What is a kernel module?
Modules are pieces of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel upon demand. They extend the functionality of the kernel without the need to reboot the system. For example, one type of module is the device driver, which allows the kernel to access hardware connected to the system.
How do modules get into the kernel?
You can see what modules are already loaded into the kernel by running lsmod, which gets its information by reading the file /proc/modules. When the kernel needs a feature that is not resident in the kernel, the kernel module daemon kmod[1] execs modprobe to load the module in. …
Where are kernel modules located?
/lib/modules
They are located in /lib/modules or /usr/lib/modules and have had the extension . ko (“kernel object”) since version 2.6 (previous versions used the .o extension). The lsmod command lists the loaded kernel modules.
What is the difference between kernel drivers and kernel modules?
A kernel module is a bit of compiled code that can be inserted into the kernel at run-time, such as with insmod or modprobe . A driver may be built statically into the kernel file on disk. ³ A driver may also be built as a kernel module so that it can be dynamically loaded later. (And then maybe unloaded.)
How do I open a .K file?
KO modules may be loaded by using the insmod Linux program. Installed kernel modules can be listed using the lsmod program, or they may be browsed in the /proc/modules directory. As of Linux kernel version 2.6, KO files are used in place of .
How do I find my kernel path?
You can use uname -r to find out the version you’re running and then look for a file in /boot with that name. You can also use cat /proc/cmdline to find the kernel path, but note that this path is relative to the root image at boot time, so / likely means /boot/ in the running system.
Why are Linux drivers in the kernel?
Most of the Linux device drivers can be loaded on demand as kernel modules when they are needed and unloaded when they are no longer being used. This makes the kernel very adaptable and efficient with the system’s resources, Configurable. Linux device drivers can be built into the kernel.
Whats is the relationship between kernel and drives?
In general, drivers provide detail implementation to specific physical or logical devices, while kernel then provide a set of interface for drivers, and manage them in a higher abstracted level (HAL). By the way, kernel does a lot more than managing hardware resources.