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Develop device drivers that run in user space using DriverKit.

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Can't get USBSerialDriverKit driver loaded
I am writing a DriverKit driver for the first that uses the USBSerialDriverKit. The driver its purpose is to expose the device as serial interface (/dev/cu.tetra-pei0 or something like this). My problem: I don't see any logs from that driver in the console and I tried like 40 different approaches and checked everything. The last message I see is that the driver get successfully added to the system it is in the list of active and enabled system driver extensions but when I plug the device in none of my logs appear and it doesn't show up in ioreg. So without my driver the target device looks like this: +-o TETRA PEI interface@02120000 <class IOUSBHostDevice, id 0x10000297d, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (13 ms), retain 30> | { | "sessionID" = 268696051410 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "UsbLinkSpeed" = 480000000 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "iManufacturer" = 1 | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | "IOPowerManagement" = {"PowerOverrideOn"=Yes,"DevicePowerState"=2,"CurrentPowerState"=2,"CapabilityFlags"=32768,"MaxPowerState"=2,"DriverPowerState"=0} | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "bMaxPacketSize0" = 64 | "iProduct" = 2 | "iSerialNumber" = 0 | "bNumConfigurations" = 1 | "UsbDeviceSignature" = <ad0c16901624000000ff0000> | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "locationID" = 34734080 | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "bcdUSB" = 512 | "USB Address" = 6 | "kUSBCurrentConfiguration" = 1 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"9dc7b780-9ec0-11d4-a54f-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "UsbPowerSinkAllocation" = 500 | "bDeviceProtocol" = 0 | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "Device Speed" = 2 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "kUSBProductString" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "kUSBAddress" = 6 | "kUSBVendorString" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | } | +-o AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice <class AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice, id 0x100002982, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 5> | { | "IOProbeScore" = 50000 | "CFBundleIdentifier" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOProviderClass" = "IOUSBHostDevice" | "IOClass" = "AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOPersonalityPublisher" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "CFBundleIdentifierKernel" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOMatchedAtBoot" = Yes | "IOMatchCategory" = "IODefaultMatchCategory" | "IOPrimaryDriverTerminateOptions" = Yes | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostDeviceUserClient, id 0x100002983, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 7> | { | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@0 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002986, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | | { | | "USBPortType" = 0 | | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | | "USBSpeed" = 3 | | "idProduct" = 36886 | | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | | "locationID" = 34734080 | | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | | "iInterface" = 0 | | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | | "idVendor" = 3245 | | "bInterfaceNumber" = 0 | | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | | } | | | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x100002988, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> | { | "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@1 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002987, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | { | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | "locationID" = 34734080 | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | "iInterface" = 0 | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "bInterfaceNumber" = 1 | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x10000298a, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> { "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes } more details in my comment.
6
0
319
Mar ’26
Unable to submit a Capability Request
In the Developer portal, I'm attempting to add the "DriverKit UserClient Access" to an App ID that is assigned to a DEXT that we are developing. Once I have filled out the form and clicked "Submit" the screen goes bank and stays blank even after a long delay. The original Capability Request tab's entry for "DriverKit UserClient Access" never changes from "No Requests". I have tried this on two successive days, with the same result.
