Custom kernel version and depmod

Custom kernel version and depmod

[Svein E. Seldal]

Hi,

I have written a USB device driver for the Linux kernel. For convenience I
am going to distribute it binary (rpm) in addition to the source. For
flexibility I intended to distribute the module without enabling the kernel
module version. However, depmod complains about unresolved symbols if I do
so (insmod/modprobe works of course). Is there a method of avoiding these
complaints by depmod or must I compile the driver with the kernel module
enabled (i.e. depmod is made this way).


Regards,
Svein

Re: Custom kernel version and depmod

[Greg KH]

On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 04:23:54PM +0200, Svein E. Seldal wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have written a USB device driver for the Linux kernel. For convenience I
> am going to distribute it binary (rpm) in addition to the source. For
> flexibility I intended to distribute the module without enabling the kernel
> module version. However, depmod complains about unresolved symbols if I do
> so (insmod/modprobe works of course). Is there a method of avoiding these
> complaints by depmod or must I compile the driver with the kernel module
> enabled (i.e. depmod is made this way).

A bit off-topic, but any reason why you can not just submit your driver
for inclusion in the main kernel tree?  The USB developers are usually
quite easy to convince to take new drivers :)

And what kind of USB device is your driver for?

thanks,

greg k-h

RE: Custom kernel version and depmod

[Svein E. Seldal]

> From: Greg KH
>
> A bit off-topic, but any reason why you can not just submit your driver
> for inclusion in the main kernel tree?  The USB developers are usually
> quite easy to convince to take new drivers :)

Well I know, but the problem here is that the design is to a development
card. It has not been assigned a VID/PID and neither will it. I dont think
we should clutter the kernel with such drivers, do we?

Anyway, my question was focused on depmod and kernel module version system
and not the driver itself.


Svein

Re: Custom kernel version and depmod

[Greg KH]

On Wed, May 22, 2002 at 01:30:36AM +0200, Svein E. Seldal wrote:
> 
> 
> > From: Greg KH
> >
> > A bit off-topic, but any reason why you can not just submit your driver
> > for inclusion in the main kernel tree?  The USB developers are usually
> > quite easy to convince to take new drivers :)
> 
> Well I know, but the problem here is that the design is to a development
> card. It has not been assigned a VID/PID and neither will it. I dont think
> we should clutter the kernel with such drivers, do we?

Hasn't stopped us in the past :)

> Anyway, my question was focused on depmod and kernel module version system
> and not the driver itself.

True, hence my message started with "A bit off-topic..."

thanks,

greg k-h

Re: Custom kernel version and depmod

[Keith Owens]

On Wed, 22 May 2002 01:30:36 +0200, 
"Svein E. Seldal" <Svein.Seldal@edcom.no> wrote:
>Anyway, my question was focused on depmod and kernel module version system
>and not the driver itself.

depmod/insmod require a kernel version number.  If you ship a binary
compiled against 2.4.x and the user wants to install it with kernel
2.4.y they can force the load with insmod -f.  Don't be surprised if
the kernel then blows up.  Bug reports from forced module loads will be
ignored.