Hi;
I am with Karl on this one.
On Wed, 2007-09-26 at 15:32 -0600, Karl Larsen wrote:
> >
> OK the disk is the new one. What modules are being talked about?
> What is a module?
>
What is a module? I have wondered about this for two years.
"In computing, loadable kernel modules, or LKM, are object files that
contain code to extend the running kernel, or so-called base kernel, of
an operating system. Most current Unix-like systems, and Microsoft
Windows, support loadable kernel modules, although they might use a
different name for them, such as "kernel extension" ("kext") in Mac OS
X. The Linux kernel generally makes far greater and more versatile use
of LKM's than other systems. LKM's are typically used to add support for
new hardware and/or filesystems, or for adding system calls. When the
functionality provided by an LKM is no longer required, it can be
unloaded in order to free memory.
Without loadable kernel modules, an operating system would have to have
all possible anticipated functionality already compiled directly into
the base kernel. Much of that functionality would reside in memory
without being used, wasting memory, and would require that users rebuild
and reboot the base kernel every time new functionality is desired. Most
OSes supporting loadable kernel modules will include modules to support
most desired functionality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loadable_kernel_module
"
Are modules drivers with special C code wrapped around them so they can
be loaded for use by the kernel? Or,
Are they just drivers by another name? Or,
Are they specially built drivers for Linux systems? Or,
Is some lower level program reconfiguring a new driver so that it has
special properties for the use of the kernel? Or,
What?
--
Regards Bill
