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 TCP/IP payloads and transmits them between computers. Download the latest version, or check it out by Subversion.

Feb 21, 2011: Updated windows client driver to allow x64 operation. We have received signed versions from the ReactOS project. (This is needed to allow installation without workarounds on Win7/Vista x64.) ReactOS has the proper code signing certificate and offer its use to other open source projects React OS Driver Signing. Great initiative!

Updated at Jul 10, 2009: The preview release of usbip windows client is now available. See screenshots and try it!

Updated at Jan 13, 2009: A couple of months ago, the latest drivers were included in the linux-staging tree. See discussions in linux-kernel ML, and in linux-usb ML. The project is extremely eager for developers who improve the drivers and userland tools.

about

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 TCP/IP payloads 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 requests 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 requests into USB requests and then submit them to real USB devices.

USB/IP Design Overview

The project Wiki is here (depreciated soon by sourceforge update). 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.
Is there a MS Windows client of USB/IP ?
There is one now, it is in the early stage of development, you can try it. If it can't work for your USB devices, please report bug to us.
Does your USB/IP implementation have compatibility with other similar products?
No, currently.