I am running RHEL AS3 with Kernel version 2.4.21-4.ELsmp

I am having a problem with a server that is loading the module autofs, but I need it to load autofs4 instead. I am not sure of how I go about doing this.

An "rpm -qa | grep autofs" shows that I have the following: autofs-4.1.3-154

If I type "modinfo autofs4" I get a message back saying that there is no module by that name.

I have downloaded the latest source rpm autofs-4.1.3-168.src.rpm and I am not sure what I need to do next.

I am pretty sure that I need to end up with a file autofs4.o in the directory /lib/modules/2.4.21-4.ELsmp/kernel/fs/autofs4 and that once it is there if it still loads autofs I need to put "alias autofs autofs4" in the /etc/modules.conf file.

Do I need to rebuild the kernel? I would prefer to avoid doing this if possible.

Can someone please help me with this ?

Many thanks in advance,


Paul.

Autofs is not a module it is a service so the modinfo command is usless, sorry. To check try something like;

chkconfig --list autofs
service autofs status

Try building the binary (to install) from the source package;

rpmbuild --rebuild --recompile autofs-4.1.3-168.src.rpm

Then from the built binary package location install it;

cd /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/`uname -i`
rpm -Uvh autofs-4.1.3-168.<arch>.rpm

Notes: <arch> == uname -i, uname -i shows the hardware platform of the system
Notice: that is the backtick (by the 'Esc' key and not the single quotemark)

Then restart the service if needed; service autofs restart

Hi Lenard,

Thanks for the reply.

I have compiled and installed the latest RPM, but I am still having the same issue, even after rebooting the server. If I do the command rpm -qa | grep autofs I get the following:

autofs-4.1.3-168

So it is showing as autofs4 being installed.

I know I can access the autofs by using the service command, but I thought it was a module because if I do the command lsmod | grep autofs I get the following:

autofs 13780 0 (autoclean) (unused)

On another box that is pretty much the same, that the autofs is working on, if I do the lsmod | grep autofs command I get the following:

autofs4 16152 1 (autoclean)

On that same machine that it works on, if I do the command modinfo autofs4 I get the following:

filename: /lib/modules/2.4.21-40.EL/kernel/fs/autofs4/autofs4.o
description: <none>
author: <none>
license: "GPL"

This is what was pointing me to the idea of compiling the module for autofs4, and then putting the following alias in the /etc/modules.info file:

alias autofs autofs4

I am very new to modules, so not really sure about the above.

If it is a module. can I copy it from one of the machines that has autofs4 working fine, and do a rmmod autofs and then insmod autofs4 !?

I would copy the file from the working machine in: /lib/modules/2.4.21-40.EL/kernel/fs/autofs4/autofs4.o

into lib/modules/2.4.21-4.ELsmp/kernel/fs/autofs4/autofs4.o

Any more pointers would be really appreciated.

Thanks,


Paul.

Far better to recompile the kernel, this time adding the support module for autofs4.o