Procedure

1. Select a kernel module you want to load.

   The modules are located in the /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/<SUBSYSTEM>/ directory.

2. Load the relevant kernel module:

   # modprobe <MODULE_NAME>

   Note

   When entering the name of a kernel module, do not append the .ko.xz extension to the end of the name. Kernel module names do not have extensions; their corresponding files do.

3. Optionally, verify the relevant module was loaded:

   $ lsmod | grep <MODULE_NAME>

   If the module was loaded correctly, this command displays the relevant kernel module. For example:

   $ lsmod | grep serio_raw
   serio_raw              16384  0

Procedure

1. Execute the lsmod command and select a kernel module you want to unload.

   If a kernel module has dependencies, unload those prior to unloading the kernel module. For details on identifying modules with dependencies, see Section 3.3, “Listing currently loaded kernel modules”.

2. Unload the relevant kernel module:

   # modprobe -r <MODULE_NAME>

   When entering the name of a kernel module, do not append the .ko.xz extension to the end of the name. Kernel module names do not have extensions; their corresponding files do.

   Warning

   Do not unload kernel modules when they are used by the running system. Doing so can lead to an unstable or non-operational system.

3. Optionally, verify the relevant module was unloaded:

   $ lsmod | grep <MODULE_NAME>

   If the module was unloaded successfully, this command does not display any output.

Procedure

1. Select a kernel module you want to load during the boot process.

   The modules are located in the /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/<SUBSYSTEM>/ directory.

2. Create a configuration file for the module:

   # echo <MODULE_NAME> > /etc/modules-load.d/<MODULE_NAME>.conf

   Note

   When entering the name of a kernel module, do not append the .ko.xz extension to the end of the name. Kernel module names do not have extensions; their corresponding files do.

3. Optionally, after reboot, verify the relevant module was loaded:

   $ lsmod | grep <MODULE_NAME>

   The example command above should succeed and display the relevant kernel module.

Procedure

1. Select a kernel module that you want to blacklist:

   $ lsmod
   
   Module                  Size  Used by
   fuse                  126976  3
   xt_CHECKSUM            16384  1
   ipt_MASQUERADE         16384  1
   uinput                 20480  1
   xt_conntrack           16384  1
   …​

   The lsmod command displays a list of modules loaded to the currently running kernel.

   • Alternatively, identify an unloaded kernel module you want to prevent from potentially loading.

     All kernel modules are located in the /lib/modules/<KERNEL_VERSION>/kernel/<SUBSYSTEM>/ directory.

2. Create a blacklist configuration file:

   # vim /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
   
   	# Blacklists <KERNEL_MODULE_1>
   	blacklist <MODULE_NAME_1>
   	install <MODULE_NAME_1> /bin/false
   
   	# Blacklists <KERNEL_MODULE_2>
   	blacklist <MODULE_NAME_2>
   	install <MODULE_NAME_2> /bin/false
   
   	# Blacklists <KERNEL_MODULE_n>
   	blacklist <MODULE_NAME_n>
   	install <MODULE_NAME_n> /bin/false
   	…​

   The example shows the contents of the blacklist.conf file, edited by the vim editor. The blacklist line ensures that the relevant kernel module will not be automatically loaded during the boot process. The blacklist command, however, does not prevent the module from being loaded as a dependency for another kernel module that is not blacklisted. Therefore the install line causes the /bin/false to run instead of installing a module.

   The lines starting with a hash sign are comments to make the file more readable.

   Note

   When entering the name of a kernel module, do not append the .ko.xz extension to the end of the name. Kernel module names do not have extensions; their corresponding files do.

3. Create a backup copy of the current initial ramdisk image before rebuilding:

   # cp /boot/initramfs-$(uname -r).img /boot/initramfs-$(uname -r).bak.$(date +%m-%d-%H%M%S).img

   The command above creates a backup initramfs image in case the new version has an unexpected problem.

   • Alternatively, create a backup copy of other initial ramdisk image which corresponds to the kernel version for which you want to blacklist kernel modules:

     # cp /boot/initramfs-<SOME_VERSION>.img /boot/initramfs-<SOME_VERSION>.img.bak.$(date +%m-%d-%H%M%S)

4. Generate a new initial ramdisk image to reflect the changes:

   # dracut -f -v

   • If you are building an initial ramdisk image for a different kernel version than you are currently booted into, specify both target initramfs and kernel version:

     # dracut -f -v /boot/initramfs-<TARGET_VERSION>.img <CORRESPONDING_TARGET_KERNEL_VERSION>

5. Reboot the system:

   $ reboot