Ansible Pilot

Load and Unload Kernel Modules in Linux - Ansible module modprobe

How to automate the Linux Kernel module loading of the "dummy" module with parameters on an example machine with Ansible.

January 12, 2022
Access the Complete Video Course and Learn Quick Ansible by 200+ Practical Lessons

How to Load and Unload Kernel Modules in Linux with Ansible?

I’m going to show you a live demo with some simple Ansible code. I’m Luca Berton and welcome to today’s episode of Ansible Pilot.

Ansible Load and Unload Kernel Modules in Linux

Today we’re talking about the Ansible module modprobe. The full name is community.general.modprobe, which means that is part of the collection of modules “community.general” maintained by the Ansible Community. The purpose of the module is to Load or unload kernel modules.

Parameters

The parameters of the module modprobe. The only required parameter is “name”, with the full Linux kernel module name. The parameter “params” allows you to specify some module parameters. Default is an empty string. The parameter “state” specifies the status of the Linux Kernel module. The option “present” means that the module must be loaded. The option “absent” means that the module must be unloaded.

The Best Resources For Ansible

Certifications

Video Course

Printed Book

eBooks

demo

Load and Unload Kernel Modules in Linux with Ansible Playbook.

code

---
- name: modprobe module demo
  hosts: all
  become: true
  vars:
    module_name: "dummy"
    module_params: "numdummies=2"
  tasks:
    - name: load the module
      community.general.modprobe:
        name: "{{ module_name }}"
        state: present
        params: "{{ module_params }}"

execution

$ ansible-playbook -i virtualmachines/demo/inventory modprobe/modprobe.yml
PLAY [modprobe module demo] ***********************************************************************
TASK [Gathering Facts] ****************************************************************************
ok: [demo.example.com]
TASK [Add the dummy module] ***********************************************************************
changed: [demo.example.com]
PLAY RECAP ****************************************************************************************
demo.example.com           : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
idempotency
$ ansible-playbook -i virtualmachines/demo/inventory modprobe/modprobe.yml
PLAY [modprobe module demo] ***********************************************************************
TASK [Gathering Facts] ****************************************************************************
ok: [demo.example.com]
TASK [Add the dummy module] ***********************************************************************
ok: [demo.example.com]
PLAY RECAP ****************************************************************************************
demo.example.com           : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

before execution

$ ssh [email protected]
Last login: Tue Jan 11 21:12:15 2022 from 192.168.0.102
[devops@demo ~]$ sudo su
[root@demo devops]# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
nft_fib_inet           16384  1
nft_fib_ipv4           16384  1 nft_fib_inet
nft_fib_ipv6           16384  1 nft_fib_inet
nft_fib                16384  3 nft_fib_ipv6,nft_fib_ipv4,nft_fib_inet
nft_reject_inet        16384  4
nf_reject_ipv4         16384  1 nft_reject_inet
nf_reject_ipv6         16384  1 nft_reject_inet
nft_reject             16384  1 nft_reject_inet
nft_ct                 20480  9
nf_tables_set          49152  12
nft_chain_nat          16384  12
nf_nat                 45056  1 nft_chain_nat
nf_conntrack          172032  2 nf_nat,nft_ct
nf_defrag_ipv6         20480  1 nf_conntrack
nf_defrag_ipv4         16384  1 nf_conntrack
ip_set                 49152  0
nf_tables             172032  259 nft_ct,nft_reject_inet,nft_fib_ipv6,nft_fib_ipv4,nft_chain_nat,nf_tables_set,nft_reject,nft_fib,nft_fib_inet
nfnetlink              16384  3 nf_tables,ip_set
intel_rapl_msr         16384  0
intel_rapl_common      24576  1 intel_rapl_msr
intel_pmc_core_pltdrv    16384  0
intel_pmc_core         45056  0
intel_powerclamp       16384  0
crct10dif_pclmul       16384  1
crc32_pclmul           16384  0
ghash_clmulni_intel    16384  0
rapl                   20480  0
pcspkr                 16384  0
joydev                 24576  0
video                  49152  0
i2c_piix4              24576  0
xfs                  1544192  2
libcrc32c              16384  4 nf_conntrack,nf_nat,nf_tables,xfs
sd_mod                 53248  3
t10_pi                 16384  1 sd_mod
sg                     40960  0
ata_generic            16384  0
vboxvideo              45056  1
drm_ttm_helper         16384  1 vboxvideo
ttm                    77824  2 vboxvideo,drm_ttm_helper
drm_kms_helper        253952  1 vboxvideo
drm                   573440  5 drm_kms_helper,vboxvideo,drm_ttm_helper,ttm
ata_piix               36864  2
libata                270336  2 ata_piix,ata_generic
crc32c_intel           24576  1
serio_raw              16384  0
e1000                 151552  0
syscopyarea            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysfillrect            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
sysimgblt              16384  1 drm_kms_helper
vboxguest             385024  1
fb_sys_fops            16384  1 drm_kms_helper
dm_mirror              28672  0
dm_region_hash         20480  1 dm_mirror
dm_log                 20480  2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
dm_mod                151552  9 dm_log,dm_mirror
[root@demo devops]# lsmod | grep dummy
[root@demo devops]# uname -a
Linux demo.example.com 4.18.0-348.el8.x86_64 #1 SMP Mon Oct 4 12:17:22 EDT 2021 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[root@demo devops]#

