Hmmm ...
Don't think so.

I distinctly remember doing update-initramfs -u as root after using jed to write the .conf file to /etc/modprobe.d/.
When I saw it had not stuck, I decided to go for the /etc/rc.local solution.

Maybe it was the -k all part?

And for me too ... =-)

Had to find man update-initramfs.orig.initramfs-tools as man update-initramfs for some reason brings up Live-Tools (8) - Live Systems Project.

Indeed ...
But then I have to remember that I once actually wrote the file. 8-D !!!

Yes, it's a habit I have kept from my old MS days.

Weary after so many W95/98/2000/XP reinstalls, I decided to keep a log in which I would write each thing I did.

I'd start with the plain out of the box install and make an image, then install the basic stuff I needed/wanted and made another image and so on.
Each successive image had a log of what was done using the previous one.

Thanks a lot for your input.

Best,

A.

In any case, the following steps worked fine for me:

# echo blacklist psmouse >> /etc/modprobe.d/psmouse-blacklist.conf
# update-initramfs -u -k all
# reboot

(See man update-initramfs for details about that command)

Note, I know it's a good/better habit to also add a comment into the black listing file, to remind yourself about when/what/why you made that system correction, for the (possible) future day when you pull your hair about not getting psmouse loaded. I'm a bit lazy that way, and leave this as a reader's exercise.

I understand that the psmouse module is built into the kernel and as such cannot be blacklisted.

Short of a custom kernel without that module, is there any way to keep it from loading at boot?

The only way I've found is to script /sbin/rmmod psmouse in etc/rc.local, but what that is doing is unloading it after I log in.

I'm asking in case there another way to do it, like remming the lp, ppdev and parport_pc entries in /etc/modules-load.d/cups-filters.conf.

Thanks in advance.

A.