Linux – How to add an alias to a kernel module

kernel-moduleslinux

I'd like to add an alias to a kernel module, e.g. make nvidia-343 available as nvidia on Ubuntu 14.10 with Linux 3.18.1, so that it can be loaded under the alias name and so that the alias appear in the list of aliases in modinfo.

The current level of explanation of what a kernel module alias is in the manpages of modprobe, modinfo, modinfo, etc. is rather ridiculous because it is zero (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kmod/+bug/1405669 as well).

Adding a line in the form of alias <name> <alias> to /etc/modprobe.conf as described at http://www.tldp.org/LDP/lkmpg/2.6/html/x44.html doesn't work (alias not listed in modinfo output) (I guess(!) these are the docs for 2.6.x anyway).

Best Answer

I think you know all you need to know about module aliases. Adding that line in /etc/modprobe.conf does define an alias: doesn't it work when you run modprobe <name>? It doesn't work with modinfo because that program doesn't support aliases: they're a concept of the modprobe program, not of the lower-level tools like insmod and modinfo.

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