Eu não uso o openSUSE pessoalmente, mas fiz uma pequena pesquisa no Google e encontrei esta ajuda:
This file is in a weird place. It's not under /etc/modules.conf; It's under /etc/sysconfig.
cd to /etc/sysconfig
open the 'kernel' file in an editor then add the required module to the MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT variable.
eg:
To start the module atl1 at boot time edit it this way:
MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT="atl1"