KLDLOAD(8) FreeBSD System Manager's Manual KLDLOAD(8)
NAME
kldload - load a file into the kernel
SYNOPSIS
kldload [-nqv] file ...
DESCRIPTION
The kldload utility loads file.ko into the kernel using the kernel
linker. Note that if multiple modules are specified then an attempt will
be made to load them all, even if some fail. The .ko extension name is
not mandatory when loading a given module using kldload. It does not
hurt to specify it though.
If a bare filename is requested it will only be loaded if it is found
within the module path as defined by the sysctl kern.module_path. To
load a module from the current directory it must be specified as a full
or relative path. The kldload utility will warn if a module is requested
as a bare filename and is present in the current directory.
The following options are available:
-n Do not try to load module if already loaded.
-v Be more verbose.
-q Silence any extraneous warnings.
NOTES
The kernel security level settings may prevent a module from being loaded
or unloaded by giving Operation not permitted.
FILES
/boot/kernel directory containing loadable modules. Modules must have
an extension of .ko.
EXIT STATUS
The kldload utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
EXAMPLES
To load by module name:
> kldload foo
To load by file name within the module path:
> kldload foo.ko
To load by relative path:
> kldload ./foo.ko
To load by full path:
> kldload /boot/kernel/foo.ko
AUTOMATICALLY LOADING MODULES
Some modules (pf, ipfw, ipf, etc.) may be automatically loaded at boot
time when the corresponding rc.conf(5) statement is used. Modules may
also be auto-loaded through their addition to loader.conf(5) or kld_list
in rc.conf(5).
Only those modules necessary for booting the system, including those
required for mounting the root filesystem, should be handled by
loader.conf(5).
SEE ALSO
kenv(1), kldload(2), loader.conf(5), rc.conf(5), security(7),
kldconfig(8), kldstat(8), kldunload(8), kldxref(8)
HISTORY
The kldload utility first appeared in FreeBSD 3.0, replacing the lkm
interface.
AUTHORS
Doug Rabson <
[email protected]>
FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE-p8 December 20, 2023 FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE-p8