Q: use of new modules in old kernel

Q: use of new modules in old kernel

[Tobias Wollgam]

Hi,

how is it possible to use modules of newer kernels in an old kernel 
system?

To use new drivers, we want not recompile the kernel.

I tried to load the module 8139too from 2.4.17 into a 2.4.9 kernel with 
modprobe, but there are many unresolved symbols. 

The flag "Set version information on all module symbols" is set.

TIA for all information, hyperlinks are welcome too,

	Tobias

-- 
Tobias Wollgam * Softwaredevelopment * Business Unit Information 
MATERNA GmbH Information & Communications
Vosskuhle 37 * 44141 Dortmund  
http://www.materna.de

Re: Q: use of new modules in old kernel

[NyQuist]

On Tue, 2002-02-19 at 09:02, Tobias Wollgam wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> how is it possible to use modules of newer kernels in an old kernel 
> system?
> 
> To use new drivers, we want not recompile the kernel.
> 
> I tried to load the module 8139too from 2.4.17 into a 2.4.9 kernel with 
> modprobe, but there are many unresolved symbols. 
> 
> The flag "Set version information on all module symbols" is set.
> 
> TIA for all information, hyperlinks are welcome too,
> 
> 	Tobias
> 

<short version>
What worked for me (see later), is moving the newer module and
appropriate includes across to the older kernel and performing a make
modules && make modules_install. 

<long version>
This worked for me when using a patched nm256_audio and ac97 module to
get my sound working. I couldn't get the patch to apply properly to the
whole kernel, so I nicked those files I knew were needed and moved them
over to a clean kernel. hope this helps, and yeh, I've got no idea if
this will work for you. I would first try copying the 8139too.c from
drivers/net to the 2.4.9 kernel, and if you've already setup your config
you should just be able to make modules and then insmod (with luck).
> -- 
> Tobias Wollgam * Softwaredevelopment * Business Unit Information 
> MATERNA GmbH Information & Communications
> Vosskuhle 37 * 44141 Dortmund  
> http://www.materna.de
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-- 
NyQuist | Matthew Hall -- NyQuist at ntlworld dot com 
Sig: Microsoft sells you Windows. Linux gives you the whole house.

Re: Q: use of new modules in old kernel

[Andreas Dilger]

On Tue, 2002-02-19 at 09:02, Tobias Wollgam wrote:
> how is it possible to use modules of newer kernels in an old kernel 
> system?
> 
> To use new drivers, we want not recompile the kernel.
> 
> I tried to load the module 8139too from 2.4.17 into a 2.4.9 kernel with 
> modprobe, but there are many unresolved symbols. 
> 
> The flag "Set version information on all module symbols" is set.

Note that you will basically never be able to just move the compiled module
from one kernel version to another and expect it to work.  At the very
minimum you should copy the needed files from the new kernel source into
the old kernel source and recompile.  Practically, this may also not work
(depending on the driver and the kernel) because while there is often
backwards compatibility in newer kernels, the newer driver code may not
compile (properly) with the older kernel (it depends on what part of the
kernel the driver is in, though).

Cheers, Andreas
--
Andreas Dilger
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2resize/
http://www-mddsp.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/adilger/