hardware detection using a knoppix-like CD

I am looking for a way to do hardware detection automatically based on a
knoppix-like distro:

This is what I have in mind:

1._ a box as old and crappy as Likux/knoppix could take, as long as
it is an X86-based PC, would come your way

2._ box preferably has a CD caddy in it (or you will have to open it and set it up)

3._ you would put in the CD, that would
3.1_ detect all hardware in the box
3.2_ test each component to make sure it works properly (and/or report what is
wrong with it)
3.3_ produce a name-value output with each hardware type and its properties (it
should do things like reporting built-in hardware, mainboard-based peripheral parts, amount of RAM, the hard drives manufacturer/serial number, ...)
3.4_ this output would then be appended to a file in the network

Can it be done right from Knoppix?

Are there distros out there to do something like that?

How do you achieve that?

Albretch Mueller (lbrtchx)

In alt.ibm.pc.hardware lbrtchx@hotmail.com <Albretch Muller> wrote:
> I am looking for a way to do hardware detection automatically based on a

I would suggest to go with a much leaner distribution, such as Damn
Small Linux. If you really want to go to a low end box, you might
want to try out a single floppy for hardware detection based on SuSE
(I belive) I used a couple of years ago. It worked wonderfully. You
simply put the floppy on the drive, reboot the box and wait until it
boots, checks the hardware and halts. You then take the floppy, put
it in a different box and read an ascii file contaning the hardware
analysis.

--
Saludos,
Ángel