how can i remove unused but loaded kernel modules?

[Eric]

At 11:07 AM 6/9/2007, Nigel Henry wrote:

<NH>>>>>You could make entries for them in /etc/rc.d/rc.local, which is the 
last init script to be run. Something like. modprobe -r <module name><<<<<

Good morning, Nigel.

However, they'd still have to load during bootup, then they'd get removed 
as a final step in /etc/rc.d/rc.local.  I think what Mark wanted (Mark, 
please correct me if I'm wrong) is not to load them in the first place, so 
that bootup happens faster.

(I seem to vaguely recall that part of an early mission statement for F7 
was to not load eleventy-gazillion processes and modules on bootup, so that 
bootup would happen faster... looks like that was one of the objectives 
that had to be deferred...)

I'm far, far away from being any kind of an expert on Linux use of modules, 
but isn't it true that modules only get loaded if they are needed?  So, if 
Mark goes through all the startup services (in chkconfig, or 
system-config-services) and disables all the ones he doesn't want or need 
(which will probably be a lot of them), won't that result in modules not 
getting loaded that are assocuated with the eliminated startup processes?

I'd be wary of using /etc/rc.d/rc.local to remove modules previously 
loaded... they were loaded for a reason after all...

Eric Poole
Burgoyne, Nolet & Poole, Inc.
www.bnpconsulting.com