1PCSCD(8) PC/SC Lite PCSCD(8)
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6 pcscd - PC/SC Smart Card Daemon
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9 pcscd [options]
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12 -a, --apdu
13 log APDUs and SW using the debug method (see --debug).
14 -c, --config dir
16 Specifies the directory dir as an alternate location for
17 /etc/reader.conf.d/. The argument can also be a single configu‐
18 ration file (for backward compatibility).
19 -f, --foreground
21 Runs pcscd in the foreground and sends log messages to stderr
22 instead of syslog(3).
23 -T, --color
25 force use of colored logs.
26 -d, --debug
28 use the lowest log level. Any log message of this level or above
29 will be sent to stderr or syslog(3) depending on the use of
30 --foreground.
31 --info use info log level. This is the default log level.
33 -e, --error
35 use error log level.
36 -C, --critical
38 use critical log level.
39 The log levels are ordered as: debug < info < error < critical. Use a
41 log level l will log this level and all the levels above it.
42 --force-reader-polling
44 ignore the IFD_GENERATE_HOTPLUG reader capability
45 -t, --max-thread
47 maximum number of threads (default 200).
48 This is the maximum number of clients (SCardEstablishContext)
50 that pcscd can handle.
51 -s, --max-card-handle-per-thread
53 maximum number of card handle per thread (default: 200).
54 This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per
56 client (SCardEstablishContext).
57 -r, --max-card-handle-per-reader
59 maximum number of card handle per reader (default: 200)
60 This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per
62 reader.
63 -h, --help
65 Displays information about the pcscd command line
66 -v, --version
68 Displays the program version number
69 -H, --hotplug
71 Ask pcscd to re-read the /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf files
72 to detect added or removed non-USB readers (serial or PCMCIA).
73 -x, --auto-exit
75 pcscd will quit after 60 seconds of inactivity after the release
76 of the last PC/SC context. This is used when pcscd is started on
77 demand by systemd.
78 -S, --reader-name-no-serial
80 Do not include the USB serial number in the reader name.
81 -I, --reader-name-no-interface
83 Do not include the USB interface name in the reader name.
84
86 pcscd is the daemon program for pcsc-lite. It is a resource manager
87 that coordinates communications with smart card readers and smart cards
88 and cryptographic tokens that are connected to the system.
89 It allows applications to access smart cards and readers using the Win‐
91 SCard API but without knowing details of the card or reader.
92 pcscd coordinates the loading of drivers for card readers.
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96 Smart card reader drivers are placed in the /usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers di‐
97 rectory. Each driver is simply an .so file. pcscd locates the driver
98 using the /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf files. See the
99 reader.conf(5) manual page for more information.
100 Some drivers are available at https://muscle.apdu.fr/muscle‐
102 card.com/drivers.html.
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105 USB smart card reader drivers are located in /usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers
106 directory as a bundle. You shall NOT add a USB driver in a
107 /etc/reader.conf.d/my_reader.conf file.
108
110 /etc/reader.conf.d/* : Serial reader configuration files
111 /run/pcscd/pcscd.pid : process id of the running pcscd
113 /usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers/ : directory containing bundles for USB drivers
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117 reader.conf(5), syslog(3)
118
120 David Corcoran <corcoran@musclecard.com> and Ludovic Rousseau <lu‐
121 dovic.rousseau@free.fr>
122Muscle December 2021 PCSCD(8)