On Linux operating systems, the lsmod command lists the status of modules inserted in the kernel.

Description

Linux kernel modules, or LKMs, are system-level software used directly by operating system kernel. They can be inserted into the kernel and activated without the system needing to be rebooted.

  • Description
  • Syntax
  • Examples
  • Related commands
  • Linux commands help

lsmod has no options. It formats the file’s contents /proc/modules, which contains information about the status of all currently-loaded LKMs.

Syntax

lsmod

Examples

To list all active kernel modules, run lsmod at the command line:

This is essentially the same as running “cat /proc/modules”, but the information is formatted a little nicer. You see three columns of information:

  • Module: the name of the module. This is usually the name of the module file, minus the extension (.o or .ko), but it may have a custom name, which can be specified as an option when the module is inserted with the insmod command.
  • Size: the amount of memory used by the resident module, in bytes.
  • Used by: This column contains a number representing how many instances of the module are being used. If the number is zero, the module is not currently being used. Text after the number represents any available information about what uses the module: this is commonly a device name, a filesystem identifier, or the name of another module.

Output of lsmod resembles the following:

Module Size Used by fuse 52176 3 cryptd 14125 0 aes_i586 16647 2 aes_generic 32970 1 aes_i586 parport_pc 22036 0 ppdev 12651 0 lp 12797 0 parport 31254 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc bnep 17288 2 rfcomm 28626 0 bluetooth 103791 10 rfcomm,bnep cpufreq_conservative 12987 0 cpufreq_stats 12762 0 cpufreq_powersave 12422 0 cpufreq_userspace 12520 0 loop 17810 0 uvcvideo 56896 0 videodev 61658 1 uvcvideo media 13692 2 videodev,uvcvideo snd_hda_codec_realtek 142267 1 arc4 12418 2 joydev 17010 0 ath9k 58983 0 snd_hda_intel 21786 2 ath9k_common 12648 1 ath9k snd_hda_codec 63477 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_realtek ath9k_hw 311433 2 ath9k_common,ath9k i915 321557 3 drm_kms_helper 22738 1 i915 drm 146387 4 drm_kms_helper,i915 i2c_algo_bit 12713 1 i915 snd_hwdep 12943 1 snd_hda_codec snd_pcm 53461 2 snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel snd_page_alloc 12867 2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel ath 17114 3 ath9k_hw,ath9k_common,ath9k mac80211 171389 1 ath9k acer_wmi 21651 0 sparse_keymap 12680 1 acer_wmi iTCO_wdt 16945 0 acpi_cpufreq 12807 1 snd_seq 39512 0 snd_seq_device 13016 1 snd_seq snd_timer 22356 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm snd 42761 12 snd_timer,snd_seq_device,snd_seq,snd_pcm,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_realtek coretemp 12770 0 cfg80211 113445 3 mac80211,ath,ath9k rts_pstor 226667 0 rfkill 18516 5 cfg80211,acer_wmi,bluetooth iTCO_vendor_support 12632 1 iTCO_wdt i2c_i801 12670 0 psmouse 59609 0 i2c_core 19116 6 i2c_i801,i2c_algo_bit,drm,drm_kms_helper,i915,videodev pcspkr 12515 0 soundcore 12921 1 snd mperf 12421 1 acpi_cpufreq evdev 17225 10 serio_raw 12803 0 ac 12552 0 processor 27565 1 acpi_cpufreq video 17459 1 i915 battery 12986 0 power_supply 13283 2 battery,ac wmi 13051 1 acer_wmi button 12817 1 i915 ext4 306996 2 crc16 12327 2 ext4,bluetooth jbd2 56426 1 ext4 mbcache 12938 1 ext4 microcode 17558 0 hid_logitech_dj 13049 0 usbhid 31554 1 hid_logitech_dj hid 64284 2 usbhid,hid_logitech_dj sg 21476 0 sd_mod 35425 4 crc_t10dif 12332 1 sd_mod thermal 13103 0 thermal_sys 17752 3 thermal,video,processor uhci_hcd 22337 0 ahci 24917 3 libahci 18373 1 ahci libata 125014 2 libahci,ahci ehci_hcd 39631 0 usbcore 104555 5 ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd,usbhid,uvcvideo scsi_mod 135081 4 libata,sd_mod,sg,rts_pstor r8169 41830 0 mii 12595 1 r8169 usb_common 12338 1 usbcore

depmod — Generate a list of kernel module dependencies and associated map files.insmod — Insert a module into the Linux kernel.modinfo — Show information about a Linux kernel module.modprobe — Add and remove modules from the Linux kernel.rmmod — Remove a module from the Linux kernel.