Understanding Linux Kernel Modules

Use the lsmod and modprobe commands to add functionality to your Linux

lsmod utility

lsmod is a simple utility that formats the contents of the /proc/modules directory, showing the Kernel modules that are loaded in memory.

$ lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

tun                    20151  2

ipv6                  344169  22

binfmt_misc             7359  1

crc32c_intel           14455  0

microcode             12859  0

ext4                  509228  2

crc16                   1691  1 ext4

jbd2                  104528  1 ext4

mbcache                 7966  1 ext4

modprobe utility

modprobe adds or removes a module from the Linux Kernel. It looks for modules in the /lib/modules/kernel_version directory. These modules can be device drivers, filesystem support, or even specific functions such as cryptography.

In addition to the module name, modprobe accepts parameters that can be passed to the Kernel for the proper functioning of the device or functionality.

# modprobe ipv6

Loads the IPv6 support module.

# modprobe –r ipv6

Removes the IPv6 support module.