NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     modload - load a kernel module

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     modload [-dnvsS] [-A kernel] [-e entry] [-p postinstall] [-o
output_file]
             input_file

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The  modload  utility  loads a loadable kernel module into a
running system.
     The input file is an object file (.o file).

     The options to modload are as follows:

     -d      Debug.  Used to debug modload itself.

     -n      Do everything, except calling the module entry point
(and any
             post-install program).

     -v      Print comments about the loading process.

     -s      Do not load symbols from the kernel module.

     -S       Do  not  remove  the temporary object file.  By default, the ld(1)
             output is removed after being loaded into  the  kernel.

     -A kernel
             Specify the file that is passed to the linker to resolve module
             references to external  symbols.   The  symbol  file
must be for the
             currently  running kernel or the module is likely to
crash the
             system.

     -e entry
             Specify the module entry point.  This is  passed  by
modload to
             ld(1) when the module is linked.  The default module
entry point
             name is `xxxinit'.  If `xxxinit' cannot be found, an
attempt to
             use  `<module_name>_lkmentry'  will  be  made, where
<module_name> is
             the filename being loaded without the `.o'.

     -p postinstall
             Specify the name of a shell script or  program  that
will be executed
  if  the module is successfully loaded.  It is
always passed
             the module id (in decimal) and module type (in  hexadecimal) as
             the  first two arguments.  For loadable drivers, the
third argument
 is the block or character major device  number.
For a loadable
  system  call, the third argument is the system
call number.

     -o output_file
             Specify the name of the output file that is produced
by the linker.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /bsd                    default file passed to the linker to
resolve external
 references in the module
     /usr/include/sys/lkm.h  file containing definitions of  module types

DIAGNOSTICS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The  modload utility exits with a status of 0 on success and
with a nonzero
 status if an error occurs.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     ld(1), lkm(4), modstat(8), modunload(8)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The modload command was designed to be similar in  functionality to the
     corresponding command in SunOS 4.1.3.

AUTHORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     Terrence R. Lambert <[email protected]>

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     +o    The  loadable  device driver framework can only reserve
either a character
 or block device entry, not both.

     +o   Loading the symbol table is expensive in terms of space:
it presently
         duplicates  all  the  kernel symbols for each lkm loaded
with -s.

OpenBSD     3.6                          April      30,      1999