2012-08-27 10:06:54

by Yang Bai

Subject: Q: What will happen if I insmod a new version driver when it has already been statically in kernel?

Hi all,

We have one driver which has been statically compiled into kernel, and
now we want to upgrade it. But we only have a new version module for
this driver. Could I just insmod this module and make the new driver
work?

If so, what happens to the static old one?

If not, Can we upgrade this driver without re-compile the kernel to
make the in-kernel driver out or module?

Thanks,
Yang

2012-08-27 23:38:47

by Randy Dunlap

Subject: Re: Q: What will happen if I insmod a new version driver when it has already been statically in kernel?

On 08/27/2012 03:06 AM, Yang Bai wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> We have one driver which has been statically compiled into kernel, and
> now we want to upgrade it. But we only have a new version module for
> this driver. Could I just insmod this module and make the new driver
> work?

No, that should not work -- unless the in-kernel driver has a
close/release method that you can somehow trigger.


> If so, what happens to the static old one?

It stays.

> If not, Can we upgrade this driver without re-compile the kernel to
> make the in-kernel driver out or module?


If the current driver is not a loadable module, you cannot
replace it. Assuming that they use mostly the same resources,
like I/O devices or memory BARs or however the device presents
its control & data interfaces, the new module would not be
able to access the device interfaces since they would still
be used/owned by the in-kernel driver.



--
~Randy