Question about HPE Intel ixgbe Drivers for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

[SamirO]

Hello :)

I just installed Linux Centos 7.4 on ProLiant DL380 Gen9 with two HPE Ethernet 10Gb 2-port 561FLR-T Adapter

I install HP driver form RHEL 7.4 :

# rpm -ivh firmware-nic-intel-1.13.12-1.1.x86_64.rpm
# rpm -ivh kmod-hp-ixgbe-5.2.1-4.rhel7u4.x86_64.rpm

# find /lib/modules -name ixgbe*
/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/weak-updates/hp-ixgbe/ixgbe.ko <<<add
/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe
/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.ko.xz

/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64/extra/hp-ixgbe/ixgbe.ko <<<add
/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe
/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.ko.xz

# cat /etc/depmod.d/hp-ixgbe.conf
override ixgbe * weak-updates/hp-ixgbe

After a reboot of the server the module loaded is always the native intel kernel module version 4.4.0-k-rh7.4 ...

# modinfo ixgbe
filename:       /lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.ko.xz
version:        4.4.0-k-rh7.4
license:        GPL
description:    Intel(R) 10 Gigabit PCI Express Network Driver
author:         Intel Corporation, <linux.nics@intel.com>
rhelversion:    7.4

Why the HP module v5.2.1 is not the default module ?

[root@l203phm206 ~]# modinfo /lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/weak-updates/hp-ixgbe/ixgbe.ko
filename:       /lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/weak-updates/hp-ixgbe/ixgbe.ko
version:        5.2.1
license:        GPL
description:    Intel(R) 10GbE PCI Express Linux Network Driver
author:         Intel Corporation, <linux.nics@intel.com>
rhelversion:    7.4

Best regards,

SamirO

[Jimmy Vance]

The older driver is in the initrd image, you need to create a new initrd image which will then include the newer driver

[SamirO]

Thank you for reply.

The rpm installation package run dracut, I re-create new one but driver is always native kernel intel module...

# cp /boot/initramfs-$(uname -r).img /boot/initramfs-$(uname -r).img.bak
# dracut -f

# cp /boot/initramfs-3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64.img /tmp

# cd /tmp

# /usr/lib/dracut/skipcpio initramfs-3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64.img | zcat | cpio -ivd

# find . -print | grep  ixgbe
./usr/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe
./usr/lib/modules/3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe.ko.xz

[Jimmy Vance]

If you rmmod the driver, then modprobe the driver module what version shows running?

[SamirO]

You're right, its initramfs.

The initramfs-3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64.img contains extra module HP.

# /usr/lib/dracut/skipcpio initramfs-3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64.img | zcat | cpio -ivd
# find lib/modules -print | grep ixgbe
lib/modules/3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64/extra/hp-ixgbe
lib/modules/3.10.0-693.el7.x86_64/extra/hp-ixgbe/ixgbe.ko

if I update system, kernel was updated to 3.10.0-693.11.6.el7.x86_64 and HP module passed to weak-updates. compatible kernel modules for this kernel, but were actually compiled against another similar kernel in the family

normally /etc/depmod.d/hp-ixgbe.conf override ixgbe module from all kernel * with  weak-updates/hp-ixgbe ...

I found a very interesting wiki for weak updates, I need some time to understand well :)

https://trapsink.com/wiki/Kernel_Module_Weak_Updates  (big up to the writer)

Thank you Jimmy for all reply.

SamirO