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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 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, work 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 - 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.)

FAQ

• "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.

Screenshots

usbview

A remote USB webcam with an ov511 chip is virtually attached to a computer. We can see ov511 under USB VHCI Root Hub.

Desktop

xawtv is working for a remote USB webcam. A remote USB-HDD is also attached to the computer.

Download

Linux

For Linux, the source code of usbip was merged into the staging tree, and finally has been moved to the mainline since Linux-3.17. Development is ongoing in the kernel community, not here. Linux distributions will provide binary packages of usbip. Just for historical records, the project page keeps old download files of the Linux version. Do not use them.

Windows

For Windows, the precompiled client-side program is available from the project page. You need a Linux machine for the server side.

• File Releases and its RSS

See the git repository for the latest source code. Although, development has not been active lately. Feel free to fork the project.

Install and Usage

See README (possibly included in your binary package).

• README for Linux
• README for Windows

Community

Mailing List

• usbip-devel (the character) lists.sourceforge.net
• Subscribe/Unsubscribe & Archives

Public Forum

• Open Discussion

Links

• Project Summary in sourceforge.net
  • RSS feeds | Public Forum | Mailing List
• Old project home page mirrored from http://usbip.naist.jp/

Contact

Normally, please use the mailing list and forum (Recommended).

• Takahiro Hirofuchi < hirofuchi (the character) users.sourceforge.net >