man mdbus2 (1): Interactive DBus introspection, interaction, and monitoring

SYNOPSIS

mdbus2 [OPTIONS...] [ servicename [ objectpath [ method [ params... ] ] ] ]

mdbus2 -si

mdbus2 -sl

DESCRIPTION

The mdbus2 command is used to explore and interact with DBus services on your system bus and session bus. The system-wide message bus exists only once and is installed on many systems as the "messagebus" service. The session message bus is per-user-login (started each time a user logs in) and usually tied to your X11 session.

In the simplest form, mdbus2 shows the available services on the selected bus. Given a service name, it will show the available objects exported by the service. Given a service name and an object path, it will show the exposed methods, signals, and properties of that object.

Supplying a method name (and parameters), you can call methods on the object and get the return value(s).

In the listening mode, you can observe signals sent on the selected bus.

Also included is an interactive shell with tab-completion and command history.

OPTIONS

--show-anonymous, -a: Also show unique (anonymous) services on the bus.
--system, -s: Use the system bus instead of the (default) session bus.
-show-pids, -p: Show UNIX process IDs.
--listen, -l: Start the listener mode, in which you can observe signals on the bus.
--interactive, -i: Start an interactive shell.
--annotate-types, -t: Annotate DBus types.

USAGE

To invoke a method on an object implemented by a service, you need to specify the following values:

step0]: service name, e.g. org.freesmartphone.ogsmd – The service name identifies the process serving a number of objects. Every process that attaches to the bus gets at least a non-unique (anonymous) service name assigned, such as :1.0. Unique names, such as org.freesmartphone.ogsmd, are usually given in all-lowercase reverse domain name notation.
step0]: object path, e.g. /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device – The object path identifies one concrete object served by the process. Object paths usually look like file system paths.
step0]: method, e.g. org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.Initiate – The method name identifies an operation that is part of the interface (methods and signals) of an object. Method names are using CamelCase with dot notation.
step0]: parameters, e.g. +49123456 voice`. (To be described further).

EXAMPLES

Find out which bus names are currently registered on the system bus:

root@om-gta02:~# mdbus -s
:1.0
:1.1
:1.2
:1.42
:1.47
:1.60
:1.61
org.bluez
org.freedesktop.Avahi
org.freedesktop.DBus
org.freesmartphone.frameworkd
org.freesmartphone.ogsmd
org.pyneo.muxer

Find out which objects are served by a certain service:

root@om-gta02:~# mdbus -s org.freesmartphone.frameworkd
/
/org
/org/freesmartphone
/org/freesmartphone/Framework
/org/freesmartphone/GSM
/org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
/org/freesmartphone/GSM/Server

Find out the interface of a certain object:

root@om-gta02:~# mdbus -s org.freesmartphone.ogsmd /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.Activate( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.ActivateConference( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.HoldActive()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.Initiate( s:number, s:type_ )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.Release( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.ReleaseAll()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.ReleaseHeld()
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Call.CallStatus( i:index, s:status, a{sv}:properties )
[METHOD]    org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable.Introspect()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.CancelCommand()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.GetAntennaPower()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.GetFeatures()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.GetInfo()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.PrepareForSuspend()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.RecoverFromSuspend()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.SetAntennaPower( b:power )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.ChangeAuthCode( s:old_pin, s:new_pin )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.DeleteEntry( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.DeleteMessage( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetAuthStatus()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetImsi()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetMessagebookInfo()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetPhonebookInfo()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetServiceCenterNumber()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetSimCountryCode()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.GetSubscriberNumbers()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.RetrieveEntry( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.RetrieveMessage( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.RetrieveMessagebook( s:category )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.RetrievePhonebook()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.SendAuthCode( s:code )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.SetServiceCenterNumber( s:number )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.StoreEntry( i:index, s:name, s:number )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.StoreMessage( s:number, s:contents )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.Unlock( s:puk, s:new_pin )
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.AuthStatus( s:status )
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.NewMessage( i:index )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.DisableCallForwarding( s:reason, s:class_ )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.EnableCallForwarding( s:reason, s:class_, s:number, i:timeout )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.GetCallForwarding( s:reason )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.GetCallingIdentification()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.GetNetworkCountryCode()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.GetSignalStrength()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.GetStatus()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.ListProviders()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.Register()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.RegisterWithProvider( i:operator_code )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.SetCallingIdentification( s:status )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.Unregister()
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.SignalStrength( i:strength )
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Network.Status( a{sv}:status )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.ActivateContext( s:apn, s:user, s:password )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.DeactivateContext()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.GetCurrentGprsClass()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.ListAvailableGprsClasses()
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.SetCurrentGprsClass( s:class_ )
[SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.PDP.ContextStatus( i:index, s:status, a{sv}:properties )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Test.Command( s:command )
[METHOD]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.Test.Echo( s:echo )

Call a method on an interface:

root@om-gta02 ~ $ mdbus -s org.freesmartphone.ogsmd /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device org.freesmartphone.GSM.Device.GetInfo
{   'imei': '354651011234567',
    'manufacturer': 'FIC/OpenMoko',
    'model': '"Neo1973 GTA02 Embedded GSM Modem"',
    'revision': '"HW: GTA02BV5, GSM: gsm_ac_gp_fd_pu_em_cph_ds_vc_cal35_ri_36_amd8_ts0-Moko8"'}

Use it in listening mode:

root@om-gta02:/local/pkg/fso/framework/framework# mdbus -s -l
listening for signals on SystemBus from service 'all', object 'all'...
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u'org.pyneo.muxer'), dbus.String(u':1.6'), dbus.String(u''))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u':1.6'), dbus.String(u':1.6'), dbus.String(u''))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u':1.28'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.28'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u'org.freesmartphone.frameworkd'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.28'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u'org.freesmartphone.ogsmd'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.28'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u':1.29'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.29'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u'org.pyneo.muxer'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.29'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freedesktop.DBus.NameOwnerChanged    from org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus
(dbus.String(u':1.30'), dbus.String(u''), dbus.String(u':1.30'))
 [SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.ReadyStatus    from :1.28 /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
(dbus.Boolean(False),)
 [SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.AuthStatus    from :1.28 /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
(dbus.String(u'SIM PIN'),)
 [SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.AuthStatus    from :1.28 /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
(dbus.String(u'READY'),)
 [SIGNAL]    org.freesmartphone.GSM.SIM.ReadyStatus    from :1.28 /org/freesmartphone/GSM/Device
(dbus.Boolean(True),)

BUGS

Please send bug reports to <[email protected]> or use our issue tracker at the project page <https://github.com/freesmartphone/mdbus/issues>.

NOTES

mdbus2 requires well-behaved DBus services, this means, services that adhere to the DBus introspection protocol.
Your message bus configuration may keep mdbus2 from seeing all messages, especially if you run it as a non-root user.

AUTHOR

Michael 'Mickey' Lauer <[email protected]>