---
tag: ["rancheros", "os"]
category: "os"
layout: list-docs
title: Loading Extra Kernel Modules
weight: 134
---

Since RancherOS v0.8, we build our own kernels using an unmodified kernel.org LTS kernel.
We also build almost all optional extras as modules - so most in-tree modules are available
in the `kernel-extras` service.


If you do need to build kernel modules for RancherOS, there are 3 options:

0 Try the `kernel-extras` service
1 Ask us to add it into the next release
2 If its out of tree, copy the methods used for the zfs and open-iscsi services
3 Build it yourself.

## Try the kernel-extras service

We build the RancherOS kernel with most of the optional drivers as kernel modules, packaged
into an optional RancherOS service.

To install these, run:

```
sudo ros service enable kernel-extras
sudo ros service up kernel-extras
```

The modules should now be available for you to `modprobe`

## Ask us to do it

Open a GitHub issue in the https://github.com/rancher/os repository - we'll probably add
it to the kernel-extras next time we build a kernel. Tell us if you need the module at initial
configuration or boot, and we can add it to the default kernel modules.

## Copy the out of tree build method

See https://github.com/rancher/os-services/blob/master/z/zfs.yml and
https://github.com/rancher/os-services/tree/master/images/20-zfs

The build container and build.sh script build the source, and then create a tools image, which is used to
"wonka.sh" import those tools into the console container using `docker run`


## Build your own.

As an example I'm going build the `intel-ishtp` hid driver using the `rancher/os-zfs:<version>` images to build in, as they should contain the right tools versions for that kernel.


```
sudo docker run --rm -it --privileged -v $(pwd):/data -w /data rancher/os-zfs:$(ros -v | cut -d ' ' -f 3) bash

apt-get update
apt-get install -qy libncurses5-dev bc libssh-dev
curl -SsL -o src.tgz https://github.com/rancher/os-kernel/releases/download/v$(uname -r)/linux-$(uname -r)-src.tgz
tar zxvf src/tgz
zcat /proc/config.gz >.config
# Yes, ignore the name of the directory :/
cd v*
# enable whatever modules you want to add.
make menuconfig
# I finally found an Intel sound hub that wasn't enabled yet
# CONFIG_INTEL_ISH_HID=m
make modules SUBDIRS=drivers/hid/intel-ish-hid

# test it
insmod drivers/hid/intel-ish-hid/intel-ishtp.ko
rmmod intel-ishtp

# install it
cp drivers/hid/intel-ish-hid/*.ko /lib/modules/4.9.45-rancher/kernel/drivers/hid/
depmod

# done
exit
```

Then in your console, you should be able to run

```
modprobe intel-ishtp
```