doc/modinfo.sgml

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  11
  12 <refentry>
  13   <refentryinfo>
  14     <address>
  15       <email>rusty@rustcorp.com.au</email>
  16     </address>
  17     <author>
  18       <firstname>Rusty</firstname>
  19       <surname>Russell</surname>
  20     </author>
  21     <date>2003-05-9</date>
  22   </refentryinfo>
  23   <refmeta>
  24     <refentrytitle>modinfo</refentrytitle>
  25     <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
  26   </refmeta>
  27   <refnamediv>
  28     <refname>modinfo</refname> <refpurpose>program to show information about a Linux Kernel module</refpurpose>
  29   </refnamediv>
  30   <refsynopsisdiv>
  31     <cmdsynopsis>
  32       <command>modinfo</command>
  33       <arg><option>-0</option></arg>
  34       <arg><option>-F <replaceable>field</replaceable></option></arg>
  35       <arg><option>-k <replaceable>kernel</replaceable></option></arg>
  36       <arg rep='repeat'>modulename|filename</arg>
  37     </cmdsynopsis>
  38     <cmdsynopsis>
  39       <command>modinfo -V</command>
  40     </cmdsynopsis>
  41     <cmdsynopsis>
  42       <command>modinfo -h</command>
  43     </cmdsynopsis>
  44   </refsynopsisdiv>
  45   <refsect1>
  46     <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
  47
  48     <para><command>modinfo</command> extracts information from the Linux
  49       Kernel modules given on the command line.  If the module name is
  50       not a filename, then the
  51       <filename>/lib/modules/</filename><replaceable>version</replaceable>
  52       directory is searched, as done by
  53       <citerefentry><refentrytitle>modprobe</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>.
  54     </para>
  55
  56     <para><command>modinfo</command> by default lists each attribute
  57       of the module in form <replaceable>fieldname</replaceable> :
  58       <replaceable>value</replaceable>, for easy reading.  The
  59       filename is listed the same way (although it's not really an
  60       attribute).
  61     </para>
  62
  63     <para>This version of <command>modinfo</command> can understand
  64     modules of any Linux Kernel architecture.</para>
  65   </refsect1>
  66   <refsect1>
  67     <title>OPTIONS</title>
  68     <variablelist>
  69       <varlistentry>
  70         <term><option>-V</option> <option>--version</option>
  71         </term>
  72         <listitem>
  73           <para>
  74             Print the modinfo version.  Note BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
  75             below: you might be printing the version of
  76             <command>modinfo.old</command>.
  77           </para>
  78         </listitem>
  79       </varlistentry>
  80       <varlistentry>
  81         <term><option>-F</option> <option>--field</option>
  82         </term>
  83         <listitem>
  84           <para>
  85             Only print this field value, one per line.  This is most
  86             useful for scripts.  Field names are case-insenitive.
  87             Common fields (which may not be in every module) include
  88             <literal>author</literal>, <literal>description</literal>,
  89             <literal>license</literal>, <literal>parm</literal>,
  90             <literal>depends</literal>, and <literal>alias</literal>.
  91             There are often multiple <literal>parm</literal>,
  92             <literal>alias</literal> and <literal>depends</literal>
  93             fields.  The special field <literal>filename</literal>
  94             lists the filename of the module.
  95           </para>
  96         </listitem>
  97       </varlistentry>
  98       <varlistentry>
  99         <term><option>-k <replaceable>kernel</replaceable></option>
 100         </term>
 101         <listitem>
 102           <para>
 103             Provide information about a kernel other than the running one. This
 104             is particularly useful for distributions needing to extract
 105             information from a newly installed (but not yet running) set of
 106             kernel modules. For example, you wish to find which firmware files
 107             are needed by various modules in a new kernel for which you must
 108             make an initrd image prior to booting.
 109           </para>
 110         </listitem>
 111       </varlistentry>
 112       <varlistentry>
 113         <term><option>-0</option> <option>--null</option>
 114         </term>
 115         <listitem>
 116           <para>
 117             Use the ASCII zero character to separate field values,
 118             instead of a new line.  This is useful for scripts, since
 119             a new line can theoretically appear inside a field.
 120           </para>
 121         </listitem>
 122       </varlistentry>
 123       <varlistentry>
 124         <term><option>-a</option> <option>-d</option> <option>-l</option> <option>-p</option> <option>-n</option>
 125         </term>
 126         <listitem>
 127           <para>
 128             These are shortcuts for <literal>author</literal>,
 129             <literal>description</literal>,
 130             <literal>license</literal>.  <literal>parm</literal> and
 131             <literal>filename</literal> respectively, to ease the
 132             transition from the old modutils
 133             <command>modinfo</command>.
 134           </para>
 135         </listitem>
 136       </varlistentry>
 137     </variablelist>
 138   </refsect1>
 139   <refsect1>
 140     <title>BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY</title>
 141
 142     <para>This version of <command>modinfo</command> is for kernel
 143         modules <literal>2.5.48</literal> and above.  If it detects a
 144         kernel with support for old-style modules, it will attempt to
 145         run <command>modprobe.old</command> in its place, so it is
 146         completely transparent to the user.</para>
 147
 148     <para>Note that the output of this version of
 149         <command>modinfo</command> is simpler and more regular than
 150         the older version: scripts attempting to use the default
 151         output may get confused with complex fields.
 152     </para>
 153
 154     <para>You can force the new <command>modinfo</command> to always
 155         be used, by setting the <literal>NEW_MODINFO</literal>
 156         environment variable.
 157     </para>
 158   </refsect1>
 159   <refsect1>
 160     <title>COPYRIGHT</title>
 161     <para>
 162       This manual page Copyright 2003, Rusty Russell, IBM Corporation.
 163     </para>
 164   </refsect1>
 165   <refsect1>
 166     <title>SEE ALSO</title>
 167
 168     <para><citerefentry>
 169         <refentrytitle>modprobe</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
 170       </citerefentry>,
 171       <citerefentry>
 172         <refentrytitle>modinfo.old</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
 173       </citerefentry>
 174 </para>
 175   </refsect1>
 176 </refentry>
 177
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