Can anybody point to a tutorial on modules

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:18:06 +0000, Vinella staggered into the Black Sun and said:

I'll try.

Automatic module loading is controlled by one file,etc-modules.conf . This file contains a bunch of lines, mostly like so:

alias char-major-195 NVdriver

...which tells the kernel's automatic module loader to modprobe NVdriver when any process tries to access a char device with major number 195. You can also buttociate a particular device node or network interface with a module, as in "alias eth0 via-velocity alias eth1 tulip", which makes the VIA card always be eth0 and the DEC Tulip card always be eth1. This simplifies things.

The "alias" lines are the majority of the config file, though you can also do other things like post-install or pre-install. "man modules.conf" for the full story in excruciating detail.

Many developers *hate* to write end-user documentation. (Well, a lot of them aren't very good at it, so that's understandable.) The tech writers are always playing catch-up.

It's different for different distros (sigh). Debian and Gentoo generateetc-modules.conf from scratch every time they're booted up. Fortunately, it's simple in Debian; all files underetc-modutilsare catted together intoetc-modules.conf by the "modules-update" script. Gentoo keeps the components underetc-modules.dinstead. Gentoo also hasetc-modules.autoload.d-kernel-X.Y files, each containing a list of modules that get loaded for that kernel version at boot time.

Other distros may generate modules.conf from other files, or even have a static modules.conf.

Whoa. You'll have an annoying time getting things updated, then.

-- Matt GThere is no Darkness in Eternity-But only Light too dim for us to see Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin mail: TRAP + SPAN don't belong ----------------------------- penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL