modprobe Command: Tutorial & Examples
Add or remove kernel modules
The modprobe
command in Linux is used to add or remove a loadable kernel module to the Linux kernel. A loadable kernel module is a piece of code that can be loaded or unloaded
into the kernel at runtime, allowing the kernel to gain new functionality without the need for a full reboot.
Examples:
To add a kernel module to the kernel, use the command modprobe [module_name]
.
For example, to add the module nfs
the command would be modprobe nfs
.
To remove a kernel module from the kernel, use the command modprobe -r [module_name]
, for example modprobe -r nfs
.
You can also use the lsmod
command to see the list of the currently loaded modules.
It's worth noting that some modules can only be loaded if other modules are already loaded, and in those cases, the modprobe
command will automatically load the necessary
dependencies. Also, some modules can have options to be passed to them when loaded, these options can be passed to modprobe command using -o
option.
Further Reading
- Understanding the Linux Kernel by Daniel P. Bovet, Marco Cesati (partner link)
- Linux Kernel Programming by Kaiwan N. Billimoria (partner link)
- The Linux Programming Interface by Michael Kerrisk (partner link)
- Linux Kernel Development by Robert Love (partner link)
- Linux for System Administrators by Viorel Rudareanu, Daniil Baturin (partner link)
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