hi all, I have a card which modprobes, despite a PCI-ID mismatch (though its a near match) root@voyage:~# lsmod | grep mwl8k mwl8k 30986 0 mac80211 261375 2 mwl8k,rtl8180 root@voyage:~# lsmod | grep mwl8k mwl8k 30986 0 mac80211 261375 2 mwl8k,rtl8180 cfg80211 123158 3 mwl8k,rtl8180,mac80211 root@voyage:~# modinfo mwl8k filename: /lib/modules/3.3.0-next-20120328-ske+/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/mwl8k.ko license: GPL author: Lennert Buytenhek <buytenh@marvell.com> version: 0.13 description: Marvell TOPDOG(R) 802.11 Wireless Network Driver ... firmware: mwl8k/helper_8363.fw srcversion: 7DE0D6B47B634A3BAF6D101 alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A43sv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A40sv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A30sv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A2Bsv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A24sv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A0Csv*sd*bc*sc*i* alias: pci:v000011ABd00002A0Asv*sd*bc*sc*i* that last alias is the closest to the cards ID, but this isnt horseshoes. Or is it ? root@voyage:~# lspci -vvnnk -s 00:e 00:0e.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88W8361 [TopDog] 802.11n Wireless [11ab:2a02] (rev 03) Subsystem: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88W8361 [TopDog] 802.11n Wireless [11ab:2a02] Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx- Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx- Latency: 63, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 5 Region 0: Memory at a0010000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K] Region 1: Memory at a0020000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K] Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-) Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- I note that the -k option doesnt show a kernel driver bound to it, unlike others: 00:13.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Compaq Computer Corporation ZFMicro Chipset USB [0e11:a0f8] (rev 08) Kernel driver in use: ohci_hcd Kernel modules: ohci-hcd Given the pci-id mismatch shouldnt this just fail to modprobe ? is it a bug ? if not, why not - what reasons could justify a zombie (useless, taking up space) module ? the relevant code is: (I see nothing surprising) static DEFINE_PCI_DEVICE_TABLE(mwl8k_pci_id_table) = { { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a0a), .driver_data = MWL8363, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a0c), .driver_data = MWL8363, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a24), .driver_data = MWL8363, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a2b), .driver_data = MWL8687, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a30), .driver_data = MWL8687, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a40), .driver_data = MWL8366, }, { PCI_VDEVICE(MARVELL, 0x2a43), .driver_data = MWL8366, }, { }, }; MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(pci, mwl8k_pci_id_table); ... static struct pci_driver mwl8k_driver = { .name = MWL8K_NAME, .id_table = mwl8k_pci_id_table, .probe = mwl8k_probe, .remove = __devexit_p(mwl8k_remove), .shutdown = __devexit_p(mwl8k_shutdown), }; static int __init mwl8k_init(void) { return pci_register_driver(&mwl8k_driver); } Given that the "impossible" is happening, I guess Id blame mwl8k_probe, but doesnt/shouldnt pci_register_driver insist that the .id_table has a match ?? thanks Jim