---
name: "wd_identify"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "watchdog"
version: "5.16-1.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wd_identify"
---

# wd\_identify(8)

get watchdog driver identity

## NAME

wd\_identify - get watchdog driver identity

## SYNOPSIS

**wd\_identify** \[**-c** *filename*\|**--config-file** *filename*\] \[**-v**\|**--verbose**\]

## DESCRIPTION

This utility opens */dev/watchdog* and gets the identification string from the watchdog which then is printed. The device is closed afterwards.

An exit code of zero indicates success in getting the driver identity, while a non-zero exit code indicates an error (not configured in the config file, no device driver loaded, or driver failed to respond to ioctl request).

The wd\_identify tool can only be used without causing a reboot if your kernel is not compiled with the *CONFIG\_WATCHDOG\_NOWAYOUT* option enabled.

Note that the **watchdog** and/or **wd\_keepalive** daemons may have to be stopped to make sure that **wd\_identify** can access the watchdog device.

## OPTIONS

Available command line options are the following:

- **-c** *config-file*, **--config-file** *config-file*

  Use *config-file* as the configuration file instead of the default  */etc/watchdog.conf*.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Print more diagnostic messages. This covers parsing of the config file and also causes the program to read-back the current watchdog time-out value (if successful in opening the device).

## FILES

- */dev/watchdog*

  The watchdog device.

## SEE ALSO

[**watchdog.conf**(5)](/watchdog.conf/5.md)

- [**watchdog**(8)](/watchdog/8.md)