Can't load modules with parameters given

Can't load modules with parameters given

[Benjamin Block]

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Hi,

I have a rather strange problem currently. I am trying to load a module
with some parameters (bnx2x with disable_tpa=1) and it fails because
this parameter is unknown according to dmesg. But modinfo lists this
exact paramter and it is also included in the source. And while this is
not an in-tree driver, I could also replicate the same behavior with
in-tree device drivers (like bonding with the parameter tx_queues):

$ modprobe bonding # works fine
$ rmmod bonding
$ modprobe bonding tx_queues=32
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'bonding': Unknown symbol in module,
or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

and dmesg tells me:
	bonding: Unknown parameter `tx_queues'
and nothing else (as with bnx2x, this parameter is listed by modinfo).

Is there some obvious kernel-config-option I could have messed up or
something else like this?

I am using a Gentoo-Userspace kmod (v15) with a Ubuntu-Kernel (3.8.13.13
- this is a version with some ubuntu-patches applied) - I know, the
combination is rather strange. Any ideas?

best regards,
- Benjamin


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Re: Can't load modules with parameters given

[Lucas De Marchi]

Hi Benjamin,


On Thu, Dec 19, 2013 at 4:31 PM, Benjamin Block <bebl@mageta.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a rather strange problem currently. I am trying to load a module

strange indeed

> with some parameters (bnx2x with disable_tpa=1) and it fails because
> this parameter is unknown according to dmesg. But modinfo lists this
> exact paramter and it is also included in the source. And while this is
> not an in-tree driver, I could also replicate the same behavior with

are you sure modinfo and modprobe are reading the same module? maybe
you updated your modules between the operations?


> in-tree device drivers (like bonding with the parameter tx_queues):
>
> $ modprobe bonding # works fine
> $ rmmod bonding
> $ modprobe bonding tx_queues=32
> modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'bonding': Unknown symbol in module,
> or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
>
> and dmesg tells me:
>         bonding: Unknown parameter `tx_queues'
> and nothing else (as with bnx2x, this parameter is listed by modinfo).
>
> Is there some obvious kernel-config-option I could have messed up or
> something else like this?

So... this changed in recent kernels (3.11 -- see the commit message
that introduced this behavior below)... we don't fail to load a module
anymore due to unknown option. So if/when you upgrade you won't see
this problem anymore.

Anyway, it shouldn't fail for you like it did, but it might as well be
a problem of the particularly patched kernel you are using... not
sure.


>
> I am using a Gentoo-Userspace kmod (v15) with a Ubuntu-Kernel (3.8.13.13
> - this is a version with some ubuntu-patches applied) - I know, the
> combination is rather strange. Any ideas?

the combination is not a problem and should work just fine.



Lucas De Marchi



---
commit 54041d8a73337411b485ff76957fb106cb5d40d0
Author: Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>
Date:   Tue Jul 2 15:35:12 2013 +0930

    modules: don't fail to load on unknown parameters.

    Although parameters are supposed to be part of the kernel API, experimental
    parameters are often removed.  In addition, downgrading a kernel might cause
    previously-working modules to fail to load.

    On balance, it's probably better to warn, and load the module anyway.
    This may let through a typo, but at least the logs will show it.

    Reported-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@amacapital.net>
    Signed-off-by: Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>

Re: Can't load modules with parameters given

[Benjamin Block]

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On 12/22/2013 10:16 PM, Lucas De Marchi wrote:
> Hi Benjamin,
> 
> 
> On Thu, Dec 19, 2013 at 4:31 PM, Benjamin Block <bebl@mageta.org> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a rather strange problem currently. I am trying to load a module
> 
> strange indeed
> 
>> with some parameters (bnx2x with disable_tpa=1) and it fails because
>> this parameter is unknown according to dmesg. But modinfo lists this
>> exact paramter and it is also included in the source. And while this is
>> not an in-tree driver, I could also replicate the same behavior with
> 
> are you sure modinfo and modprobe are reading the same module? maybe
> you updated your modules between the operations?
> 

pretty sure. It shows the exact path to the .ko, because this is a
out-of-tree driver that is not located under /lib/modules/..
And in case of the bonding-example, there is no other module anywhere
else with the same name.

> 
>> in-tree device drivers (like bonding with the parameter tx_queues):
>>
>> $ modprobe bonding # works fine
>> $ rmmod bonding
>> $ modprobe bonding tx_queues=32
>> modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'bonding': Unknown symbol in module,
>> or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
>>
>> and dmesg tells me:
>>         bonding: Unknown parameter `tx_queues'
>> and nothing else (as with bnx2x, this parameter is listed by modinfo).
>>
>> Is there some obvious kernel-config-option I could have messed up or
>> something else like this?
> 
> So... this changed in recent kernels (3.11 -- see the commit message
> that introduced this behavior below)... we don't fail to load a module
> anymore due to unknown option. So if/when you upgrade you won't see
> this problem anymore.
> 
> Anyway, it shouldn't fail for you like it did, but it might as well be
> a problem of the particularly patched kernel you are using... not
> sure.
> 
> 
>>
>> I am using a Gentoo-Userspace kmod (v15) with a Ubuntu-Kernel (3.8.13.13
>> - this is a version with some ubuntu-patches applied) - I know, the
>> combination is rather strange. Any ideas?
> 
> the combination is not a problem and should work just fine.
> 

I am now certain that this is a specific and/or combination of
kernel-configuration-options which is messing this up here. I have a
debug- and a release-configuration with the only difference that the
debug-config contains several kernel-hacking-features enabled that the
release doesn't include (compiled with symbols, lockdep, tracing and
stuff like this). And in the release-config I could load the module with
the parameter given.

When I'm at work again I will figure out which config messes this up
exactly (I don't have access to the machines right now).


- Benjamin


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