PCSCD

Section: PC/SC Lite (8)
Updated: January 2007
Page Index

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.d/reader.conf.
-f, --foreground: Runs pcscd in the foreground and sends log messages to stderr instead of syslog(3).
-T, --color: force use of colored logs.
-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.
-e, --error: use error log level.
-C, --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.

--force-reader-polling: ignore the IFD_GENERATE_HOTPLUG reader capability
-t, --max-thread: maximum number of threads (default 200).
This is the maximum number of clients (SCardEstablishContext) that pcscd can handle.
-s, --max-card-handle-per-thread: maximum number of card handle per thread (default: 200).
This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per client (SCardEstablishContext).
-r, --max-card-handle-per-reader: maximum number of card handle per reader (default: 200)
This is the maximum number of card handle (SCardConnect) per reader.
-h, --help: Displays information about the pcscd command line
-v, --version: Displays the program version number
-H, --hotplug: Ask pcscd to re-read the /etc/reader.conf.d/reader.conf file to detect added or removed non-USB readers (serial or PCMCIA).
-x, --auto-exit: pcscd will quit after 60 seconds of inactivity after the release of the last PC/SC context. This is used when pcscd os started on demand by systemd.
-S, --reader-name-no-serial: Do not include the USB serial number in the reader name.
-I, --reader-name-no-interface: Do not include the USB interface name in the reader name.

DESCRIPTION

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

It allows applications to access smart cards and readers using the winscard API but without knowing details of the card or reader.

pcscd coordinates the loading of drivers for card readers.

SERIAL SMART CARD READER DRIVERS

Smart card reader drivers are placed in the /usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers directory. Each driver is simply an .so file. pcscd locates the driver using the /etc/reader.conf.d/reader.conf file. See the reader.conf(5) manual page for more information.

Some drivers are available at https://muscle.apdu.fr/musclecard.com/drivers.html.

USB SMART CARD READER DRIVERS

USB smart card reader drivers are located in /usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers directory as a bundle. You shall not add a USB driver in /etc/reader.conf.d/reader.conf file.

FILES

/etc/reader.conf.d/reader.conf : Reader configuration file

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

/usr/lib64/pcsc/drivers : directory containing bundles for USB drivers

AUTHORS

David Corcoran <corcoran@musclecard.com> and Ludovic Rousseau <ludovic.rousseau@free.fr>