linux-kernel - Re: Q: What will happen if I insmod a new version driver when it has already been statically in kernel?

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Date:	Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:38:33 -0700
From:	Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@...otime.net>
To:	Yang Bai <hamo.by@...il.com>
CC:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Q: What will happen if I insmod a new version driver when it
 has already been statically in kernel?

On 08/27/2012 03:06 AM, Yang Bai wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> We have one driver which has been statically compiled into kernel, and
> now we want to upgrade it. But we only have a new version module for
> this driver. Could I just insmod this module and make the new driver
> work?

No, that should not work -- unless the in-kernel driver has a
close/release method that you can somehow trigger.

> If so, what happens to the static old one?

It stays.

> If not, Can we upgrade this driver without re-compile the kernel to
> make the in-kernel driver out or module?

If the current driver is not a loadable module, you cannot
replace it.  Assuming that they use mostly the same resources,
like I/O devices or memory BARs or however the device presents
its control & data interfaces, the new module would not be
able to access the device interfaces since they would still
be used/owned by the in-kernel driver.

-- 
~Randy
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