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I apologize if the query is too simple. But I want to ask is there a difference between linux system modules and linux kernel modules. If there is a difference then where are both located. Is it that /lib/module/$(uname -r) shows kernel modules and /sys/module/ shows system modules

dave_alcarin
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Raghav Chadha
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  • Thanks for the edit, would be helpful if you can help me with the solution . Its my first moth working on Linux machines :) – Raghav Chadha Sep 23 '15 at 08:16
  • I was just writing an answer :) – dave_alcarin Sep 23 '15 at 08:23
  • lol, thanks for the ans. So in nut shell system and kernel modules are the same thing right ? – Raghav Chadha Sep 23 '15 at 08:25
  • AFAIK Yes, when speaking about "modules" in Linux, it generally refers to "kernel modules". In a nutshell /sys/module shows all modules by name, /lib/module/$(uname -r) has all the modules' file organized by function. Please, don't forget to vote/accept answers if they solved your question ;) – dave_alcarin Sep 23 '15 at 08:30

2 Answers2

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/lib/module/$(uname -r) is a directory on your disk¹. It contains files, most of which (*.ko) are module files: files that contain the code of a kernel module. The files in this directory (and its subdirectories) contain, in principle, modules that you can load into your running kernel.

/sys/module is a directory on a virtual filesystem that exposes kernel internals. Accessing a file in that directory invokes a function in the kernel which only looks at some internal kernel data structures, it doesn't go any further to a disk layer. Each entry in /sys/module corresponds to a component of the running kernel, with code that's loaded in memory and active. This includes all loaded modules, but also components that could be loaded as a module but were built directly into the kernel when the kernel was compiled.

Having files in /lib/module/$(uname -r) that don't correspond to an entry in /sys/module is very common: they're drivers for some piece of hardware (or other thing managed by the kernel) that you don't have in your computer. Entries in /sys/module with no corresponding file under /lib/module/$(uname -r) happen when the component was built into the kernel (here's how to tell), or if the module was loaded manually from a file that's located elsewhere (or is now deleted).

¹ Or rarely on something other than a disk, if your system keeps its root filesystem elsewhere, e.g. over the network or in a RAM disk.

Community
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Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
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The directory /sys/module/ shows all modules in the system by their name as folders with diverse information needed by the system. The directory /lib/module/$(uname -r) contains the kernel module files, stored in a folder hierarchy according to their function.

For example, the Software Watchdog kernel module file would be in /lib/module/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/watchdog/softdog.ko. On the other hand, this module has its own "softdog" (the module name) directory in /sys/module/ with information used by the system when operating/inserting this module, but not the file of the module itself.

You can operate modules by name with modprobe [args] <module-name> [module-params]

You can operate modules by path to the .ko file with insmod [args] <path> [module-params].

Mind that operating kernel modules requires root privileges.

dave_alcarin
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