1
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109
Feb ’26
System Panic with IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController during Dispatch Queue Configuration
Hello everyone, We are in the process of migrating a high-performance storage KEXT to DriverKit. During our initial validation phase, we noticed a performance gap between the DEXT and the KEXT, which prompted us to try and optimize our I/O handling process. Background and Motivation: Our test hardware is a RAID 0 array of two HDDs. According to AJA System Test, our legacy KEXT achieves a write speed of about 645 MB/s on this hardware, whereas the new DEXT reaches about 565 MB/s. We suspect the primary reason for this performance gap might be that the DEXT, by default, uses a serial work-loop to submit I/O commands, which fails to fully leverage the parallelism of the hardware array. Therefore, to eliminate this bottleneck and improve performance, we configured a dedicated parallel dispatch queue (MyParallelIOQueue) for the UserProcessParallelTask method. However, during our implementation attempt, we encountered a critical issue that caused a system-wide crash. The Operation Causing the Panic: We configured MyParallelIOQueue using the following combination of methods: In the .iig file: We appended the QUEUENAME(MyParallelIOQueue) macro after the override keyword of the UserProcessParallelTask method declaration. In the .cpp file: We manually created a queue with the same name by calling the IODispatchQueue::Create() function within our UserInitializeController method. The Result: This results in a macOS kernel panic during the DEXT loading process, forcing the user to perform a hard reboot. After the reboot, checking with the systemextensionsctl list command reveals the DEXT's status as [activated waiting for user], which indicates that it encountered an unrecoverable, fatal error during its initialization. Key Code Snippets to Reproduce the Panic: In .iig file - this was our exact implementation: class DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME: public IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController { public: virtual kern_return_t UserProcessParallelTask(...) override QUEUENAME(MyParallelIOQueue); }; In .h file: struct DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME_IVars { // ... IODispatchQueue* MyParallelIOQueue; }; In UserInitializeController implementation: kern_return_t IMPL(DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME, UserInitializeController) { // ... // We also included code to manually create the queue. kern_return_t ret = IODispatchQueue::Create("MyParallelIOQueue", kIODispatchQueueReentrant, 0, &ivars->MyParallelIOQueue); if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) { // ... error handling ... } // ... return kIOReturnSuccess; } Our Question: What is the officially recommended and most stable method for configuring UserProcessParallelTask_Impl() to use a parallel I/O queue? Clarifying this is crucial for all developers pursuing high-performance storage solutions with DriverKit. Any explanation or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Best Regards, Charles
21
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943
Feb ’26
System Extension Termination Fails
My application installs a system extension. When I try to remove the app from the Applications folder (cmd + backspace) I get an error message: "The operation can’t be completed right now because another operation is in progress, such as moving or copying an item or emptying the Bin." According to systemextensionsctl the extension state is "terminating for uninstall but still running". I can see an error in the console logs: kernelmanagerd Failed to terminate dext com.my.driver-dk, error: Kernel request failed: (os/kern) invalid address (1) sysextd a category delegate declined to terminate extension with identifier: com.my.driver-dk sysextd failed to terminate extension with identifier: com.my.driver-dk: Optional(Error Domain=kernelmanagerd.KMError Code=38 "(null)") Issue occurs with macOS 13 - works fine with macOS 12 and macOS 11 What is the problem here? Have there been any changes in macOS in that regard?
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3.2k
Feb ’26
DriverKit - IOUSBHostDevice::SetProperties
