To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
From: Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@linux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: network driver usage count
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:04:45 -0800
Organization: Linux Foundation
Message-ID: <20071121130445.569d2176@freepuppy.rosehill>
References: <87hcjf9yd4.fsf@tac.ki.iif.hu>
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On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:45:11 +0100
Ferenc Wagner <wferi@niif.hu> wrote:

> Hi!
> 
> Under 2.6.23.1, my lsmod output shows this:
> 
> $ lsmod | grep tg3
> tg3                   100580  0 
> 
> The usage count is zero, even though it drives my two physical
> interfaces:
> 
> $ ls -l /sys/class/net/eth-gb?/device/driver
> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2007-11-21 19:58 /sys/class/net/eth-gb1/device/driver -> ../../../bus/pci/drivers/tg3
> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2007-11-21 19:58 /sys/class/net/eth-gb2/device/driver -> ../../../bus/pci/drivers/tg3
> 
> These interfaces are up and bonded together, but that doesn't seem to
> matter at all.  I also checked other machines, the network driver
> (tg3, e1000) usage counts are always zero under various recent 2.6
> kernels, but nonzero under 2.4.21 for example.
> 
> And really, the module could be removed, cutting my ssh session. :)
> 
> Was this made possible intentionally?  If yes, why?

Yes, so devices can be removed at anytime.

-- 
Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@linux-foundation.org>

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