MODLOAD(8)              OpenBSD System Manager's Manual             MODLOAD(8)

NAME
     modload - load a kernel module

SYNOPSIS
     modload [-dnSsv] [-A kernel] [-e entry] [-o output_file] [-p postinstall]
             input_file

DESCRIPTION
     The modload utility loads a loadable kernel module into a running system.
     The input file is an object file (.o file).

     The options to modload are as follows:

     -A kernel
             Specify the file that is passed to the linker to resolve module
             references to external symbols.  The symbol file must be for the
             currently running kernel or the module is likely to crash the
             system.

     -d      Debug.  Used to debug modload itself.

     -e entry
             Specify the module entry point.  This is passed by modload to
             ld(1) when the module is linked.  The default module entry point
             name is `xxxinit'.  If `xxxinit' cannot be found, an attempt to
             use `<module_name>_lkmentry' will be made, where <module_name> is
             the filename being loaded without the `.o'.

     -n      Do everything, except calling the module entry point (and any
             post-install program).

     -o output_file
             Specify the name of the output file that is produced by the link-
             er.

     -p postinstall
             Specify the name of a shell script or program that will be exe-
             cuted if the module is successfully loaded.  It is always passed
             the module id (in decimal) and module type (in hexadecimal) as
             the first two arguments.  For loadable drivers, the third argu-
             ment is the block or character major device number.  For a load-
             able system call, the third argument is the system call number.

     -S      Do not remove the temporary object file.  By default, the ld(1)
             output is removed after being loaded into the kernel.

     -s      Do not load symbols from the kernel module.

     -v      Print comments about the loading process.

FILES
     /dev/ksyms                 Default file passed to the linker to resolve
                                external references in the module.
     /usr/include/sys/lkm.h     File containing definitions of module types.

DIAGNOSTICS
     The modload utility exits with a status of 0 on success and with a nonze-
     ro status if an error occurs.

SEE ALSO
     ld(1), lkm(4), securelevel(7), modstat(8), modunload(8)

HISTORY
     The modload command was designed to be similar in functionality to the
     corresponding command in SunOS 4.1.3.

AUTHORS
     Terrence R. Lambert <terry@cs.weber.edu>

BUGS
     o   The loadable device driver framework can only reserve either a char-
         acter or block device entry, not both.

     o   Loading the symbol table is expensive in terms of space: it presently
         duplicates all the kernel symbols for each lkm loaded with -s.

OpenBSD 4.7                     August 2, 2008                               2
