Timeline for What is the difference between kernel drivers and kernel modules?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
9 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 14, 2019 at 22:41 | comment | added | robocat | If you know windows: A module is very similar to a DLL. On unix, a module is similar to a shared object, but a module is just for the kernel. A dynamically linked module can contain drivers. A kernel can contain statically linked drivers. A module is different from a DLL (or .so) because the kernel has specific requirements for how things get dynamically loaded. | |
| Dec 27, 2017 at 16:38 | comment | added | Binarus |
This is a good general outline, but I had exactly the same question as the OP, then came across this answer and still did not know why the "driver in use" is different from the "modules". In contrast, @Jim Paris's answer is correct. From man lspci: " -k Show kernel drivers handling each device and also kernel modules capable of handling it." You could read that as: "Show the driver currently / actually handling the device and also all modules which could / are meant to handle it".
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| May 23, 2017 at 12:40 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://stackoverflow.com/ with https://stackoverflow.com/
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| May 13, 2017 at 13:28 | history | edited | Warren Young | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
moved much of the discussion to footnotes; added security/stability bullet point to the static kernel build discussion; added USB HID example; added more links; replaced dead dynamically-loaded scheduler link with a different SO link
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| Dec 30, 2015 at 14:48 | comment | added | vonbrand | Modules can be filesystems, network protocols, firewall functionalities, and a lot more. Some hardware (e.g. WiFi cards) require a stack of modules, some offering general infrastructure while others handle the hardware itself. | |
| Sep 6, 2012 at 8:17 | vote | accept | JohnnyFromBF | ||
| Sep 5, 2012 at 22:55 | history | edited | Warren Young | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
general cleanup and clarity pass
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| Sep 5, 2012 at 16:01 | history | edited | Warren Young | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
expanded on the statics vs dynamic discussion
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| Sep 5, 2012 at 15:38 | history | answered | Warren Young | CC BY-SA 3.0 |