modinfo(8)							    modinfo(8)



NAME
       modinfo -- program to show information about a Linux Kernel module

SYNOPSIS
       modinfo [-0]  [-F field]  [-k kernel]  [modulename|filename ...]

       modinfo -V

       modinfo -h

DESCRIPTION
       modinfo extracts information from the Linux Kernel modules given on the
       command line.  If the module name is not a filename, then the /lib/mod-
       ules/version	  directory is searched, as done by modprobe(8).


       modinfo by default lists each attribute of the module in form fieldname
       : value, for easy  reading.   The  filename  is	listed	the  same  way
       (although it's not really an attribute).


       This  version  of  modinfo  can	understand modules of any Linux Kernel
       architecture.

OPTIONS
       -V --version
		 Print the  modinfo  version.	Note  BACKWARDS  COMPATIBILITY
		 below: you might be printing the version of modinfo.old.


       -F --field
		 Only print this field value, one per line.  This is most use-
		 ful for scripts.  Field names	are  case-insenitive.	Common
		 fields  (which  may  not  be in every module) include author,
		 description, license, param, depends, and alias.   There  are
		 often	multiple  param,  alias and depends	  fields.  The
		 special field filename        lists the filename of the  mod-
		 ule.


       -k kernel Provide  information  about  a  kernel other than the running
		 one. This is particularly useful for distributions needing to
		 extract  information from a newly installed (but not yet run-
		 ning) set of kernel modules. For example, you	wish  to  find
		 which	firmware  files are needed by various modules in a new
		 kernel for which you must make an initrd image prior to boot-
		 ing.


       -0 --null Use  the  ASCII  zero	character  to  separate  field values,
		 instead of a new line.  This is useful for scripts,  since  a
		 new line can theoretically appear inside a field.


       -a -d -l -p -n
		 These	are shortcuts for author, description, license.  param
		 and filename respectively, to ease the  transition  from  the
		 old modutils modinfo.


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

       Note that the output of this version of modinfo	is  simpler  and  more
       regular	than  the older version: scripts attempting to use the default
       output may get confused with complex fields.


       You can force the new  modinfo  to  always  be  used,  by  setting  the
       NEW_MODINFO   environment variable.


COPYRIGHT
       This manual page Copyright 2003, Rusty Russell, IBM Corporation.


SEE ALSO
       modprobe(8), modinfo.old(8)



								    modinfo(8)