I am trying to add a few properties to an IOUSBHostDevice but the SetProperties is returning kIOReturnUnsupported. The reason I am trying to modify the IOUSBHostDevice's properties is so we can support a MacBook Air SuperDrive when it is attached to our docking station devices. The MacBook Air SuperDrive needs a high powered port to run and this driver will help the OS realize that our dock can support it. I see that the documentation for SetProperties says: The default implementation of this method returns kIOReturnUnsupported. You can override this method and use it to modify the set of properties and values as needed. The changes you make apply only to the current service. Do I need to override IOUSBHostDevice? This is my current Start implementation (you can also see if in the Xcode project): kern_return_t IMPL(MyUserUSBHostDriver, Start) { kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; OSDictionary * prop = NULL; OSDictionary * mergeProperties = NULL; bool success = true; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&gt; %s", __FUNCTION__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = Start(provider, SUPERDISPATCH); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ivars-&gt;host = OSDynamicCast(IOUSBHostDevice, provider); __Require_Action(NULL != ivars-&gt;host, Exit, ret = kIOReturnNoDevice); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;Open(this, 0, 0); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); mergeProperties = OSDynamicCast(OSDictionary, prop-&gt;getObject("IOProviderMergeProperties")); mergeProperties-&gt;retain(); __Require_Action(NULL != mergeProperties, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Product Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Product Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Vendor Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Vendor Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); success = prop-&gt;merge(mergeProperties); __Require_Action(success, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;SetProperties(prop); // this is no working __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); Exit: OSSafeReleaseNULL(mergeProperties); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "err ref %d", kIOReturnUnsupported); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&lt; %s %d", __FUNCTION__, ret); return ret; }
2
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1.3k
Jan ’26
DriverKit Dext fails to load with "Exec format error" (POSIX 8) on macOS 26.2 (Apple Silicon) when SIP is enabled
1. 环境描述 (Environment) OS: macOS 26.2 Hardware: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) DriverKit SDK: DriverKit 19.0 / 20.0 Arch: Universal (x86_64, arm64, arm64e) SIP Status: Enabled (Works perfectly when Disabled) 2. 问题现象 (Problem Description) 在开启 SIP 的环境下,USB 驱动扩展(Dext)能安装,但插入设备时无法连接设备(驱动的Start方法未被调用)。 驱动状态: MacBook-Pro ~ % systemextensionsctl list 1 extension(s) --- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension (Go to 'System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Driver Extensions' to modify these system extension(s)) enabled active teamID bundleID (version) name [state] * * JK9U78YRLU com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver (1.3/4) com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver [activated enabled] 关键日志证据 (Key Logs) KernelManagerd: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=8 "Exec format error" Syspolicyd: failed to fetch ... /_CodeSignature/CodeRequirements-1 error=-10 AppleSystemPolicy: ASP: Security policy would not allow process DriverKit Kernel: DK: MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver user server timeout dext的 embedded.provisionprofile 已包含: com.apple.developer.driverkit com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb (idVendor: 11977)
2
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364
Jan ’26
Show / Hide HAL Virtual Audio Device Based on App State
I am developing a macOS virtual audio device using an Audio Server Plug-In (HAL). I want the virtual device to be visible to all applications only when my main app is running, and completely hidden from all apps when the app is closed. The goal is to dynamically control device visibility based on app state without reinstalling the driver.What is the recommended way for the app to notify the HAL plug-in about its running or closed state ? Any guidance on best-practice architecture for this scenario would be appreciated.
1
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249
Jan ’26
UserSendCDB fails due to permissions
I created a custom class that inherits from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 in the DriverKit SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit framework. When I attempted to send a vendor-specific command to a USB storage device using the UserSendCDB function of this class instance, the function returned the error: kIOReturnNotPrivileged (iokit_common_err(0x2c1)) // privilege violation However, when using UserSendCDB in the same way to issue standard SCSI commands such as INQUIRY or Test Unit Ready, no error occurred and the returned sense data was valid. Why is UserSendCDB able to send standard SCSI commands successfully, but vendor-specific commands return kIOReturnNotPrivileged? Is there any required entitlement, DriverKit capability, or implementation detail needed to allow vendor-specific CDBs? Below are the entitlements of my DriverKit extension: <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb</key> <array> <dict> <key>idVendor</key> <integer>[number of vendorid]</integer> </dict> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-third-party-userclients</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.communicates-with-drivers</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.family.scsicontroller</key> <true/> </dict> If there is any additional configuration or requirement to enable vendor-specific SCSI commands, I would appreciate your guidance. Environment: macOS15.6 M2 MacBook Pro
