[Wlug] kernel driver vs module

[Mike Leo]

good feedback...thanks

the entries in dmesg show
QLogic Fibre Channel HBA Driver
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Found an ISP2312, irq 9, iobase 0xf8aa6000
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Configuring PCI space...
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Configure NVRAM parameters...
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Verifying loaded RISC code...
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Firmware image unavailable.
qla2xxx 0000:00:01.0: Failed to initialize adapter


This is a brand new, out of the box HBA and we have had zero failure rates to date on these (via
Redhat).

The only "drivers" i can find via QLogic are rpm's...that makes them binary drivers (?) since I
cannot compile them myself, right?


--- Jeff Moyer <jmoyer at redhat.com> wrote:

> ==> Regarding [Wlug] kernel driver vs module; Mike Leo <mleo963 at yahoo.com> adds:
> 
> mleo963> I am still having a hard time understanding kernel drivers vs
> mleo963> module's in practical use: I understand a kernel driver, is a
> mleo963> driver that Linus, et al, have coded into the kernel, so if i have
> mleo963> a peice of hardware, and I compile a kernel with that device's
> mleo963> driver turned on, then my device will work.
> 
> mleo963> If i build that kernel driver as a module, the driver remains
> mleo963> outside the kernel, but still availible for use.  As a module I
> mleo963> can rmmod or insmod when i need to use the device.
> 
> mleo963> My foggy'ness comes from a few things.
> 
> mleo963> 1.  if the driver is built into the kernel, will it show up in lsmod?
> 
> No.
> 
> mleo963> 2.  if the driver does not show up in lsmod, how do i know if its
> mleo963> loaded?
> 
> dmesg
> 
> mleo963> 3.  weather it's a built in driver or a module, how do i associate
> mleo963> the driver (or module) with a particular device?
> 
> It's done for you, via built-in PCI id mappings.
> 
> mleo963> 4.  if the device does not have a driver in the kernel, I cannot
> mleo963> build a custom kernel to include it, nor can I build it as a
> mleo963> module from the kernel source.  So:
> 
> This isn't a question... ;)
> 
> mleo963> 5.  if I get the driver from the vendor, it will build a module
> mleo963> for me, based on my kernel-source or kernel-headers???  Then what?
> mleo963> again, see #3: how do i associate the module with my device?
> 
> Vendor modules come in 2 flavors: binary only, and not binary only.  ;)  In
> the former case, you'll likely have to run the kernel version against which
> they built the module.  In the latter case, yes, you can build the module
> out of tree, and then insmod it.  Again, PCI id's on the card are matched
> to those supported by the driver.
> 
> mleo963> This is a general linux quandry, but this time i have a debian
> mleo963> stable install and have inserted a QLogic HBA.  lsmod does show
> mleo963> qla2xxx, but it doesn't seem to be functioning as it isn't logging
> mleo963> into the fiber switch.
> 
> What does the dmesg output show?
> 
> -Jeff
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