Moving F7

[Karl Larsen]

William Case wrote:
> Hi;
>
> I am with Karl on this one.
>
> On Wed, 2007-09-26 at 15:32 -0600, Karl Larsen wrote:
>
>   
>>>   
>>>       
>>     OK the disk is the new one. What modules are being talked about? 
>> What is a module?
>>
>>     
> What is a module?  I have wondered about this for two years.
>
> "In computing, loadable kernel modules, or LKM, are object files that
> contain code to extend the running kernel, or so-called base kernel, of
> an operating system. Most current Unix-like systems, and Microsoft
> Windows, support loadable kernel modules, although they might use a
> different name for them, such as "kernel extension" ("kext") in Mac OS
> X. The Linux kernel generally makes far greater and more versatile use
> of LKM's than other systems. LKM's are typically used to add support for
> new hardware and/or filesystems, or for adding system calls. When the
> functionality provided by an LKM is no longer required, it can be
> unloaded in order to free memory.
>
> Without loadable kernel modules, an operating system would have to have
> all possible anticipated functionality already compiled directly into
> the base kernel. Much of that functionality would reside in memory
> without being used, wasting memory, and would require that users rebuild
> and reboot the base kernel every time new functionality is desired. Most
> OSes supporting loadable kernel modules will include modules to support
> most desired functionality.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loadable_kernel_module
>   
    I went to this web page and it says no-one understands this. What a 
barfing crap that is. Why not just tell me?


> "
>
> Are modules drivers with special C code wrapped around them so they can
> be loaded for use by the kernel?  Or,
>
> Are they just drivers by another name?  Or,
>
> Are they specially built drivers for Linux systems?  Or,
>
> Is some lower level program reconfiguring a new driver so that it has
> special properties for the use of the kernel?  Or,
>
> What?
>
>   


-- 

	Karl F. Larsen, AKA K5DI
	Linux User
	#450462   http://counter.li.org.