The present invention provides a method and apparatus for identifying a desired device handle in a computer system such as a personal computer running Linux™. The desired device handle is capable of facilitating or providing for interaction with a desired peripheral device, such as a USB™ device. The invention comprises providing a database containing information associating device handles with peripheral devices. A first portion of the database is scanned for information associated with the desired peripheral device. This information is used in determining a second portion of the database, which is scanned for information indicative of the desired device handle. The desired device handle is then identified.