05-01-2011
Is Kernel module is the same as a device driver?
I have been reading prep questions for my second unix academy exam, and there's a nuance, I'm not sure I understand it correctly.
I've been under impression from my readings of book by Evi Nemeth and from unix academy DVDs I've been watching, that kernel's modules are drivers. I think of it, as there are standard drivers that come precompiled as a part of a kernel, and some drivers that are not part of a "standard setup", so we load them when necessary as modules.
Now, I see in my readings and in the DVDs, modules and drivers are discussed on separate occasions, which makes me confused! Are they the same or they aren't? I mean, is this "module" and "driver" terminology is interchangeable and it is just figure of speech, or there's real difference between them?
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IPWFW(4) BSD Kernel Interfaces Manual IPWFW(4)
NAME
ipwfw -- Firmware Module for Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 driver
SYNOPSIS
To compile this module into the kernel, place the following line in your kernel configuration file:
device ipwfw
This will include three firmware images inside the kernel. If you want to pick only the firmware image for the mode you want to operate your
network adapter in choose one of the following:
device ipwbssfw
device ipwibssfw
device ipwmonitorfw
Alternatively, to load the driver as a module at boot time, place the following lines in loader.conf(5):
ipw_bss_load="YES"
ipw_ibss_load="YES"
ipw_monitor_load="YES"
DESCRIPTION
This module provides access to firmware sets for the Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 series of IEEE 802.11 adapters. It may be statically linked
into the kernel, or loaded as a module.
For the loaded firmware to be enabled for use the license at /usr/share/doc/legal/intel_ipw/LICENSE must be agreed to by adding the following
line to loader.conf(5):
legal.intel_ipw.license_ack=1
FILES
/usr/share/doc/legal/intel_ipw/LICENSE ipwfw firmware license
SEE ALSO
ipw(4), firmware(9)
BSD
January 14, 2010 BSD