Kudzu (computer daemon)
| Company type | Software utility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware detection |
| Founder | Red Hat |
Area served | Linux systems |
| Products | Hardware detection utility |
| Parent | Red Hat |
| Website | https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Features/NoMoreKudzu |
Kudzu is a computer hardware detection utility created by Red Hat that utilizes a hardware device information library. It should not be mistaken for the climbing vine plant named kudzu.
Description
During system startup, kudzu identifies any modifications in hardware configuration, enabling newly found devices or managing removals accordingly. It operates exclusively at boot time, thereby avoiding any impact on system performance during regular use. Starting with Fedora 9, kudzu has been replaced by HAL for hardware detection and setup.
Kudzu cross-checks the current hardware setup against the database located at /etc/sysconfig/hwconf. Upon detecting differences, it prompts the user to configure added or removed devices and updates the database accordingly. If no database exists, kudzu derives configured devices by referencing /etc/modprobe.conf, /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/, and /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
Options usage
—help, -?
- Display assistance information.
-q, --quiet
- Operate silently; perform configuration without user interaction.
-s, --safe
- Execute only non-intrusive probes; disables serial, DDC monitor, and PS/2 device probing.
-t, --timeout [seconds]
- Sets a timeout for the initial prompt; exits without modifying /etc/sysconfig/hwconf if no response is given.
-k, --kernel [version]
- Specify kernel version for module checks; defaults to the running kernel.
-b, --bus [bus]
- Limit probing to the indicated bus only.
-c, --class [class]
- Restrict probing to the specified device class only.
-f, --file [file]
- Use probe data from a file instead of conducting an actual probe.
-p, --probe
- Show probing details without applying configuration changes.
Files
/etc/sysconfig/hwconf
- Repository of installed hardware data.
/etc/sysconfig/kudzu
- Configuration settings for boot-time probing; setting 'SAFE' to any value other than 'no' activates safe-only probes.
/etc/modprobe.conf
- File containing module configurations.
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-*
- Network interface configuration files.
Bugs
The serial port probe may interfere with devices currently in use and can produce inconsistent results on systems functioning as serial consoles. Additionally, the DDC probe might cause problems on certain older graphics adapters.
Executing kudzu to configure network interfaces after network services have started can lead to unexpected behavior.