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MODPROBE

Section: Linux Module Support (8)
Updated: March 15, 1999
Index

NAME

modprobe - high level handling of loadable modules

SYNOPSIS

modprobe[ -adnqv ] [ -C config ] module [ symbol=value ... ]
modprobe[ -adnqv ] [ -C config ] [ -t type ] pattern
modprobe-l [ -C config ] [ -t type ] pattern
modprobe-c [ -C config ]
modprobe-r [ -dnv ] [ -C config ] [ module ...]
modprobe-V

OPTIONS

-a, --all: Loadallmatching modules instead of stopping after the first successful loading.
-c, --showconfig: Show the currently used configuration.
-d, --debug: Show information about the internal representation of the stack of modules.
-k, --autoclean: Set 'autoclean' on loaded modules. Used by the kernel when it calls onmodprobeto satisfy a missing feature (supplied as a module).The-qoption is implied by-k.These options will automatically be sent to insmod.
-l, --list: List matching modules.
-n, --show: Don't actually perform the action, just show what would be done.
-q, --quiet: Do not complain about insmod failing to install a module.Continue as normal, but silently, with other possibilities for modprobe to test.This option will automatically be sent to insmod.
-r, --remove: Remove module (stacks) or do autoclean, depending on whether there areany modules mentioned on the command line.
-s, --syslog: Report via syslog instead of stderr.This options will automatically be sent to insmod.
-t, --type moduletype: Only consider modules of this type. modprobe will only look at moduleswhose directory path includes exactly "/moduletype/".moduletypecan include more than one directory name, e.g.-t drivers/netwould list modules in xxx/drivers/net/ and its subdirectories.
-v, --verbose: Print all commands as they are executed.
-V, --version: Show the release version of modprobe.
-C, --config configfile: Use the fileconfigfileinstead of (the optional)/etc/modules.confto specify the configuration.The environment variableMODULECONFcan also be used to select(and override)a differentconfiguration file from the default /etc/modules.conf (or/etc/conf.modules (deprecated)).

DESCRIPTION

Themodprobeanddepmodutilities are intendedto make a Linux modular kernel more manageable for all users,administrators and distribution maintainers.

Modprobeuses a "Makefile"-like dependency file, created bydepmod,to automatically load the relevant module(s) from the set of modulesavailable in predefined directory trees.

Modprobeis used to load a set of modules, either a single module,a stack of dependent modules,or all modules that are marked with a specified tag.

Modprobewill automatically load all base modules needed in a module stack,as described by the dependency file modules.dep.If the loading of one of these modules fails, the whole current stackof modules loaded in the current session will be unloaded automatically.

Modprobehas two ways of loading modules. One way (the probe mode) willtry to load a module out of a list (defined bypattern).Modprobestops loading as soon as one module loads successfully.This could be used to autoload one Ethernet driver out of a list.
The other waymodprobecan be used is to loadallmodules from a list.SeeEXAMPLESbelow.

With the option-r,modprobe will automatically unload a stack of modules,similar to the wayrmmod -rdoes. Note that using justmodprobe -rwill clean up unused autoloaded modules and also perform thepre- and post-remove commands in the configuration file /etc/modules.conf.

With the option-lcombined with the option-ta list all available modulesof a certain type will be shown.

Option-cwill print the currently used configuration (default + configuration file).

CONFIGURATION

The behavior ofmodprobe(anddepmod)can be modified by the (optional) configuration file/etc/modules.conf
For a more detailed description of what this file can contain,as well as the default configuration used bydepmodandmodprobe,seemodules.conf(5).

Note that the pre- and post-remove commands will not be executedif a module is "autocleaned" by kerneld!Look for the up-coming support for persistent module storage instead.
If you want to use the pre- and post-install features, you will have toturn off autoclean for kerneld and instead put something like the followingline in your crontab (this is used for kmod systems as well)to do autoclean every 2 minutes:

*/2 * * * * test -f /proc/modules && /sbin/modprobe -r

STRATEGY

The idea is thatmodprobewill look first in the directory containingmodules compiled for the current release of the kernel.If the module is not found there,modprobewill look in the directory common to the kernel version (e.g. 2.0, 2.2).If the module is still found,modprobewill look in the directory containing modules for a default release,and so on.

When you install a new linux, the modules should be moved to a directoryrelated to the release (and version) of the kernel you are installing.Then you should do a symlink from this directory to the "default" directory.

Each time you compile a new kernel, the commandmake modules_installwill create a new directory, but won't change the

When you get a module unrelated to the kernel distributionyou should place it in one of the version-independent directoriesunder /lib/modules.

This is the default strategy, which can be overridden in /etc/modules.conf.

EXAMPLES

modprobe -t net: Load one of the modules that are stored in the directory tagged "net".Each module are tried until one succeeds.
modprobe -a -t boot: All modules that are stored in directories taggedbootwill be loaded.
modprobe slip: This will attempt to load the module slhc.o if it was not previously loaded,since the slip module needs the functionality in the slhc module.This dependency will be described in the file "modules.dep" that wascreated automatically bydepmod
modprobe -r slip: will unload the slip module.It will also unload the slhc module automatically,unless it is used by some other module as well (like e.g. ppp).

FILES

/etc/modules.conf, (alternatively but deprecated: /etc/conf.modules)/lib/modules/*/modules.dep,/lib/modules/*

SAFE MODE

If the effective uid is not equal to the real uid then modprobe treatsits input with extreme suspicion. The last parameter is always treatedas a module name, even if it starts with '-'. There can only be onemodule name and options of the form "variable=value" are forbidden.The module name is always treated as a string, no meta expansion isperformed in safe mode. However meta expansion is still applied todata read from the config file.

euid may not be equal to uid when modprobe is invoked from the kernel,this is true for kernels >= 2.4.0-test11. In an ideal world modprobecould trust the kernel to only pass valid parameters to modprobe.However at least one local root exploit has occurred because high levelkernel code passed unverified parameters direct from the user tomodprobe. So modprobe no longer trusts kernel input.

modprobeautomatically sets safe mode when the environment consists only of thesestrings

 HOME=/ TERM=linux PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin

This detects modprobe execution from the kernel on kernels 2.2 though2.4.0-test11, even if uid == euid, which it does on the earlierkernels.

LOGGING COMMANDS

If directory /var/log/ksymoops exists and modprobe is run with anoption that could load or a delete a module then modprobe will log itscommand and return status in /var/log/ksymoops/`date +%Y%m%d.log`.There is no switch to disable this automatic logging, if you do notwant it to occur, do not create /var/log/ksymoops. If that directoryexists, it should be owned by root and be mode 644 or 600 and youshould run script insmod_ksymoops_clean every day or so.

REQUIRED UTILITIES

depmod(8),insmod(8)

NOTES

Patterns supplied to modprobe will often need to be escaped to ensurethat it is evaluated in the proper context.

AUTHOR

Jacques Gelinas (jackAATTsolucorp.qc.ca)
Bjorn Ekwall (bj0rnAATTblox.se)

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