\fBovs\-ctl version
.br
\fBovs\-ctl
+[\fIoptions\fR]
+\fBload\-kmod\fR
+.br
+\fBovs\-ctl
\fB\-\-system\-id=random\fR|\fIuuid\fR
[\fIoptions\fR]
\fBforce\-reload\-kmod\fR
another string is specified \fBovs\-ctl\fR uses it literally.
.
.PP
-On systems that have the \fBlsb_release\fR program, \fBovs\-ctl\fR
-chooses reasonable defaults for the following options. Other systems
-should specify values:
+The following options should be specified if the defaults are not
+suitable:
.
.IP "\fB\-\-system\-type=\fItype\fR"
.IQ "\fB\-\-system\-version=\fIversion\fR"
\fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table. Remote managers may use these values to
determine the kind of system to which they are connected (primarily
for display to human administrators).
+.IP
+When not specified, \fBovs\-ctl\fR uses values from the optional
+\fBsystem\-type.conf\fR and \fBsystem\-version.conf\fR files(see section
+\fBFILES\fR) or it uses the \fBlsb_release\fR program, if present, to
+provide reasonable defaults.
.
.PP
The following options are also likely to be useful:
\fBforce\-kmod\-reload\fR internally stops and starts OVS, so it
accepts all of the options accepted by the \fBstart\fR command.
.
+.SH "The ``load\-kmod'' command"
+.
+.PP
+The \fBload\-kmod\fR command loads the openvswitch kernel modules if
+they are not already loaded. This operation also occurs as part of
+the \fBstart\fR command. The motivation for providing the \fBload\-kmod\fR
+command is to allow errors when loading modules to be handled separatetly
+from other errors that may occur when running the \fBstart\fR command.
+.
+.PP
+By default the \fBload\-kmod\fR command attempts to load the
+openvswitch_mod kernel module. If the \fB\-\-brcompat\fR option is
+specified then the brcompat_mod kernel module is also loaded.
+.
.SH "The ``enable\-protocol'' command"
.
.PP
The persistent system UUID created and read by
\fB\-\-system\-id=random\fR.
.
+.IP "\fIsysconfdir\fB/openvswitch/system\-type.conf\fR"
+.IQ "\fIsysconfdir\fB/openvswitch/system\-version.conf\fR"
+The \fBsystem\-type\fR and \fBsystem\-version\fR values stored in the database's
+\fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table when not specified as a command-line option.
+.
.SH "EXAMPLE"
.
.PP