Modules(1).pdf

Linux Kernel Modules Installation HOWTO

rhw@bigfoot.com

Revision History

Revision 1.0

Unknown date

Revised by: rhw

Initial Release

Describes the installation of Linux kernel modules.

Linux Kernel Modules Installation HOWTO

Table of Contents

1. Purpose of this Document ..............................................................................................................................1

2. Pre−requisites. .................................................................................................................................................2

3. Compiler Speed−up. .......................................................................................................................................3

4. Recompiling the Kernel for Modules. ...........................................................................................................4

5.1. Configuring Debian or RedHat for Modules. ...................................................................................5

5.2. Configuring Slackware for Modules. ................................................................................................5

5.3. Configuring Other Distributions for Modules. .................................................................................6

1. Purpose of this Document

My experience with Linux and modules has been that the existing documents fail to provide a satisfactory

explanation as to how to successfully set up Linux with modules configured and working. The procedure

explained in this document has been successfully used several times, both on my own system and over the

Internet to give directions to somebody trying to get some feature to work which requires a driver supplied

only in module form.

My own system runs from a RedHat 4.1 distribution of Linux, and it was on this setup that I developed the

procedure. I have since successfully installed it on systems running from various Slackware distributions, and

on one system running from a Debian distribution, and the necessary procedure to correctly configure

modules under Linux in all three is documented herein.

I have recently used the same procedure with RedHat 4.2,

but with inconsistent results on apparently identical

systems. I have not yet determined what the problem is, so

can make no guarantees at this stage as to whether or not it

will work on your system.

This document is distributed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. You should have

received a copy along with it. If not, it is available from http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html .

1. Purpose of this Document

2. Pre−requisites

Before the steps in this document can be applied, the reader must have a working Linux installation

in which one can get to the Linux prompt as user root since the majority of the steps involved can

only be undertaken by the said user.

The existing kernel may be compiled either to use modules or not to use modules, and can even

display error messages during the boot−up procedure as a result of modules being configured which

aren't available at the moment, providing the above condition is met.

The source tree for the current kernel is assumed to be found rooted at /usr/src/linux and that

is also assumed to be the current directory throughout this document at the start of any sequence of

commands to be issued.

2. Pre−requisites

3. Compiler Speed−up

If your machine has 16 or more Megabytes of RAM, there is a useful speed−up that can be done, which is to

permit the kernel to compile two or modules in parallel. This will increase the load on the machine whilst the

kernel is being recompiled, but will reduce the time during which the compilation will be taking place.

Before you can use this method, you need to check the amount of RAM present in your machine, as if you set

this too high, the compilation will actually slow down. Experience has shown that the optimum value

depends on the amount of RAM in your system according to the following formula, at least for systems with

up to 32 Megabytes of RAM, although it may be a little conservative for systems with larger amounts of

RAM:

N = [RAM in Megabytes] / 8 + 1

For the benefit of those with a dislike of math, the values for the common amounts of RAM are as follows:

Table 1. Sample Table

RAM Size

Value to Use

16 Megs

24 Megs

32 Megs

40 Megs

48 Megs

56 Megs

64 Megs

80 Megs

96 Megs

112 Megs

128 Megs

When you have decided on the correct number, edit the file /usr/src/linux/Makefile and find the

line that currently reads:

MAKE=make

Replace it with one reading:

MAKE=make −j N

where N is the number determined above.

3. Compiler Speed−up

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