Linux kernel mirror (for testing) git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
kernel os linux

docs: admin-guide: document the kernel.modprobe sysctl

Document the kernel.modprobe sysctl in the same place that all the other
kernel.* sysctls are documented. Make sure to mention how to use this
sysctl to completely disable module autoloading, and how this sysctl
relates to CONFIG_STATIC_USERMODEHELPER.

[ebiggers@google.com: v5]
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/20200318230515.171692-4-ebiggers@kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Eric Biggers <ebiggers@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: Alexei Starovoitov <ast@kernel.org>
Cc: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
Cc: Jeff Vander Stoep <jeffv@google.com>
Cc: Jessica Yu <jeyu@kernel.org>
Cc: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Cc: Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org>
Cc: NeilBrown <neilb@suse.com>
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/20200312202552.241885-4-ebiggers@kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>

authored by

Eric Biggers and committed by
Linus Torvalds
6e715825 26c5d78c

+21
+21
Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/kernel.rst
··· 446 446 successful IPC object allocation. If an IPC object allocation syscall 447 447 fails, it is undefined if the value remains unmodified or is reset to -1. 448 448 449 + modprobe: 450 + ========= 451 + 452 + The path to the usermode helper for autoloading kernel modules, by 453 + default "/sbin/modprobe". This binary is executed when the kernel 454 + requests a module. For example, if userspace passes an unknown 455 + filesystem type to mount(), then the kernel will automatically request 456 + the corresponding filesystem module by executing this usermode helper. 457 + This usermode helper should insert the needed module into the kernel. 458 + 459 + This sysctl only affects module autoloading. It has no effect on the 460 + ability to explicitly insert modules. 461 + 462 + If this sysctl is set to the empty string, then module autoloading is 463 + completely disabled. The kernel will not try to execute a usermode 464 + helper at all, nor will it call the kernel_module_request LSM hook. 465 + 466 + If CONFIG_STATIC_USERMODEHELPER=y is set in the kernel configuration, 467 + then the configured static usermode helper overrides this sysctl, 468 + except that the empty string is still accepted to completely disable 469 + module autoloading as described above. 449 470 450 471 nmi_watchdog 451 472 ============