In some situation, you may want to avoid loading a Linux driver module automatically. For example:
- You would like to use proprietary device driver (I am against any proprietary drivers) and not the inbuilt (reverse engineered) kernel, driver.
- You might want to block it loading the driver for security reasons. If your server system connected without a diskette / floppy drive; kernel will try to load floppy driver – disable floppy driver or module. Or just disable USB driver loading on Linux.
- In some cases buggy driver causes kernel BUG on load so you just want to avoid the problem.
The Linux kernel get module information from /etc/modprobe.conf file and /etc/modprobe.d/* file(s).
If you are using CentOS/Redhat/RHEL/Fedora Linux…
Just open your /etc/modprobe.conf OR /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file and turn of auto loading using following syntax:
alias driver-name off
If you are using Debian / Ubuntu Linux…
open /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file and add drivername using following syntax:
blacklist driver-name
Reboot your Linux box and use lsmod command to show the status of modules in the Linux Kernel:
# reboot
# lsmod
Say hello to kernel.modules_disabled kernel variable
You can place restrictions on module loading. When the following set to 1, unprivileged users cannot trigger the automatic loading of modules for security reasons:
# sysctl -w kernel.modules_disabled=1
You can add above to /etc/sysctl.d/99-custom.conf:
# echo 'kernel.modules_disabled=1' >> /etc/sysctl.d/99-custom.conf
🐧 Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix, Open Source & DevOps topics via:
- RSS feed or Weekly email newsletter
- Share on Twitter • Facebook • 12 comments... add one ↓
| Category | List of Unix and Linux commands |
|---|---|
| File Management | cat |
| Firewall | Alpine Awall • CentOS 8 • OpenSUSE • RHEL 8 • Ubuntu 16.04 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Network Utilities | dig • host • ip • nmap |
| OpenVPN | CentOS 7 • CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Debian 8/9 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Package Manager | apk • apt |
| Processes Management | bg • chroot • cron • disown • fg • jobs • killall • kill • pidof • pstree • pwdx • time |
| Searching | grep • whereis • which |
| User Information | groups • id • lastcomm • last • lid/libuser-lid • logname • members • users • whoami • who • w |
| WireGuard VPN | Alpine • CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Firewall • Ubuntu 20.04 |
How I can do to join the blacklist all except driver being used. thanks. cristian
OpenSuse 11.4 can only mount one type of filesystem ‘ISO9660’ . What is my problem?
Thank you
Nathan
alias driver-name off does nto work on CentOS 5.5
On Suse is like fedora 15:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
blacklist driver-name
on fedora 15 you do:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
blacklist driver-name
Thanks a lot.
I am unable to stop kvm, kvm_intel from getting loaded even after adding those to blacklist (Ubuntu 9.10).
The debian way? An update has been written and is available here : http://wiki.debian.org/KernelModuleBlacklisting
the method is if nothing works in debian based distros to blacklist a certain module,try making a file /etc/modprobe.d/00local with content as
install modulename /bin/true
You need to add following drivers
usbcore
ehci_hcd
uhci_hcd
lsmod and modinfo command always gives information about loaded drivers.
On a similar path, how would you go about disabling USB without having to add nousb on the kernel settings line in GRUB ?
Blacklisting in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist works in F7 too, not only in Debian!