PCSCD(8)                                                   PC/SC Lite                                                   PCSCD(8)



NAME
       pcscd - PC/SC Smart Card Daemon

SYNOPSIS
       pcscd [options]

OPTIONS
       -a, --apdu
              log APDUs and SW using the debug method (see --debug).

       -c, --config file
              Specifies the file file as an alternate location for /etc/reader.conf.

       -f, --foreground
              Runs pcscd in the foreground and sends log messages to stderr instead of syslog(3).

       -d, --debug
              use  the lowest log level. Any log message of this level or above will be sent to stderr or syslog(3) depending on
              the use of --foreground.

       --info use info log level. This is the default log level.

       --error
              use error log level.

       --critical
              use critical log level.

       The log levels are ordered as: debug < info < error < critical. Use a log level l will log this level and all the  levels
       above it.

       -h, --help
              Displays information about the pcscd command line

       -v, --version
              Displays the program version number

       -H, --hotplug
              Ask  pcscd  to  rescan  the USB buses for added or removed readers and re-read the /etc/reader.conf file to detect
              added or removed non-USB readers (serial or PCMCIA).

DESCRIPTION
       pcscd is the daemon program for pcsc-lite and the MuscleCard framework. It is a resource manager that coordinates  commu-
       nications with smart card readers and smart cards and cryptographic tokens that are connected to the system.

       pcscd  is normally started at boot time from /etc/init.d/pcscd.  It allows applications to access smart cards and readers
       without knowing details of the card or reader.

       pcscd coordinates the loading of drivers for card readers.

       The purpose of pcsc-lite is to provide a cross compatible API (called winscard) for migrating Windows based PC/SC  appli-
       cations to Unix.

       At startup, pcscd loads the smart card reader drivers specified in the /etc/reader.conf file (or specified using --config
       file).

SERIAL SMART CARD READER DRIVERS
       Smart card reader drivers are placed in the /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers directory. Each driver is simply an  .so  file.   pcscd
       locates  the  driver  using the /etc/reader.conf file.  See the reader.conf(5) manual page for more information.  Drivers
       are available at http://www.musclecard.com/drivers.html.

USB SMART CARD READER DRIVERS
       USB smart card reader drivers are located in /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers directory as a bundle. You shall not add a USB  driver
       in /etc/reader.conf file.

FILES
       /etc/reader.conf : Reader configuration file

       /etc/init.d/pcscd : pcscd startup script

       /var/run/pcscd.pid : process id of the running pcscd

       /usr/lib/pcsc/drivers : directory containing bundles for USB drivers

SEE ALSO
       bundleTool(8), reader.conf(5), syslog(3)

AUTHORS
       David Corcoran <corcoranATmusclecard.com> and Ludovic Rousseau <ludovic.rousseauATfree.fr>



Muscle                                                    January 2007                                                  PCSCD(8)