3
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389
Jan ’26
[DriverKit SCSI] SCSI probe stalls for Target ID > 0 with IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController
Hello everyone, We are migrating a KEXT storage driver to DriverKit. In our KEXT, we use a "one LUN = one Target" model and successfully create multiple targets in a loop during initialization. We are now trying to replicate this architecture in our DEXT. The issue is that only Target 0 is fully probed and mounted. For Target 1, the lifecycle silently stops after the first TEST UNIT READY command is successfully acknowledged. The macOS SCSI layer never sends any subsequent probe commands (like INQUIRY) to this target. The failure sequence for Target 1, observed from our logs (regardless of whether Target 0 is created), is as follows: AsyncCreateTargetForID(1) -> UserInitializeTargetForID(1) (Succeeds) UserProcessParallelTask(Target: 1, Opcode: TUR) (Succeeds) The DEXT correctly acknowledges the TUR command for Target 1 by returning kSCSITaskStatus_CHECK_CONDITION with UNIT ATTENTION in the Sense Data (Succeeds) <-- Breakpoint --> UserProcessParallelTask(Target: 1, Opcode: INQUIRY) (Never happens) Through log comparison, we have confirmed that the DEXT's response to the TUR command for Target 1 is identical to the successful KEXT's response. We have tried creating only Target 1 (skipping Target 0 entirely), but the behavior is exactly the same -> the probe still stalls after the TUR. We initially suspected a race condition caused by consecutive calls to AsyncCreateTargetForID(). We attempted several methods to ensure that targets are created sequentially, such as trying to build a "creation chain" using OSAction completion handlers. However, these attempts were unsuccessful due to various compilation errors and API misunderstandings. In any case, this "race condition" theory was ultimately disproven by our experiment where creating only Target 1 still resulted in failure. We would like to ask two questions: Is our inability to have a Target ID greater than 0 fully probed by macOS a bug in our own code, or could there be another reason we are unaware of? If we do indeed need a "one-after-another" creation mechanism for AsyncCreateTargetForID, what is the correct way to implement a "chained creation" using OSAction completion handlers in DriverKit? Thank you for any help or guidance. Best Regards, Charles
3
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359
Jan ’26
VM App - PCIDriverKit Entitlement for Thunderbolt
I want to help contribute a feature in a virtual-machine app in macOS that supports PCIe device passthrough over thunderbolt. I have a question about the entitlements. Since I do not represent the GPU vendors, would I be allowed to get a driver signed that matches GPU vendor IDs? Is there such a thing as wildcard entitlement for PCIDriverKit? I don't want end-users to have to disable SIP to be able to use this. Any suggestions/leads? Thank you.
1
0
643
Jan ’26
"Signing certificate" and post-installation assignment fail due to IOPCIPrimaryMatch
I'm having trouble configuring the "IOPCIPrimaryMatch" entitlement. I'm currently developing using "sign to run locally" and have been able to confirm the expected behavior. I was considering signing with "Developer ID Application" for future distribution to customers, but after finding the following forum, I'm now aiming to sign with "Apple Development." https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/743021 I'm currently having trouble with the IOPCIPrimaryMatch value. The "signing certificate" status in Xcode changes depending on the value, as follows: Successful if the value is as follows: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 An error occurs if the value is as follows: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 So I tried building and installing using "0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916", but this time the driver was not assigned to the PCI device. By the way, when I used "sign to run locally", both the installation and assignment were successful with the following: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 Could you please tell me the correct way to write this?
