Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

CHAPTER 6Analyzing HardwareSimilar to other operating systems, Red Hat EnterpriseLinux must be configured to use drivers, also known askernel modules, for each supported device. If the device isconnected to the system during the installation process,the installation program will attempt to configure thesystem to automatically load the device driver on startup.One convenience of Linux is that most drivers are includedwith the operating system. There is no need to rememberwhere you put a driver disk or search for a driver on themanufacturer’s website. Red Hat Enterprise Linux includesdrivers that are compatible with the kernel version.IN THIS CHAPTER. Listing Devices. Detecting Hardware. Gathering Information from theBIOS. Listing and Configuring KernelModules. HALWhat happens when you add new hardware after installation?Is there a program that can tell you what devices areconnected to the PCI and USB buses? What does the operatingsystem know about the BIOS? How do you knowwhat drivers are being used? This chapter answers thesequestions and more.This chapter discusses how to determine what hardwareRed Hat Enterprise Linux recognizes and supports, howthat hardware is configured, and what to do when newhardware is added.TIPThis chapter only gives instruction on how to gatherinformation about hardware, add new hardware, determinewhat hardware is recognized by the operatingsystem, and configure it. To learn more about monitoringthe usage of hardware such as memory and CPU,refer to Chapter 20, “Monitoring System Resources.”