The way I understood it, I thought, is that the ability to unload a module is set in your Kernel Configuration (when loadable modules is Enabled of course).
I was in the belief that __exit (I'm not sure if that's what you mean with exit() function) only was relevant when they're modules built _into_ the Kernel. I quickly looked at lkmg and this is what it states : The __exit macro causes the omission of the function when the module is built into the kernel, and like __exit, has no effect for loadable modules. Again, if you consider when the cleanup function runs, this makes complete sense; built−in drivers don't need a cleanup function, while loadable modules do. ... It's not my place, as I'm still pretty wet behind the ears with Linux, but that's how thought I understood it ? Best Regards, Kris > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of Robert P. J. Day > Sent: Sunday, 28 June 2009 3:59 AM > To: Kernel Newbies > Subject: unloading a module with no exit routine? > > > as i read it, if you build and load a module with no exit() routine, > once that module's loaded, it is absolutely unloadable until you > reboot the system, is that correct? i just tested that and, via > lsmod, i see: > > $ lsmod > ... > hi 1760 0 [permanent] > > that certainly suggests to *me* that it's there for good, no matter > what i do. is that correct? > > rday > -- > > ======================================================================== > Robert P. J. Day Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA > > Linux Consulting, Training and Annoying Kernel Pedantry. > > Web page: http://crashcourse.ca > Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rpjday > Twitter: http://twitter.com/rpjday > ======================================================================== > > -- > To unsubscribe from this list: send an email with > "unsubscribe kernelnewbies" to [email protected] > Please read the FAQ at http://kernelnewbies.org/FAQ -- To unsubscribe from this list: send an email with "unsubscribe kernelnewbies" to [email protected] Please read the FAQ at http://kernelnewbies.org/FAQ
