[kmod-ipt-*] only relevant for iptables funcationality?

Installing and Using OpenWrt Network and Wireless Configuration
1

Are those kernel modules only relevant for iptables (functionality), least the ipt naming portion would imply so?

2

Yes.
You can check yourself with opkg info packagename

3

That is why asked here because opkg info prints only that that those modules are related to nf but nothing at all to ipt, and there is a difference between nf and ipt, e.g. opkg info kmod-ipt-core prints:

Netfilter core kernel modules

Which would be incorrect if nf still functions without that module but ipt not.

Another example opkg info kmod-ipt-nat printing

Netfilter (IPv4) kernel modules for basic NAT targets

I am trying to uninstall

  • firewall
  • kmod-ipt-core
  • kmod-nf-ipt

but that seems nigh impossible.

4

Netfilter is the kernel module, iptables is the userspace program.
How are you trying to uninstall these packets?

5

That I am aware - but the question is about kmod-ipt-* (not the userland packages iptables | ip6tables) which are necessary for ipt functionality but not nf functionality?

opkg remove firewall

prints 
No packages removed.
Collected errors:
 * print_dependents_warning: Package firewall is depended upon by packages:
 * print_dependents_warning:    luci-app-firewall
 * print_dependents_warning: These might cease to work if package firewall is removed.

 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package with --force-depends.
 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package and its dependents
 * print_dependents_warning: with --force-removal-of-dependent-packages.

opkg remove kmod-nf-ipt

prints 
No packages removed.
Collected errors:
 * print_dependents_warning: Package kmod-nf-ipt is depended upon by packages:
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-ipt-core
 * print_dependents_warning: These might cease to work if package kmod-nf-ipt is removed.

 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package with --force-depends.
 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package and its dependents
 * print_dependents_warning: with --force-removal-of-dependent-packages.

opkg remove kmod-ipt-core

prints 
No packages removed.
Collected errors:
 * print_dependents_warning: Package kmod-ipt-core is depended upon by packages:
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-ipt-nat
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-br-netfilter
 * print_dependents_warning:    firewall
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-ipt-offload
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-ipt-raw
 * print_dependents_warning:    kmod-ipt-conntrack
 * print_dependents_warning: These might cease to work if package kmod-ipt-core is removed.

 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package with --force-depends.
 * print_dependents_warning: Force removal of this package and its dependents
 * print_dependents_warning: with --force-removal-of-dependent-packages.
6

If you are trying this on a squash/jffs2 it won't save you space, on the contrary it will occupy more.
If you want to save space, build an image with the packages you need.

7

Certainly one way to go about it. It should be possible to remove those unused modules and the firewall app from an existing instance, notwithstanding the description of kmod-ipt-* being incorrect.

8

If you don't want to build your own image without these, the other option is to disable firewall and not load the modules during boot.
Whether the description is correct or incorrect I'll leave it to someone more expert in kernel modules to comment.

9

That is done already - which I meant by unused - and thus should be removable.

10

If you are using ext4 go ahead and remove them then.
If you are using squash/jffs2 it will occupy more space.

11

well, removal with opkg remove does not work, as mentioned some posts previously.