Re: Loadable kernel modules not unloadable

["hillbilly" <bennitech@bluep.com.au>]

Well, must modify that last claim that the modprobe.conf idea worked.
It did but the very presence of the /etc/modprobe.conf/local file (even
if empty) caused some other drivers to fail to load properly (or at
all, maybe).  I discovered this when trying to access the floppy and
the system informed me that /dev/fd0 did not exist.  After various
attempts at changes related to all those /etc/mod[something] files or
directories and some man-paging, the solution was actually to place the
'local' file previously mentioned (and as described by Marc) in the
/etc/modprobe.d/ directory.  This then functions correctly in
preventing unwanted modules from loading and allowing all the rest to
work OK.
It could be that in kernel 2.6 (which is what I am using) the changes
since 2.4 with regards to the way modules are loaded has altered the
effect of the presence of /etc/modprobe.conf/.  Alternatively (or maybe
even - in addition),  the modprobe.conf method required all (or at
least some) of the modules that are to be dynamically loaded to be
present in order for them to load as it seems to take precedence over
and make ineffective the other module loading related files.
Problem now solved so thanks all the same.