kmod
also: modutils, modprobe, insmod, rmmod, lsmod
A utility for managing kernel modules in Linux, allowing you to load, unload, and inspect kernel extensions at runtime without rebooting.
kmod is a modern replacement for the older modutils package, providing a suite of tools to interact with kernel modules. It allows administrators to dynamically add or remove functionality from a running kernel by loading or unloading compiled kernel code.
Common kmod commands include modprobe (load/unload modules with dependency resolution), insmod (directly insert a module), rmmod (remove a module), and lsmod (list loaded modules). For example, modprobe nvidia loads the NVIDIA graphics driver and its dependencies automatically.
Kernel modules are essential for managing hardware drivers, filesystems, and networking protocols. Rather than recompiling the entire kernel, modules allow optional functionality to be loaded on-demand, keeping the base kernel lean and reducing boot time.