[PATCH] media: remove unnecessary module_init/exit functions

[PATCH] media: remove unnecessary module_init/exit functions

[Ethan Nelson-Moore]

Three media drivers have unnecessary module_init and module_exit
functions that are empty or just print a message. Remove them. Note
that if a module_init function exists, a module_exit function must also
exist; otherwise, the module cannot be unloaded.

Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c         | 14 --------------
 drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c | 13 -------------
 drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c             | 13 -------------
 3 files changed, 40 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c b/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
index 8506de48ba45..1572831be5b8 100644
--- a/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
+++ b/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
@@ -292,20 +292,6 @@ void flexcop_device_exit(struct flexcop_device *fc)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(flexcop_device_exit);
 
-static int flexcop_module_init(void)
-{
-	info(DRIVER_NAME " loaded successfully");
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static void flexcop_module_cleanup(void)
-{
-	info(DRIVER_NAME " unloaded successfully");
-}
-
-module_init(flexcop_module_init);
-module_exit(flexcop_module_cleanup);
-
 MODULE_AUTHOR(DRIVER_AUTHOR);
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION(DRIVER_NAME);
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
diff --git a/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c b/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
index a9e3bad76d54..c0166684eff8 100644
--- a/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
+++ b/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
@@ -417,19 +417,6 @@ int saa7146_unregister_device(struct video_device *vfd, struct saa7146_dev *dev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(saa7146_unregister_device);
 
-static int __init saa7146_vv_init_module(void)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
-
-static void __exit saa7146_vv_cleanup_module(void)
-{
-}
-
-module_init(saa7146_vv_init_module);
-module_exit(saa7146_vv_cleanup_module);
-
 MODULE_AUTHOR("Michael Hunold <michael@mihu.de>");
 MODULE_DESCRIPTION("video4linux driver for saa7146-based hardware");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
diff --git a/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c b/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
index 3fc15d16df8e..f3d3f441c851 100644
--- a/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
+++ b/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
@@ -1701,19 +1701,6 @@ int gspca_resume(struct usb_interface *intf)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(gspca_resume);
 #endif
 
-/* -- module insert / remove -- */
-static int __init gspca_init(void)
-{
-	pr_info("v" GSPCA_VERSION " registered\n");
-	return 0;
-}
-static void __exit gspca_exit(void)
-{
-}
-
-module_init(gspca_init);
-module_exit(gspca_exit);
-
 module_param_named(debug, gspca_debug, int, 0644);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(debug,
 		"1:probe 2:config 3:stream 4:frame 5:packet 6:usbi 7:usbo");
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] media: remove unnecessary module_init/exit functions

[Laurent Pinchart]

Hi Ethan,

Thank you for the patch.

On Fri, Jan 30, 2026 at 06:00:47PM -0800, Ethan Nelson-Moore wrote:
> Three media drivers have unnecessary module_init and module_exit
> functions that are empty or just print a message. Remove them. Note
> that if a module_init function exists, a module_exit function must also
> exist; otherwise, the module cannot be unloaded.

How did you identify those, was it scripted or manual ? 

> Signed-off-by: Ethan Nelson-Moore <enelsonmoore@gmail.com>

The patch looks good,

Reviewed-by: Laurent Pinchart <laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com>

I would also be nice to replace the module init/exit functions that
register/unregister PCI or USB drivers with the corresponding helper
macros (module_pci_driver, module_usb_driver, module_platform_driver,
...), as we have quite a few drivers that still open-code that. In a
separate patch of course.

> ---
>  drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c         | 14 --------------
>  drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c | 13 -------------
>  drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c             | 13 -------------
>  3 files changed, 40 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c b/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
> index 8506de48ba45..1572831be5b8 100644
> --- a/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
> +++ b/drivers/media/common/b2c2/flexcop.c
> @@ -292,20 +292,6 @@ void flexcop_device_exit(struct flexcop_device *fc)
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(flexcop_device_exit);
>  
> -static int flexcop_module_init(void)
> -{
> -	info(DRIVER_NAME " loaded successfully");
> -	return 0;
> -}
> -
> -static void flexcop_module_cleanup(void)
> -{
> -	info(DRIVER_NAME " unloaded successfully");
> -}
> -
> -module_init(flexcop_module_init);
> -module_exit(flexcop_module_cleanup);
> -
>  MODULE_AUTHOR(DRIVER_AUTHOR);
>  MODULE_DESCRIPTION(DRIVER_NAME);
>  MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
> diff --git a/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c b/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
> index a9e3bad76d54..c0166684eff8 100644
> --- a/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
> +++ b/drivers/media/common/saa7146/saa7146_fops.c
> @@ -417,19 +417,6 @@ int saa7146_unregister_device(struct video_device *vfd, struct saa7146_dev *dev)
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(saa7146_unregister_device);
>  
> -static int __init saa7146_vv_init_module(void)
> -{
> -	return 0;
> -}
> -
> -
> -static void __exit saa7146_vv_cleanup_module(void)
> -{
> -}
> -
> -module_init(saa7146_vv_init_module);
> -module_exit(saa7146_vv_cleanup_module);
> -
>  MODULE_AUTHOR("Michael Hunold <michael@mihu.de>");
>  MODULE_DESCRIPTION("video4linux driver for saa7146-based hardware");
>  MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
> diff --git a/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c b/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
> index 3fc15d16df8e..f3d3f441c851 100644
> --- a/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
> +++ b/drivers/media/usb/gspca/gspca.c
> @@ -1701,19 +1701,6 @@ int gspca_resume(struct usb_interface *intf)
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(gspca_resume);
>  #endif
>  
> -/* -- module insert / remove -- */
> -static int __init gspca_init(void)
> -{
> -	pr_info("v" GSPCA_VERSION " registered\n");
> -	return 0;
> -}
> -static void __exit gspca_exit(void)
> -{
> -}
> -
> -module_init(gspca_init);
> -module_exit(gspca_exit);
> -
>  module_param_named(debug, gspca_debug, int, 0644);
>  MODULE_PARM_DESC(debug,
>  		"1:probe 2:config 3:stream 4:frame 5:packet 6:usbi 7:usbo");

-- 
Regards,

Laurent Pinchart

Re: [PATCH] media: remove unnecessary module_init/exit functions

[Ethan Nelson-Moore]

Hi, Laurent,

On Sat, Jan 31, 2026 at 10:05 AM Laurent Pinchart
<laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com> wrote:
> Thank you for the patch.
You're welcome.

> How did you identify those, was it scripted or manual ?
Scripted - I don't remember exactly how, but I think I looked for
files that had a return statement or } at the start of the line within
a few lines of the beginning of their module_init/exit functions.

> I would also be nice to replace the module init/exit functions that
> register/unregister PCI or USB drivers with the corresponding helper
> macros (module_pci_driver, module_usb_driver, module_platform_driver,
> ...), as we have quite a few drivers that still open-code that. In a
> separate patch of course.
I will do this at some point soon.

Ethan