USB/IP Project aims to develop a general USB device sharing system over IP network. To share USB devices between computers with their full functionality, USB/IP encapsulates "USB I/O messages" into IP packets and transmits them between computers. Download the latest code.

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The USB/IP Project aims to develop a general USB device sharing system over IP network. To share USB devices between computers with their full functionality, USB/IP encapsulates "USB I/O messages" into IP packets and transmits them between computers. Original USB device drivers and applications can be also used for remote USB devices without any modification of them. A computer can use remote USB devices as if they were directly attached; for example, we can ...

USB storage devices: fdisk, mkfs, mount/umount, file operations, play a DVD movie and record a DVD-R media.
USB keyboards and USB mice: use with linux console and X Window System.
USB webcams and USB speakers: view webcam, capture image data and play some music.
USB printers, USB scanners, USB serial converters and USB Ethernet interfaces: ok, use fine.

It is currently implemented as Linux device drivers and available under the open source license GPL. Its I/O performance is enough practical in local area network for all types of devices, including isochronous devices, without any modification of Linux-original USB device drivers.

Documentation

Overview

In a client host, the VHCI (Virtual Host Controller Interface) driver is implemented as a USB host controller driver. The VHCI driver emulates a real USB host controller interface for virtual attachment/detachment, enumeration and initialization of remote USB devices. It encapsulates USB request blocks and then transmits USB/IP packets to remote server hosts. In a server host, the Stub driver is implemented as a USB per-device driver. The Stub driver decapsulates USB/IP packets into USB requests and then submit them to real USB devices.

USB/IP Design Overview

The project Wiki is here. See also source code and below papers.

USB/IP - a Peripheral Bus Extension for Device Sharing over IP Network. Takahiro Hirofuchi, Eiji Kawai, Kazutoshi Fujikawa, and Hideki Sunahara. In the Proceedings of the FREENIX Track: USENIX Annual Technical Conference, pp. 47-60, April 2005. (Awarded FREENIX Track Best Paper!)
USB/IP: A Transparent Device Sharing Technology over IP Network. Takahiro Hirofuchi, Eiji Kawai, Kazutoshi Fujikawa, and Hideki Sunahara. IPSJ Transactions on Advanced Computing Systems, Vol. 46, No. SIG11(ACS11), pp. 349-361, August 2005. (Also appeared in IPSJ Digital Courier.)

Install

You need to compile both kernel modules and utility programs. See READMEs in tarball.

Usage

See READMEs in tarball.

src/README

TODO & Future Plan

Read Todo list in the project Wiki.

FAQ

Read FAQ in the project Wiki.

"client" and "server" are confusing...
A server host has physical USB devices which are exported to a client host. In the server host, load usbip_common_mod.ko and vhci-hcd.ko, and then use usbipd. The client host imports a USB device virtually; the client host may not have a real USB device. In the client host, load usbip_common_mod.ko and usbip.ko, and then use usbip.
USB/IP is stable ?
It basically works for most USB devices under LAN (Gb Ethernet is better). It has minimum features (e.g., attach/detach) and your contribution is welcome.
Do you have a plan to develop the MS Windows client of USB/IP ?
Some people are trying to develop it. But, the Host Controller API of MS Windows is not well-documented. This issue was discussed in the project forum in sourceforge.net.
Does your USB/IP implementation have compatibility with other similar products?
No, currently.