pcimodules

pcimodules

The `pcimodules` command, typically found in older Linux distributions or systems lacking modern tools like `lspci`, is a shell script that attempts to identify which kernel modules are currently using PCI devices. It achieves this by examining the `/proc/modules` file, comparing module names to the output of `lspci` or equivalent.
The command is intended to help users determine which drivers are actively managing their PCI hardware components. It offers a simple, albeit somewhat rudimentary, way to link hardware to software, especially in environments where more sophisticated hardware probing and enumeration tools are not available or are difficult to use.
The output is often presented as a list of PCI devices and their corresponding kernel modules. Because the command is dependent on the specific structure of `/proc/modules` and the output format of `lspci`, its accuracy and effectiveness can vary depending on the kernel version and the specific PCI hardware installed. Modern Linux systems generally offer superior tools like `lspci -k` for module identification.

The `pcimodules` script's accuracy is dependent on the kernel version and the availability and format of `lspci` or its equivalent. It may not accurately identify modules for all PCI devices and may produce misleading results in some cases. The script is often very basic and offers no filtering or sorting options.

The `pcimodules` script typically works by parsing the output of `lspci` to identify PCI devices. It then looks for corresponding module names in the `/proc/modules` file. It uses string matching to associate PCI device descriptions with kernel module names. This approach is simple but can be unreliable because it depends on specific naming conventions and the consistency of the information provided by `lspci` and `/proc/modules`.

Modern Linux systems provide more robust and accurate tools for identifying kernel modules associated with PCI devices. The `lspci -k` option is a preferred alternative, as it directly queries the kernel for module information. Other tools like `udev` and the `sysfs` filesystem also provide detailed information about hardware devices and their associated drivers.

lspci(8), lsmod(8), modinfo(8), modprobe(8)