irdadump Command in Linux
The irdadump command in Linux monitors IrDA traffic on one or more links. The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is a technology standard for wireless data transfer via infrared light, often used for short-range communication between devices. The irdadump (similar to tcpdump but for IR) provides useful, real-time insights into device communication, making it a handy tool for testing IR connections or troubleshooting IR-based data transfers.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the irdadump command −
- Installation of irdadump Command
- Syntax of irdadump Command
- irdadump Command Options
- Examples of irdadump Command in Linux
Note − The irda-utils package, which includes tools such as irdadump, is deprecated and no longer actively maintained in most modern Linux distributions. The widespread adoption of newer wireless technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi has largely made infrared technology obsolete, so many Linux distributions have phased out support for IrDA.
Installation of irdadump Command
The irdadump command is a part of the irda-utils package, which must be installed before using it. To install the irda-utils package, follow the instructions given below.
To install the irda-utils package on Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Debian, and other Debian-based distributions, use the command given below −
sudo apt install irda-utils
To install it on Fedora, use the following command −
sudo dnf install irda-utils
To check the availability of the irdadump command, use the following command −
which irdadump
If the output shows the irdadump command binary path, that means the command is installed on Linux.
Syntax of irdadump Command
The syntax of the Linux irdadump command is as follows −
irdadump [options] -i [device]
In the above syntax, the [options] field is used to specify the command options, and the [device] field is used to specify the device to monitor.
irdadump Command Options
The options of the irdadump command are listed below −
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| -b | Dumps bytes in columns for easier readability |
| -c n | Sets the number of columns (snapcols) for byte printing with the -b option |
| -d | Displays the time difference between the current frame and the previous one |
| -x | Dumps each frame in both byte and ASCII format |
| -s n | Sets the snap length for the -b and -x options |
| -t | Forces TTP (TinyTP) decoding of unknown connections |
| -l | Enables line buffering for output, which may improve real-time display |
| -v | Enables verbose mode, providing more detailed information |
| -i device | Specifies the IR device interface to monitor |
Examples of irdadump Command in Linux
This section demonstrates the usage of the irdadump command in Linux with examples −
Displaying IrDA Traffic
To display IrDA traffic, execute the irdadump command with sudo privileges −
sudo irdadump
Typical output is shown in the following image −
The above command captures and displays all IrDA traffic on the default IR device.
Displaying IrDA Traffic with Time Difference
To display IrDA traffic with a time difference between the current frame and the previous frame, use the -d option −
sudo irdadump -d
This option helps analyze the timing and speed of IR communication, which can be useful in identifying delays or performance issues in IR data transfers.
Displaying the Frame Contents
To display the frame content, use the -x option which dumps the traffic in ASCII and bytes.
sudo irdadump -x
Setting Snap Length
To capture and display a limited number of bytes from each frame, use the -s option followed by the desired snap length in bytes. The -s is used with -b or -x options to control the amount of data displayed. For example, to limit the captured data to 256 bytes use the irdadump command in the following way −
sudo irdadump -s 256 -x
Conclusion
The irdadump command in Linux monitors IrDA traffic, providing real-time visibility into the data frames and communication between infrared devices. It is part of the deprecated irdaâutils package, which is no longer actively maintained in many modern distributions due to the rise of technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The command is used to capture and analyze IrDA communication with various options.
Despite its lack of usage today, irdadump remains useful for testing and troubleshooting infrared connections in older systems. In this tutorial, we explained the irdadump command, its installation, syntax, options, and usage in Linux with examples.