As my info at left indicates, I'm running redhat 7.1, upgraded with the rawhide packages and kernel RPMs to kernel version 2.4.9.

After compiling the quickcam express driver I got from sourceforge, I have a mod_quickcam.o module to insmod into the kernel.

I can do this manually, and then view the quickcam video using xawtv. This is good.

But what I'd like to do is have the module install automatically.

I copied it into the /lib/modules/<kernel> folder, then ran depmod -a to tell the OS where the module was, and rebooted. Upon reboot, lsmod tells me the module is already in the kernel. I startx, and not only is xawtv unable to view the quickcam video at /dev/video1, my zapping tv viewer program looking to see video at my /dev/video0 tv tuner doesn't work either. It somehow blocks normal loading of the i2c, i2c-algo-bit, and bttv modules that the tv tuner needs by loading mod_quickcam.o at boot time.

If I remove the mod_quickcam module and manually install the i2c, i2c-algo-bit, and bttv modules, tv tuning works fine, and then I can install the mod_quickcam module and quickcam video flows out /dev/video1 again.

How do I get the mod_quickcam.o module into the a sort of list for the kernel to grab when it needs it instead of injecting itself in the kernel at boot time and making my tv tuner not work?

why is the module being inserted at boot time? just putting the module in the /modules directory and depmod-ing shouldn't make it load on boot.

That's my question.

I copy the mod_quickcam.o to /lib/modules/2.4.9-0.5, run depmod -a and then reboot.

An lsmod shows me these relevant lines:

mod_quickcam 32096 0
usbserial 18320 0 [pl2303]
videodev 5312 1 [mod_quickcam]
usb-uhci 21504 0 (unused)
usbcore 51744 1 [pl2303 mod_quickcam usbserial usb-uhci]
I need it to recognize the driver's presence in the system to load on demand along with the proper supporting modules, but not load it at boot time.

These modifications to the modules.conf file results in the system recognizing the driver at boot time.

keep
path=/usr/src/qce-ga-0.40b

You would change the path to where the mod_quickcam.o happens to be but that's where I put the driver. When I run depmod it does complain about other files in that directory not being owned by root, but changing the mod_quickcam.o file to be owned by root gives me what I want, a quickcam working at boot time.
It ends up placing the quickcam as /dev/video0. My other posts show I'm wrestling somewhat with a tv card as well.

FWIW the keep instructs the system to consider the following path commands in the file to be in addition to the current path, and not overwrite it.

Just thought you might want to know.