linux-kernel - Re: why network devices don't do reference counting? (Re: [PATCH] Module use count must be updated as bridges are created/destroyed)

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Message-ID: <20070926153330.77aade4d@freepuppy.rosehill>
Date:	Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:33:30 -0700
From:	Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@...putergmbh.de>
Cc:	Oleg Verych <olecom@...wer.upol.cz>,
	Jan Beulich <jbeulich@...ell.com>,
	bridge@...ts.linux-foundation.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: why network devices don't do reference counting? (Re: [PATCH]
 Module use count must be updated as bridges are created/destroyed)

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:18:55 +0200 (CEST)
Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@...putergmbh.de> wrote:

> 
> On Sep 26 2007 14:06, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> >> >
> >> > No, network devices don't do reference counting.
> >> 
> >> Could you explain why, please?
> >> 
> >> After `udevd` on boot loads lots of unused crap, i surrendered, and use
> >> $(rmmod `lsmod | just first column`). Networing bravely wipes away. OK,
> >> there are lots of configs: udev, hotplug, modprobe, that somebody might
> >> like to fix. But it came to the end with me. I just don't care. So,
> >> please answer :)
> >
> >For hotplug and other reasons, the network developers decided that being
> >able to remove a network module at any time was a good thing. It works.
> 
> Except that for ipv6.ko, it's all opposite. After modprobe,
> it already got a refcount like 8 and you're wondering how
> to get rid of that.

ipv6 is not a network driver, it is a protocol. You might be able to remove it if you zap
all the routes and applications, ...

-- 
Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...ux-foundation.org>
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