Which utility is used to remove a module from the kernel but retain its dependencies?

The utility used to remove a module from the Linux kernel while retaining its dependencies is rmmod. This command is designed to unload a module from the kernel space. It can be used to remove a module that is not currently in use by the kernel, meaning that it can effectively free up memory and resources. However, it's important to note that rmmod does not handle any dependencies for the module being removed, which means it might fail if there are other modules depending on it.

On the other hand, modprobe is a more sophisticated tool that can manage module dependencies effectively. It automatically loads and unloads modules, handling dependencies as needed. When a module with dependencies is removed using modprobe, it ensures that any other modules that are dependent on it are also removed if they are no longer required. This makes modprobe the preferred choice for managing modules when dependencies are a concern.

Insmod is used specifically to insert a module into the kernel rather than remove it. Depmod is a utility that generates modules.dep and mkdep files which describe the dependencies of modules, but it does not directly deal with loading or unloading modules.

Thus, for simply removing a module, rmmod is the right command to use, but understanding the role of