From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Sep 21 06:43:45 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7AD2816A4B3 for ; Sun, 21 Sep 2003 06:43:45 -0700 (PDT) Received: from sccmmhc02.asp.att.net (sccmmhc02.asp.att.net [204.127.203.184]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BA4CA43FE5 for ; Sun, 21 Sep 2003 06:43:44 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from david.fleck@mchsi.com) Received: from grond (12-216-14-105.client.mchsi.com[12.216.14.105]) by sccmmhc02.asp.att.net (sccmmhc02) with SMTP id <20030921134334mm200jl0qme>; Sun, 21 Sep 2003 13:43:34 +0000 Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 08:43:10 -0500 (CDT) From: David Fleck Sender: dcf@grond.sourballs.org To: FreeBSD Questions Message-ID: <20030921083559.U1534@grond.sourballs.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Subject: What determines if kernel modules are auto-loaded? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 13:43:45 -0000 I'm trying to get a better understanding of how kernel modules work in FreeBSD - one thing at the moment I can't figure out is why some modules (e.g., cd9660.ko, usb.ko) will be automatically loaded when needed, while other modules (vpo.ko, snd.ko) are not. What causes the difference in behavior? Is there a reference describing the use of kernel modules in detail? Everything I've found so far is either too general (the Handbook) or way too specific and development-oriented ("here's how to write a kernel module that will hack someone's system!"). -- David Fleck david.fleck@mchsi.com