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Date:      Wed, 5 Mar 2003 21:08:52 -0600
From:      Sean Kelly <smkelly@zombie.org>
To:        hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Smarter kernel modules?
Message-ID:  <20030306030852.GA1158@edgemaster.zombie.org>

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I'm not sure if this topic has ever been covered before or not. I couldn't
find it in the list archives, but then I wasn't exactly sure how to search
for it.

Has anyone ever considered embedding some sort of identifier in kernel
modules to keep them from being loaded with the wrong kernel?

Back when I used Linux, they had this thing that embedded the kernel version
in all the modules, thus preventing you from shooting yourself in the foot
when booting a different kernel. After just experiencing two panics and
then finally booting an older kernel, I was bit three times by our lack of
something like this. First, acpi.ko blew up in my face before I decided
it'd be wise to specify /boot/kernel.old/acpi.ko. Secondly, linux.ko
exploded in my face with rc.conf's linux_enable=3D"YES". Finally, my system
exploded when X tried to load the DRI/DRM modules.

After this, I'm wondering why there isn't some sort of system to keep this
foot shooting from happening. Wouldn't it be wise to embed some sort of
cksum into the kernel and then only allow modules with the same cksum to be
loaded (unless the user really wants to)?

--=20
Sean Kelly         | PGP KeyID: D2E5E296
smkelly@zombie.org | http://www.zombie.org

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