depmod(8)							     depmod(8)



NAME
       depmod -- program to generate modules.dep and map files.

SYNOPSIS
       depmod [-b basedir]  [-e]  [-F System.map]  [-n]  [-v]  [version]  [-A]

       depmod [-e]  [-FSystem.map]  [-n]  [-v]	[version]  [filename ...]

DESCRIPTION
       Linux kernel modules can provide services (called "symbols") for  other
       modules	to  use (using EXPORT_SYMBOL in the code).  If a second module
       uses this symbol, that second module clearly depends on the first  mod-
       ule.  These dependencies can get quite complex.


       depmod  creates	a  list of module dependencies, by reading each module
       under /lib/modules/version and determining what symbols it exports, and
       what  symbols it needs.	By default this list is written to modules.dep
       in the same directory.  If filenames are given  on  the	command  line,
       only  those  modules  are  examined (which is rarely useful, unless all
       modules are listed).


       If a version is provided, then that kernel version's  module  directory
       is  used, rather than the current kernel version (as returned by "uname
       -r").


       depmod will also generate various map files in this directory, for  use
       by the hotplug infrastructure.


OPTIONS
       -a --all  Probe	all  modules.  This option is enabled by default if no
		 file names are given in the command-line.


       -A --quick
		 This option scans to see if any modules are  newer  than  the
		 modules.dep file before any work is done: if not, it silently
		 exits rather than regenerating the files.


       -b basedir --basedir basedir
		 If your modules are not currently in the  (normal)  directory
		 /lib/modules/version,	but in a staging area, you can specify
		 a basedir which is prepended to  the  directory  name.   This
		 basedir  is  stripped from the resulting modules.dep file, so
		 it is ready to be moved into the normal location.


       -C --config file or directory
		 This  option  overrides  the	default   configuration   file
		 (/etc/depmod.conf or /etc/depmod.d/ if that isn't found).


       -e --errsyms
		 When  combined  with  the -F option, this reports any symbols
		 which a module needs which are not supplied by other  modules
		 or the kernel.  Normally, any symbols not provided by modules
		 are assumed to be provided by the  kernel  (which  should  be
		 true in a perfect world).


       -F --filesyms System.map
		 Supplied  with  the  System.map  produced when the kernel was
		 built, this allows the -e option to  report  unresolved  sym-
		 bols.


       -h --help Print the help message, and exit.


       -n --dry-run
		 This  sends  the  resulting modules.dep, then the various map
		 files, to standard output, rather than writing them into  the
		 module directory.


       -v --verbose
		 In verbose mode depmod will print (to stdout) all the symbols
		 each module depends on and the module's file name which  pro-
		 vides that symbol.


       -V --version
		 Show version of program, and exit. See below for caveats when
		 run on older kernels.


BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
       This version of depmod is for kernels 2.5.48 and above.	If it  detects
       a  kernel  with support for old-style modules, or the version specified
       is before 2.5.48, it will attempt to run depmod.old in its place, so it
       is completely transparent to the user.


COPYRIGHT
       This manual page Copyright 2002, Rusty Russell, IBM Corporation.


SEE ALSO
       modprobe(8), modules.dep(5), depmod.old(8)



								     depmod(8)