This white paper describes libdevinfo(3) which is a set of interfaces used to access Solaris device configuration data from userland applications. It is intended for readers who are familiar with Solaris device configuration as described in Writing Device Drivers. (Note: On docs.sun.com, find the version of Writing Device Drivers that matches the release number you are working with.) See also the libdevinfo(3) man page.

The libdevinfo interfaces provide the following features:

• Read-only access to device configuration data in the kernel
• Guaranteed data reliability and self-consistency
• Capability to access data in the 64-bit kernel from 32-bit applications

Typical consumers of libdevinfo are device monitoring, administration, and configuration applications. The interfaces described in this document are available in Solaris 7.

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Contents

• Device Configuration Data
  • Example: Configuration Data for a Hard Disk
• Programming Model
  • Taking a Snapshot
  • Using Handles
  • Using libdevinfo
    1. Create a Snapshot of the Device Tree
    2. Traverse the Device Tree Snapshot
    3. Access Device Node Information
    4. Destroy the Snapshot
  • Header File and Compilation
  • 64-bit Implications
  • Memory Management
  • Error Information
  • Internationalization
  • Limitations
• List of Interfaces
• Code Examples
  • CODE EXAMPLE 1 Print Node Names (example1.c)
  • CODE EXAMPLE 2 Print Physical Path of Disks (example2.c)
  • CODE EXAMPLE 3 Listing All Device Information (example3.c)
• Appendix