SHOREWALL-MODULES(5)

💖 SHOREWALL-MODULES 💖

okay bestie so this is the shorewall-modules page from the Configuration Files section of the manual — it's the one about the modules and helpers files, and honestly it's short but it's lowkey important so let's go 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

modules — Shorewall file, that's it, that's the name, she's simple and she knows it 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

/usr/share/shorewall[6]/modules

/usr/share/shorewall[6]/helpers

like yes, those are the paths, and the [6] is doing its little "maybe there's a 6 here, maybe there isn't" thing, iykyk 👑

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so these files are the ones that tell Shorewall which kernel modules to load before it goes and tries to figure out what your iptables/kernel can actually do. vibe check first, capabilities second, periodt ✨

here's the tea on which file gets used:

• the modules file is used when LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=No in shorewall.conf(8)
• the helpers file is used when LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes

Important 🚨 — beginning with Shorewall 5.2.3, the LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY option has been removed, and the behavior is the same as if LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes was specified. so yeah, that option is giving ghost of christmas past 💀

every record in these files has this format:

loadmodule modulename [moduleoption...]

the modulename names a kernel module (no suffix, bestie, leave the suffix at home). Shorewall will search for modules based on your MODULESDIR setting in shorewall.conf(8). the moduleoptions get passed to modprobe (if it's installed) or to insmod. no cap 💯

the /usr/share/shorewall/modules file contains a large number of modules. and the manpage says users are encouraged to copy that file over to /etc/shorewall/modules and modify the copy so you only load the modules you actually need — or alternatively just use LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes. not me being told to declutter my module list 🧹✨

Note 📌 — if you build monolithic kernels and you have not installed module-init-tools, then create an empty /etc/shorewall/modules file; that will prevent Shorewall from trying to load modules at all. empty file = no modules attempted, iconic minimalism 🎀

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🍓 EXAMPLE 🍓

loadmodule ip_conntrack_ftp ports=21,221

look at her, loading ip_conntrack_ftp with ports=21,221, she's thriving 🌈

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💜 FILES 💜

• /usr/share/shorewall/modules
• /usr/share/shorewall/helpers
• /etc/shorewall/modules
• /etc/shorewall/helpers
• /usr/share/shorewall6/modules
• /usr/share/shorewall6/helpers
• /etc/shorewall6/modules
• /etc/shorewall6/helpers

eight files, all accounted for, no skips, we don't do that here 💅

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🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

• shorewall(8)

go read her next, she's the main character 🫶

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🎀 NOTES 🎀

1. shorewall.conf https://shorewall.org/manpages/shorewall.conf.html

like the link, go click it, it's right there ⭐

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and that's the whole page bestie!! mwah 💖 this was served up by the Configuration Files crew, version 09/24/2020, under the name SHOREWALL-MODULES(5) — so when you cite her, cite her full government name 😤👑 stay slaying, drink water, and don't forget to modprobe responsibly 💅✨🌸