For some years now, I have been working on a automatic hardware +based package recommendation system for Debian and other Linux +distributions. The isenkram system I started on back in 2013 now +consist of two subsystems, one locating firmware files using the +information provided by apt-file, and one matching hardware to +packages using information provided by AppStream. The former is very +similar to the mechanism implemented in debian-installer to pick the +right firmware packages to install. This post is about the latter +system. Thanks to steady progress and good help from both other +Debian and upstream developers, I am happy to report that +the Isenkram +system now are able to recommend 121 packages using information +provided via +AppStream.
+ +The mapping is done using modalias information provided by the +kernel, the same information used by udev when creating device files, +and the kernel when deciding which kernel modules to load. To get all +the modalias identifiers relevant for your machine, you can run the +following command on the command line:
+ ++find /sys/devices -name modalias -print0 | xargs -0 sort -u ++ +
The modalias identifiers can look something like this:
+ ++acpi:PNP0000 +cpu:type:x86,ven0000fam0006mod003F:feature:,0000,0001,0002,0003,0004,0005,0006,0007,0008,0009,000B,000C,000D,000E,000F,0010,0011,0013,0015,0016,0017,0018,0019,001A,001B,001C,001D,001F,002B,0034,003A,003B,003D,0068,006B,006C,006D,006F,0070,0072,0074,0075,0076,0078,0079,007C,0080,0081,0082,0083,0084,0085,0086,0087,0088,0089,008B,008C,008D,008E,008F,0091,0092,0093,0094,0095,0096,0097,0098,0099,009A,009B,009C,009D,009E,00C0,00C5,00E1,00E3,00EB,00ED,00F0,00F1,00F3,00F5,00F6,00F9,00FA,00FB,00FD,00FF,0100,0101,0102,0103,0111,0120,0121,0123,0125,0127,0128,0129,012A,012C,012D,0140,0160,0161,0165,016C,017B,01C0,01C1,01C2,01C4,01C5,01C6,01F9,024A,025A,025B,025C,025F,0282 +dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr2.18.1:bd08/14/2023:br2.18:svnDellInc.:pnPowerEdgeR730:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0H21J3:rvrA09:cvnDellInc.:ct23:cvr:skuSKU=NotProvided +pci:v00008086d00008D3Bsv00001028sd00000600bc07sc80i00 +platform:serial8250 +scsi:t-0x05 +usb:v413CpA001d0000dc09dsc00dp00ic09isc00ip00in00 ++ +
The entries above are a selection of the complete set available on +a Dell PowerEdge R730 machine I have access to, to give an idea about +the various styles of hardware identifiers presented in the modalias +format. When looking up relevant packages in a Debian Testing +installation on the same R730, I get this list of packages +proposed:
+ ++% sudo isenkram-lookup +firmware-bnx2x +firmware-nvidia-graphics +firmware-qlogic +megactl +wsl +% ++ +
The list consist of firmware packages requested by kernel modules, +as well packages with program to get the status from the RAID +controller and to maintain the LAN console. When the edac-utils +package providing tools to check the ECC RAM status will enter testing +in a few days, it will also show up as a proposal from isenkram. In +addition, once the mfiutil package we uploaded in October get past the +NEW processing, it will also propose a tool to configure the RAID +controller.
+ +Another example is the trusty old Lenovo Thinkpad X230, which have +hardware handled by several packages in the archive. This is running +on Debian Stable:
+ ++% isenkram-lookup +beignet-opencl-icd +bluez +cheese +ethtool +firmware-iwlwifi +firmware-misc-nonfree +fprintd +fprintd-demo +gkrellm-thinkbat +hdapsd +libpam-fprintd +pidgin-blinklight +thinkfan +tlp +tp-smapi-dkms +tpb +% ++ +
Here there proposal consist of software to handle the camera, +bluetooth, network card, wifi card, GPU, fan, fingerprint reader and +acceleration sensor on the machine.
+ +Here is the complete set of packages currently providing hardware +mapping via AppStream in Debian Unstable: air-quality-sensor, +alsa-firmware-loaders, antpm, array-info, avarice, avrdude, +bmusb-v4l2proxy, brltty, calibre, colorhug-client, concordance-common, +consolekit, dahdi-firmware-nonfree, dahdi-linux, edac-utils, +eegdev-plugins-free, ekeyd, elogind, firmware-amd-graphics, +firmware-ath9k-htc, firmware-atheros, firmware-b43-installer, +firmware-b43legacy-installer, firmware-bnx2, firmware-bnx2x, +firmware-brcm80211, firmware-carl9170, firmware-cavium, +firmware-intel-graphics, firmware-intel-misc, firmware-ipw2x00, +firmware-ivtv, firmware-iwlwifi, firmware-libertas, +firmware-linux-free, firmware-mediatek, firmware-misc-nonfree, +firmware-myricom, firmware-netronome, firmware-netxen, +firmware-nvidia-graphics, firmware-qcom-soc, firmware-qlogic, +firmware-realtek, firmware-ti-connectivity, fpga-icestorm, g810-led, +galileo, garmin-forerunner-tools, gkrellm-thinkbat, goldencheetah, +gpsman, gpstrans, gqrx-sdr, i8kutils, imsprog, ledger-wallets-udev, +libairspy0, libam7xxx0.1, libbladerf2, libgphoto2-6t64, +libhamlib-utils, libm2k0.9.0, libmirisdr4, libnxt, libopenxr1-monado, +libosmosdr0, librem5-flash-image, librtlsdr0, libticables2-8, +libx52pro0, libykpers-1-1, libyubikey-udev, limesuite, +linuxcnc-uspace, lomoco, madwimax, media-player-info, megactl, mixxx, +mkgmap, msi-keyboard, mu-editor, mustang-plug, nbc, nitrokey-app, nqc, +ola, openfpgaloader, openocd, openrazer-driver-dkms, pcmciautils, +pcscd, pidgin-blinklight, ponyprog, printer-driver-splix, +python-yubico-tools, python3-btchip, qlcplus, rosegarden, scdaemon, +sispmctl, solaar, spectools, sunxi-tools, t2n, thinkfan, tlp, +tp-smapi-dkms, trezor, tucnak, ubertooth, usbrelay, uuu, viking, +w1retap, wsl, xawtv, xinput-calibrator, xserver-xorg-input-wacom and +xtrx-dkms.
+ +In addition to these, there are several +with +patches pending in the Debian bug tracking system, and even more +where no-one wrote patches yet. Good candiates for the latter are +packages +with +udev rules but no AppStream hardware information.
+ +The isenkram system consist of two packages, isenkram-cli with the +command line tools, and isenkram with a GUI background process. The +latter will listen for dbus events from udev emitted when new hardware +become available (like when inserting a USB dongle or discovering a +new bluetooth device), look up the modalias entry for this piece of +hardware in AppStream (and a hard coded list of mappings from isenkram +- currently working hard to move this list to AppStream), and pop up a +dialog proposing to install any not already installed packages +supporting this hardware. It work very well today when inserting the +LEGO Mindstorms RCX, NXT and EV3 controllers. :) If you want to make +sure more hardware related packages get recommended, please help out +fixing the remaining packages in Debian to provide AppStream metadata +with hardware mappings.
+ +As usual, if you use Bitcoin and want to show your support of my +activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address +15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b.
+ +