Re: Can driver be used as synonym for module

[Hong Hsu <honghsu@bellatlantic.net>]

     Ravi and Jim,

Thanks.   IPV6 is a module, not driver simply because it does not 
controls a physical device.   Only in the case the code controls a 
physical device and loadable at runtime, then the driver is synonym of 
module.

Thank you all,
 -Hong


Ravi wrote:

> Hi Hong Hsu,
>     As Jim said  drivers can also be implemented as modules.Remember 
> all modules cant be drivers.
> A kernel module can be loaded at run time.
> To answer your question module is not a synonym of device driver.
> Some drivers comes with kernel and some you need to load at runtime 
> based on your requirements.
>
> Take a simple example:
> When compiling your kernel, you can choose IPV6 as loadable module or 
> simply include with kernel.I would like to make a point clear here 
> IPv6 is not a driver.
> Hope this clarifies you.
> Regards,
> Ravi
>
> Hong Hsu wrote:
>
>>       Thanks Jim. 
>> And I would like long answer.
>>
>> Jim Bauer wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 16:37, Hong Hsu wrote:
>>>  
>>>
>>>>  I got confused when people use kernel module and driver 
>>>> interchangeably.   For an example, from nvidia.com you can download 
>>>> Linux Display Driver  NVIDIA_lernel-1.0-2960.rh73up.rpm.  After 
>>>> compilation, the NVdriver will be copied to 
>>>> /lib/modules/2.4.18-3/kernel/drivers/video/ directory. I also 
>>>> notice there is nvidia_drv.o in /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/ 
>>>> directory.
>>>>
>>>> How and when term kernel module should be used?  Is it synonym of 
>>>> device driver?  Should each device driver has a corresponding 
>>>> kernel module under /lib/modules/?
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>
>>>
>>> The short answer is that a driver is a driver and a module is a module.
>>> A driver could be built as a module. A module is just a chink of kernel
>>> code that can be loaded (and usually unloaded) at runtime.  A driver is
>>> usually a chunk of code that controls a physical device such as a disk
>>> driver.
>>> -- 
>>> Kernelnewbies: Help each other learn about the Linux kernel.
>>> Archive:       http://mail.nl.linux.org/kernelnewbies/
>>> FAQ:           http://kernelnewbies.org/faq/
>>>
>>>  
>>>
>>
>
>

-- 
 <Linux kernel:>< As a computer I find your faith in technology amusing.



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