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<title>KDE Control Center - Information
<author>Matthias H&ouml;lzer, Helge Deller, Duncan Haldane
<date>v1.2, 08. December 1998

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<sect>Memory Usage Information
<p>
This page displays information about the current memory usage. It is updated regularly. 
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, memory usage information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/meminfo</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.

<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.

<sect>Processor Information
<p>
This page displays information about the system 
Central Processing Unit (CPU).
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, processor information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/cpuinfo</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is compiled into the kernel.


<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>Interrupt Request (IRQ) Lines in Use 
<p>
This page displays information about the Interrupt Request
Lines in use, and the devices that use them.

An IRQ is a hardware line used in a PC by (ISA bus) devices like
keyboards, modems, sound cards, etc., to send 
<it>interrupt signals</it> to the processor to tell it that the device is 
ready to send or accept data.
Unfortunately, there are only sixteen IRQ's (0-15) available in the i386
(PC) architecture for sharing among the ISA various devices.

Many hardware problems are the
result of IRQ conflicts, when two devices try to use the same
IRQ, or software is misconfigured to use a different IRQ from the
one a device is actually configured for.

<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, IRQ  information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/interrupts</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.

<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>DMA Channel Information
<p>
This page displays information about the DMA (Direct Memory
Access) Channels.  A DMA channel is a direct connection 
that allows devices to transfer data to and from memory
without going through the processor. Typically, i386-architecture systems (PC's) have
eight DMA channels (0-7).  
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, DMA Channel information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/dma</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.
A list of all currently-registered (ISA bus) DMA channels that are in use is shown.
<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>I/O-port Information
<p>
This page displays information about the I/O-ports.

I/O Ports are memory addresses used by the processor for direct
communication with a device that has sent an
interrupt signal to the processor.

The exchange of commands or data between the processor and
the device takes place through the
I/O port address of the device, which is a hexadecimal number.   
No two devices can share
the same I/O port.  Many devices use multiple I/O port addresses,
which are expressed as a range of hexadecimal numbers. 
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. On some systems,
I/O-port information can not yet be displayed.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/ioports</tt>
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.
A list of all currently-registered I/O port regions that are in use is shown.
<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>PCI-bus and Installed PCI Cards
<p>
This page displays information about the PCI-bus and installed PCI cards, and
other devices
that use the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. On some systems,
PCI-information can not yet be displayed.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/pci</tt>
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.
A listing of all PCI devices found during kernel initialization, and their configuration, is
shown.
<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>Soundcard Information
<p>
This page displays information about any soundcards installed in the system.
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, soundcard information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read either from <tt>/dev/sndstat</tt>, if present,
or from <tt>/proc/sound</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is compiled into the 
(2.1.x or later) kernel.


<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>Device Information
<p>
This page displays information about the available devices,

<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, device information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/devices</tt> and <tt>/proc/misc</tt>,
which are only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.
Devices are listed by group (Character, Block, or Miscellaneous), and by major numbers.

<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>SCSI Interface Information
<p>
This page displays information about Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Interfaces and the attached SCSI devices.

<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems SCSI information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is read from <tt>/proc/scsi/scsi</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem is  compiled into the kernel.
A listing of all SCSI devices known to the kernel is shown.

<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>Partition Information
<p>
This page displays information about partitions on your hard drives.

<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, partition information cannot be displayed yet.
<p>
On Linux, this information is  read from <tt>/proc/partitions</tt>,
which is only available if the <tt>/proc</tt> pseudo-filesystem  is compiled into the 
(2.1.x or later) kernel.
<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
<sect>X-Server Information
<p>
This page displays information about the X-Server being used.
<p>
The exact information displayed is system-dependent. 
On some systems, X-Server information cannot be displayed yet.

<p>
On most KDE-Platforms this dialog shows the name of the X11-display,
the X11 version number, a vendor string, the vendor release number,
the default screen number and the number of available screens.
For each screen, this dialog also shows the dimensions each display in 
pixels and centimeters, the resolution in dots per inch (dpi), and the 
available color depths. 

<p>
The user cannot modify any settings on this page.
 
</article>