13
0
1.6k
Dec ’25
Neither macOS 14.7 "Standard" 'AppleUserHIDEventDriver' Matching Driver Nor Custom HIDDriverKit Driver 'IOUserHIDEventService::dispatchDigitizerTouchEvent' API Work for a HID-standard Digitizer Touch Pad Device
I have been working on a multi-platform multi-touch HID-standard digitizer clickpad device. The device uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as its connectivity transport and advertises HID over GATT. To date, I have the device working successfully on Windows 11 as a multi-touch, gesture-capable click pad with no custom driver or app on Windows. However, I have been having difficulty getting macOS to recognize and react to it as a HID-standard multi-touch click pad digitizer with either the standard Apple HID driver (AppleUserHIDEventDriver) or with a custom-coded driver extension (DEXT) modeled, based on the DTS stylus example and looking at the IOHIDFamily open source driver(s). The trackpad works with full-gesture support on Windows 11 and the descriptors seem to be compliant with the R23 Accessory Guidelines document, §15. With the standard, matching Apple AppleUserHIDEventDriver HID driver, when enumerating using stock-standard HID mouse descriptors, the device works fine on macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" as a relative pointer device with scroll wheel capability (two finger swipe generates a HID scroll report) and a single button. With the standard, matching Apple AppleUserHIDEventDriver HID driver, when enumerating using stock-standard HID digitizer click/touch pad descriptors (those same descriptors used successfully on Windows 11), the device does nothing. No button, no cursor, no gestures, nothing. Looking at ioreg -filtb, all of the key/value pairs for the driver match look correct. Because, even with the Apple open source IOHIDFamily drivers noted above, we could get little visibility into what might be going wrong, I wrote a custom DriverKit/HIDDriverKit driver extension (DEXT) (as noted above, based on the DTS HID stylus example and the open source IOHIDEventDriver. With that custom driver, I can get a single button click from the click pad to work by dispatching button events to dispatchRelativePointerEvent; however, when parsing, processing, and dispatching HID digitizer touch finger (that is, transducer) events via IOUserHIDEventService::dispatchDigitizerTouchEvent, nothing happens. If I log with: % sudo log stream --info --debug --predicate '(subsystem == "com.apple.iohid")' either using the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver driver or our custom driver, we can see that our input events are tickling the IOHIDNXEventTranslatorSessionFilter HID event filter, so we know HID events are getting from the device into the macOS HID stack. This was further confirmed with the DTS Bluetooth PacketLogger app. Based on these events flowing in and hitting IOHIDNXEventTranslatorSessionFilter, using the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver driver or our custom driver, clicks or click pad activity will either wake the display or system from sleep and activity will keep the display or system from going to sleep. In short, whether with the stock driver or our custom driver, HID input reports come in over Bluetooth and get processed successfully; however, nothing happens—no pointer movement or gesture recognition. STEPS TO REPRODUCE For the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver: Pair the device with macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" using the Bluetooth menu. Confirm that it is paired / bonded / connected in the Bluetooth menu. Attempt to click or move one or more fingers on the touchpad surface. Nothing happens. For the our custom driver: Pair the device with macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" using the Bluetooth menu. Confirm that it is paired / bonded / connected in the Bluetooth menu. Attempt to click or move one or more fingers on the touchpad surface. Clicks are correctly registered. With transducer movement, regardless of the number of fingers, nothing happens.
4
0
944
Dec ’25
DEXT (IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController): Direct I/O Succeeds, but Buffered I/O Fails with Data Corruption on Large File Copies
