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Date:      Thu, 20 Apr 2000 11:56:08 +0100
From:      Paul Richards <paul@originative.co.uk>
To:        Warner Losh <imp@village.org>
Cc:        Alex Zepeda <jazepeda@pacbell.net>, current@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Stale modules (Re: panic in the morning)
Message-ID:  <38FEE248.62AF3FE6@originative.co.uk>
References:  <000365a645d89ae9_mailit@mail.pacbell.net>  <Pine.BSF.4.21.0004191814410.73491-100000@freefall.freebsd.org> <200004200731.BAA07337@harmony.village.org>

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Warner Losh wrote:
> 
> In message <000365a645d89ae9_mailit@mail.pacbell.net> Alex Zepeda writes:
> : Perhaps it's time to implement some sort of versioning in the modules to
> : prevent them from being loaded into the incorrect kernel.
> 
> In theory that sounds nice, but in -current the kernel ABI changes too
> quickly for that to be effecitve.  The general rule in -current is
> that the modules must be compiled at the same time as the kernel, or
> from the same sources.  Anything else might work, but is unsupported.
> I don't know of a good way to serialize (eg assign a serial number to)
> the sources that would work.

Why not just use a UTC timestamp? If your kernel is newer than the
module then don't load the module. Maybe make it a sysctl as well so
that rapid developer folks can disable it.

Even if it was used just as a warning it would remind people to think
about the modules. I've lost count of the number of times that I've
chased a kernel bug before remembering to rebuild modules.

I know a timestamp doesn't guarantess ABI compatibility but it solves
the most common problem, which is rebuilding a kernel but forgetting to
rebuild the modules.

Paul.


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