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

From: Helge Hafting
Date: Thu Sep 27 2007 - 07:54:50 EST


Stephen Hemminger wrote:
On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:18:55 +0200 (CEST)
Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 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, ...
Wouldn't it be enough to down all the interfaces and close all the sockets?
No need to bring down every app.

Helge Hafting
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