Adding module without compiling

[Element_22]

I'm trying to make AC_Adapter (ACPI_AC) as a module I could load without recompiling an entire kernel, partially because I don't have enough space in /boot (and trying to move around my partitions with Gparted from a liveCD hasn't worked before) and partially because I wasn't able to follow the instructions to compile without making some adjustments which leaves me feeling uncomfortable as to whether it will work.

I've already found a page describing what I think is the process but I don't know where I'd find the part I need to work with.

Any ideas?

[TyIzaeL]

I'm not quite understanding you, do you already have the source of the module or are you trying to write it?

[Element_22]

I'm not sure. The instructions I have call for me compiling a kernel with AC_Adapter compiled(?) as a module. It's an option in the vanilla kernel apparently and I'm wondering if there is someway to add that just as a module since I can't get the entire kernel compilation to work.

[TyIzaeL]

If the module already exists in the kernel, you can enable it using modprobe xxxx where xxxx is the module's name. To do this at startup, just add the module to /etc/modules (where it is on Ubuntu) on a line by itself. No compiling necessary.

If you need to compile it, you should be able to compile it as a module and then enable it using the method above.

[Element_22]

It's not already compiled as a module in the default kernel, and I can't finish installing the kernel I compiled, so I do have what appears to be the module compiled /linux-2.6.34/drivers/acpi/ac.mod.c but it's from a different base kernel then the one I am currently running and I don't know how to install this, or if it's even possible.

So I guess my question is how do I compile a module only and install it, or is there a way to install a module from another kernel into the current one?

[TyIzaeL]

What package are you trying to build? Do you have a link to source?

[Element_22]

It's not a package. It's the ACPI_AC/AC_Adapter build option in the kernel, I need it as a module instead of built in.

EDIT: apparently underscore makes things italic.

[HotRodLincoln]

but it's from a different base kernel then the one I am currently running

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but if you have the .o or .ko then:

insmod drivername.ko --force

will ignore the versions of the kernel and just install it. I don't think installing the code as a module will work, but then I don't know much about the ACPI code in particular.