Overview
scsi_id queries a SCSI device via the SCSI INQUIRY vital product data (VPD) page 0x80 or 0x83 and uses the resulting data to generate a value that is unique across all SCSI devices that properly support page 0x80 or page 0x83.
If a result is generated it is sent to standard output, and the program exits with a zero value. If no identifier is output, the program exits with a non-zero value.
scsi_id is primarily for use by other utilities such as udev that require a unique SCSI identifier.
By default all devices are assumed black listed, the --whitelisted option must be specified on the command line or in the config file for any useful behaviour.
SCSI commands are sent directly to the device via the SG_IO ioctl interface.
In order to generate unique values for either page 0x80 or page 0x83, the serial numbers or world wide names are prefixed as follows.
Identifiers based on page 0x80 are prefixed by the character 'S', the SCSI vendor, the SCSI product (model) and then the the serial number returned by page 0x80. For example:
# /lib/udev/scsi_id --page=0x80 --whitelisted --device=/dev/sda
SIBM 3542 1T05078453
Identifiers based on page 0x83 are prefixed by the identifier type followed by the page 0x83 identifier. For example, a device with a NAA (Name Address Authority) type of 3 (also in this case the page 0x83 identifier starts with the NAA value of 6):
# /lib/udev/scsi_id --page=0x83 --whitelisted --device=/dev/sda
3600a0b80000b174b000000d63efc5c8c
History
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Debian 7 (Wheezy) to Debian 6.0 (Squeeze): the text shown here
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Debian 5.0 (Lenny)
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Debian 4.0 (Etch)
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Debian 3.1 (Sarge)
--blacklisted since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--config since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--device since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--export since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--page since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--replace-whitespace since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--verbose since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--version since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
--whitelisted since Debian 5.0 (Lenny).
-V until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-a until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-b until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-g until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-i until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-u until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-v until Debian 4.0 (Etch);
-x until Debian 4.0 (Etch).