DEPMOD linux command manual

depmod(8)                                                      depmod(8)



NAME
       depmod -- program to generate modules.dep and map files.

SYNOPSIS
       depmod [-b basedir]  [-e]  [-F System.map]  [-n]  [-v]  [version]  [-A
       ]

       depmod [-e]  [-FSystem.map]  [-n]  [-v]  [version]  [filename ...]

DESCRIPTION
       Linux kernel modules can provide services (called "symbols") for other
       modules  to use (using EXPORT_SYMBOL in the code).  If a second module
       uses this symbol, that second module clearly depends on the first mod-
       ule.  These dependencies can get quite complex.


       depmod  creates  a list of module dependencies, by reading each module
       under /lib/modules/version and determining what  symbols  it  exports,
       and  what  symbols  it needs.  By default this list is written to mod-
       ules.dep in the same directory.  If filenames are given on the command
       line,  only those modules are examined (which is rarely useful, unless
       all modules are listed).


       If a version is provided, then that kernel version's module  directory
       is used, rather than the current kernel version (as returned by "uname
       -r").


       depmod will also generate various map files in this directory, for use
       by the hotplug infrastructure.


OPTIONS
       -b basedir --basedir basedir
                 If  your modules are not currently in the (normal) directory
                 /lib/modules/version, but in a staging area, you can specify
                 a  basedir  which  is prepended to the directory name.  This
                 basedir is stripped from the resulting modules.dep file,  so
                 it is ready to be moved into the normal location.


       -e --errsyms
                 When  combined  with the -F option, this reports any symbols
                 which a module needs which are not supplied by other modules
                 or  the  kernel.  Normally, any symbols not provided by mod-
                 ules are assumed to be provided by the kernel (which  should
                 be true in a perfect world).


       -F --filesyms System.map
                 Supplied  with  the  System.map produced when the kernel was
                 built, this allows the -e option to report  unresolved  sym-
                 bols.


       -n --dry-run
                 This  sends  the resulting modules.dep, then the various map
                 files, to standard output, rather than writing them into the
                 module directory.


       -A --quick
                 This  option  scans to see if any modules are newer the mod-
                 ules.dep file before any work is done: if not,  it  silently
                 exits rather than regenerating the files.


BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
       This version of depmod is for kernels 2.5.48 and above.  If it detects
       a kernel with support for old-style modules, or the version  specified
       is  before  2.5.48,  it will use previous modutils code, so it is com-
       pletely transparent to the user.


COPYRIGHT
       This manual page Copyright 2002, Rusty Russell, IBM Corporation.


SEE ALSO
       modprobe(8), modules.dep(5), depmod.old(8)



                                                                    depmod(8)