires Syslinux >= 3.73.
Let's hope hpa will have enough free time to integrate it in 3.74 ;o)

More details & screenshots are on the wiki page : 
http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/Hdt_(Hardware_Detection_Tool)

Inputs, comments & patches are obviously welcome !

I would like to thank :
- Hans Peter Anvin for this wonderfull project and all clever 
advices/comments/patches/patience he gave me
- Andy Tim, Constantin Charissis & Antoine Ginies (aka guibo) for theirs 
preliminary tests, comments & bug reports
- Sebastien Gonzalve (aka Oznog) for his code review & patches
- All the other that motivated me to do that tool :o)

Erwan wrote:
> I would like to thank :
> - Hans Peter Anvin for this wonderfull project and all clever 
> advices/comments/patches/patience he gave me
> - Andy Tim, Constantin Charissis & Antoine Ginies (aka guibo) for
theirs
> preliminary tests, comments & bug reports
> - Sebastien Gonzalve (aka Oznog) for his code review & patches
> - All the other that motivated me to do that tool :o)
>   
Oups, I forgot to mention
- Pierre-Alexandre Meyer (aka pam) & Colin Leroy in the testing team !

Apologies to them ;o)

On Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:59:17 +0100, Erwan <erwan at seanodes.com> wrote:
> HDT (hardware detection tool) is now under active development and .... 
> sounds to works pretty well.
>
> It features a menu mode (using murali's work) and a CLI (command line 
> interface) mode.
>
> HDT is able to detect :
> - CPU (product name, speed, flags,...)
> - DMI (bios, motherboard, memory, system, chassis)
> - PXE (if pxelinux is loaded : mac address, ip address)
> - PCI devices (using real product names, product class)
> - Linux Kernel modules needed by that host
> - Disks (work is in progress)
>   
Huzzah and many thanks!  I'd been considering trying to do such a thing
myself...

Once I get my current round of stuff taken care of, I will integrate
this into my boot CD and let you know what I find?
Quick question though; can it currently (or is it even possible to) log
the output to a file someplace?  I'd never quite had time to work out
how difficult that would be...