Hi all, We are migrating a SCSI HBA driver from KEXT to DriverKit (DEXT), with our DEXT inheriting from IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController. We've encountered a data corruption issue that is reliably reproducible under specific conditions and are hoping for some assistance from the community. Hardware and Driver Configuration: Controller: LSI 3108 DEXT Configuration: We are reporting our hardware limitations to the framework via the UserReportHBAConstraints function, with the following key settings: // UserReportHBAConstraints... addConstraint(kIOMaximumSegmentAddressableBitCountKey, 0x20); // 32-bit addConstraint(kIOMaximumSegmentCountWriteKey, 129); addConstraint(kIOMaximumByteCountWriteKey, 0x80000); // 512KB Observed Behavior: Direct I/O vs. Buffered I/O We've observed that the I/O behavior differs drastically depending on whether it goes through the system file cache: 1. Direct I/O (Bypassing System Cache) -> 100% Successful When we use fio with the direct=1 flag, our read/write and data verification tests pass perfectly for all file sizes, including 20GB+. 2. Buffered I/O (Using System Cache) -> 100% Failure at >128MB Whether we use the standard cp command or fio with the direct=1 option removed to simulate buffered I/O, we observe the exact same, clear failure threshold: Test Results: File sizes ≤ 128MB: Success. Data checksums match perfectly. File sizes ≥ 256MB: Failure. Checksums do not match, and the destination file is corrupted. Evidence of failure reproduced with fio (buffered_integrity_test.fio, with direct=1 removed): fio --size=128M buffered_integrity_test.fio -> Test Succeeded (err=0). fio --size=256M buffered_integrity_test.fio -> Test Failed (err=92), reporting the following error, which proves a data mismatch during the verification phase: verify: bad header ... at file ... offset 1048576, length 1048576 fio: ... error=Illegal byte sequence Our Analysis and Hypothesis The phenomenon of "Direct I/O succeeding while Buffered I/O fails" suggests the problem may be related to the cache synchronization mechanism at the end of the I/O process: Our UserProcessParallelTask_Impl function correctly handles READ and WRITE commands. When cp or fio (buffered) runs, the WRITE commands are successfully written to the LSI 3108 controller's onboard DRAM cache, and success is reported up the stack. At the end of the operation, to ensure data is flushed to disk, the macOS file system issues an fsync, which is ultimately translated into a SYNCHRONIZE CACHE SCSI command (Opcode 0x35 or 0x91) and sent to our UserProcessParallelTask_Impl. We hypothesize that our code may not be correctly identifying or handling this SYNCHRONIZE CACHE opcode. It might be reporting "success" up the stack without actually commanding the hardware to flush its cache to the physical disk. The OS receives this "success" status and assumes the operation is safely complete. In reality, however, the last batch of data remains only in the controller's volatile DRAM cache and is eventually lost. This results in an incomplete or incorrect file tail, and while the file size may be correct, the data checksum will inevitably fail. Summary Our DEXT driver performs correctly when handling Direct I/O but consistently fails with data corruption when handling Buffered I/O for files larger than 128MB. We can reliably reproduce this issue using fio with the direct=1 option removed. The root cause is very likely the improper handling of the SYNCHRONIZE CACHE command within our UserProcessParallelTask. P.S. This issue did not exist in the original KEXT version of the driver. We would appreciate any advice or guidance on this issue. Thank you.
13
0
620
Dec ’25
The total DMA size in DriverKit cannot exceed 2G?
We are developing a DriverKit driver on Apple M1. We use the following code to prepare DMA buffer: IODMACommandSpecification dmaSpecification; bzero(&dmaSpecification, sizeof(dmaSpecification)); dmaSpecification.options = kIODMACommandSpecificationNoOptions; dmaSpecification.maxAddressBits = p_dma_mgr->maxAddressBits; kret = IODMACommand::Create(p_dma_mgr->device, kIODMACommandCreateNoOptions, &dmaSpecification, &impl->dma_cmd ); if (kret != kIOReturnSuccess) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "Error: IODMACommand::Create failed! ret=0x%x\n", kret); impl->user_mem.reset(); IOFree(impl, sizeof(*impl)); return ret; } uint64_t flags = 0; uint32_t segmentsCount = 32; IOAddressSegment segments[32]; kret = impl->dma_cmd->PrepareForDMA(kIODMACommandPrepareForDMANoOptions, impl->user_mem.get(), 0, 0, // 0 for entire memory &flags, &segmentsCount, segments ); if (kret != kIOReturnSuccess) { OSSafeReleaseNULL(impl->dma_cmd); impl->user_mem.reset(); IOFree(impl, sizeof(*impl)); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "Error: PrepareForDMA failed! ret=0x%x\n", kret); return kret; } I allocated several 8K BGRA video frames, each with a size of 141557760 bytes, and prepared the DMA according to the method mentioned above. The process was successful when the number of frames was 15 or fewer. However, issues arose when allocating 16 frames: Error: PrepareForDMA failed! ret=0xe00002bd By calculating, I found that the total size of 16 video frames exceeds 2GB. Is there such a limitation in DriverKit that the total DMA size cannot exceed 2GB? Are there any methods that would allow me to bypass this restriction so I can use more video frame buffers?
