OS Manuals

/usr/bin/rds-ctl

Linux media (V4L2/DVB/CEC/IR) utilities and libraries

From v4l-utils 1.32.0-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running rds-ctl --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage:

General/Common options:
  --all              display all device information available
  -D, --info         show driver info [VIDIOC_QUERYCAP]
  -d, --device <dev> use device <dev>
                     If <dev> starts with a digit, then /dev/radio<dev> is used
                     default: checks for RDS-capable devices,
                     uses device with lowest ID
  -h, --help         display this help message
  --list-devices     list all v4l radio devices with RDS capabilities

Tuner/Modulator options:
  -F, --get-freq     query the frequency [VIDIOC_G_FREQUENCY]
  -f, --set-freq <freq>
                     set the frequency to <freq> MHz [VIDIOC_S_FREQUENCY]
  -T, --get-tuner    query the tuner settings [VIDIOC_G_TUNER]
  --tuner-index <idx> Use idx as tuner idx for tuner/modulator commands
  --freq-seek dir=<0/1>,wrap=<0/1>,spacing=<hz>
                     perform a hardware frequency seek [VIDIOC_S_HW_FREQ_SEEK]
                     dir is 0 (seek downward) or 1 (seek upward)
                     wrap is 0 (do not wrap around) or 1 (wrap around)
                     spacing sets the seek resolution (use 0 for default)
  --list-freq-bands  display all frequency bands for the tuner/modulator
                     [VIDIOC_ENUM_FREQ_BANDS]

RDS options:
  -b, --rbds         parse the RDS data according to the RBDS standard
  -R, --read-rds     enable reading of RDS data from device
  --file <path>      open a RDS stream file dump instead of a device
                     all General and Tuner Options are disabled in this mode
  --wait-limit <ms>  defines the maximum wait duration for avaibility of new
                     RDS data
                     <default>: 5000 ms
  --print-block      prints all valid RDS fields, whenever a value is updated
                     instead of printing only updated values
  --tmc              print information about TMC (Traffic Message Channel) messages
  --silent           only set the result code, do not print any messages
  --verbose          turn on verbose mode - every received RDS group
                     will be printed
Options (17)
OptionDescriptionSource
--alldisplay all device information availablehelp
-D, --infoshow driver info [VIDIOC_QUERYCAP]help
-h, --helpdisplay this help messagehelp
--list-deviceslist all v4l radio devices with RDS capabilitieshelp
-F, --get-freqquery the frequency [VIDIOC_G_FREQUENCY]help
-f, --set-freq freqset the frequency to <freq> MHz [VIDIOC_S_FREQUENCY]help
-T, --get-tunerquery the tuner settings [VIDIOC_G_TUNER]help
--freq-seek dir=<0/1perform a hardware frequency seek [VIDIOC_S_HW_FREQ_SEEK] dir is 0 (seek downward) or 1 (seek upward) wrap is 0 (do not wrap around) or 1 (wrap around) spacing sets the seek resolution (use 0 for…help
--list-freq-bandsdisplay all frequency bands for the tuner/modulator [VIDIOC_ENUM_FREQ_BANDS]help
-b, --rbdsparse the RDS data according to the RBDS standardhelp
-R, --read-rdsenable reading of RDS data from devicehelp
--file pathopen a RDS stream file dump instead of a device all General and Tuner Options are disabled in this modehelp
--wait-limit msdefines the maximum wait duration for avaibility of new RDS data <default>: 5000 mshelp
--print-blockprints all valid RDS fields, whenever a value is updated instead of printing only updated valueshelp
--tmcprint information about TMC (Traffic Message Channel) messageshelp
--silentonly set the result code, do not print any messageshelp
--verboseturn on verbose mode - every received RDS group will be printedhelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.