after execution

$ ssh [email protected]
Last login: Wed Jan 12 07:35:19 2022 from 192.168.0.101
[devops@demo ~]$ sudo su
[root@demo devops]# lsmod | grep dummy
dummy                  16384  0
[root@demo devops]# less /var/log/messages 
[root@demo devops]# tail /var/log/messages
Jan 12 07:35:04 demo systemd-udevd[4297]: Using default interface naming scheme 
'rhel-8.0'.
Jan 12 07:35:04 demo systemd-udevd[4297]: link_config: autonegotiation is unset 
or enabled, the speed and duplex are not writable.
Jan 12 07:35:04 demo systemd-udevd[4297]: Could not generate persistent MAC addr
ess for dummy1: No such file or directory
Jan 12 07:35:18 demo ansible-ansible.legacy.setup[4440]: Invoked with gather_sub
set=['all'] gather_timeout=10 filter=[] fact_path=/etc/ansible/facts.d
Jan 12 07:35:19 demo ansible-community.general.modprobe[4593]: Invoked with name
=dummy state=present params=numdummies=2
Jan 12 07:35:19 demo chronyd[826]: Selected source 94.124.107.190 (2.rhel.pool.n
tp.org)
Jan 12 07:35:19 demo chronyd[826]: Selected source 213.192.54.227 (2.rhel.pool.n
tp.org)
[root@demo devops]# modinfo dummy
filename:       /lib/modules/4.18.0-348.el8.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/dummy.ko.xz
version:        1.0
alias:          rtnl-link-dummy
license:        GPL
rhelversion:    8.5
srcversion:     FF01F2D4C53E7F939842380
depends:        
intree:         Y
name:           dummy
vermagic:       4.18.0-348.el8.x86_64 SMP mod_unload modversions 
sig_id:         PKCS#7
signer:         Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel signing key
sig_key:        77:A4:0E:A4:5E:89:11:3E:DC:EE:6E:4B:55:AA:F2:1A:6C:4A:91:21
sig_hashalgo:   sha256
signature:      25:AD:03:5D:FD:85:A6:3D:E4:8F:3F:70:52:0F:97:20:C9:6A:C3:32:
  F9:15:C3:AE:E6:03:FB:7B:04:3E:0E:B3:50:0C:49:1A:D1:31:96:C3:
  6D:02:C4:32:C1:2A:D4:28:41:5B:CD:D9:C1:B2:D0:68:9C:24:D4:0E:
  EA:B6:8C:41:4A:76:49:64:02:D8:6E:9A:3F:92:91:C6:DF:3C:14:88:
  05:BE:62:CE:E9:19:F0:84:28:19:38:3A:D4:F8:28:C2:51:0F:46:6D:
  7A:9D:D5:8B:D5:A2:3C:93:08:4E:37:39:EA:98:7D:DE:15:9A:A3:54:
  D3:25:42:28:EF:72:A9:74:BA:8E:0B:3D:E3:84:38:BA:4D:4B:43:F2:
  DD:8D:BC:FF:6B:C0:41:31:8B:2B:88:C4:77:1E:8E:A0:4D:40:23:6E:
  BF:00:E1:2A:E2:04:49:F9:7F:8E:6C:1C:92:3D:68:D2:38:26:7B:75:
  2C:E5:56:73:A8:6A:7D:2E:15:06:34:87:2B:8F:6B:36:BC:08:48:9E:
  55:9E:D7:16:F7:5A:94:7F:BA:06:F8:85:3F:D1:91:7A:CB:33:E8:73:
  A9:2E:C8:B9:1F:F9:10:BB:D1:9A:FF:9B:CA:38:26:C2:A4:02:06:07:
  35:20:91:75:FA:D7:8A:AA:A7:44:76:97:2D:A5:73:6C:1E:F5:D6:BD:
  26:03:48:CA:96:34:48:5A:34:A0:7C:F1:C1:A8:73:D3:89:2B:EC:F3:
  73:9B:FC:A1:C3:32:84:1A:05:2B:D2:6B:E4:3C:AD:FE:22:AC:20:D7:
  2F:5B:38:52:B9:F8:EB:93:FE:95:2B:A5:E2:CB:A3:24:C1:4E:29:EE:
  6F:DD:49:45:31:DF:21:9B:09:D4:10:06:0D:AA:99:38:78:2E:72:3C:
  8D:F0:80:C8:A8:B7:E1:72:11:E1:08:0A:A4:20:0F:D2:98:4A:32:30:
  2C:7D:14:68:F6:A8:21:3F:DD:B5:42:A3:35:7A:BC:7A:52:2B:0E:CC:
  92:23:4D:7E
parm:           numdummies:Number of dummy pseudo devices (int)
[root@demo devops]#

code with ❤️ in GitHub

Recap

Now you know how to Load and Unload Kernel Modules in Linux with Ansible. Subscribe to the YouTube channel, Medium, and Website, X (formerly Twitter) to not miss the next episode of the Ansible Pilot.

Academy

Learn the Ansible automation technology with some real-life examples in my

My book Ansible By Examples: 200+ Automation Examples For Linux and Windows System Administrator and DevOps

BUY the Complete PDF BOOK to easily Copy and Paste the 250+ Ansible code

Want to keep this project going? Please donate

Access the Complete Video Course and Learn Quick Ansible by 200+ Practical Lessons
Follow me

Subscribe not to miss any new releases