1
0
163
Dec ’25
Archive Fails: Conflict with Existing KEXT Developer ID Certificate
Hi everyone, We're trying to prepare a DriverKit App for a client test, and we've run into an unavoidable signing conflict that seems to be caused by the Xcode Archive process itself. Background & Environment: Environment: macOS 15.6.1, Xcode 16.4 Our project consists of a main App Target and a DEXT Target. Both the Debug and Release configurations for both targets are set to Xcode's default: Automatically manage signing. Our developer account holds a valid, active Developer ID Application (With Kext) certificate, which we use for signing our legacy KEXT. The Action That Triggers Failure: From this clean state, we execute Product -> Archive. The Archive process fails during the signing validation phase and presents the following three errors, completely halting the process: There is a problem with the request entity - You already have a current Developer ID Application Managed (With Kext) certificate... No profiles for 'com.company.Acxxx.driver' were found... No profiles for 'com.company.Acxxx.app' were found... This error seems to indicate that the Xcode Archive process: Ignores the project's Release configuration (even the default 'Auto' setting). Attempts to automatically create a new, standard Developer ID certificate for us. This action conflicts with the existing (With Kext) certificate in our account, causing the entire Archive process to fail. The "Failed Experiment" to Resolve This: To work around this automation conflict, we tried the solution: configuring a fully manual signing process for the Release configuration to explicitly tell Xcode to use our existing KEXT certificate. Our Steps: We disabled automatic signing for both the App and DEXT targets for the Release configuration and manually assigned the Developer ID Provisioning Profiles created for our Developer ID (With Kext) certificate. The New Problem: After doing this, the Signing Certificate field for the DEXT Target's Signing & Capabilities interface now shows None, accompanied by the misleading warning about needing a DriverKit development profile. The Outcome: This None issue now prevents us from even starting the Archive process, as the project fails to build due to the incorrect signing configuration. We've tried every debugging step — including rebuilding profiles, validating the keychain, and clearing caches — but nothing resolves this None issue. Our Dilemma: State A (Fully Automatic Signing): The Archive process fails due to the KEXT certificate conflict. State B (Manual Release Signing): The project fails to build due to the Signing Certificate: None issue, preventing us from initiating an Archive. For a development team holding a KEXT Developer ID certificate, how should an Xcode project be configured when migrating to DriverKit, so that the Archive process: Does not trigger the flawed automation logic that attempts to create a new certificate? And, does not fall into the Signing Certificate: None configuration trap? Related Forum Threads We've Studied: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/781932 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/751490 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/767152 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/721563 Best Reagrds, Charles
2
0
449
Dec ’25
INQUIRY command is ILLEGAL REQUEST
I am developing a DriverKit driver with the goal of sending vendor-specific commands to a USB storage device. I have successfully created the DriverKit driver, and when I connect the USB storage device, it appears correctly in IORegistryExplorer. My driver class inherits from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 in the SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit framework. I also created a UserClient class that inherits from IOUserClient, and from its ExternalMethod I tried sending an INQUIRY command as a basic test to confirm that command transmission works. However, the device returns an ILLEGAL REQUEST (Sense Key 0x5 / ASC 0x20). Could someone advise what I might be doing wrong? Below are the logs output from the driver: 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573730+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] Driver - NewUserClient() - Finished. 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573733+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - Start() 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573807+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - Start() - Finished. 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574249+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - ExternalMethod() called 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574258+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - ----- SCSICmdINQUIRY ----- 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574268+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = 512 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575980+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fCompletionStatus = 0x0 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575988+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fServiceResponse = 0x2 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575990+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fSenseDataValid = 0x1 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575992+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB VALID_RESPONSE_CODE = 0x70 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575994+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB SENSE_KEY = 0x5 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575996+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE = 0x20 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575998+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER = 0x0 Here is the UserClient class: class SampleDriverKitUserClient: public IOUserClient { public: virtual bool init(void) override; virtual kern_return_t Start(IOService* provider) override; virtual kern_return_t Stop(IOService* provider) override; virtual void free(void) override; virtual kern_return_t ExternalMethod( uint64_t selector, IOUserClientMethodArguments* arguments, const IOUserClientMethodDispatch* dispatch, OSObject* target, void* reference) override; void SCSICmdINQUIRY(SampleDriverKitDriver *driver) LOCALONLY; }; Here is the part that sends the INQUIRY command: void SampleDriverKitUserClient::SCSICmdINQUIRY(SampleDriverKitDriver *driver) { kern_return_t kr = KERN_SUCCESS; SCSIType00OutParameters command = {}; UInt8 dataBuffer[512] = {0}; SCSI_Sense_Data senseData = {0}; Log("----- SCSICmdINQUIRY -----"); SetCommandCDB(&command.fCommandDescriptorBlock, 0x12, 0x00, 0x00, 0x24, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00); command.fLogicalUnitNumber = 0; command.fTimeoutDuration = 10000; // milliseconds command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = sizeof(dataBuffer); Log("command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = %lld", command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer); command.fBufferDirection = kIOMemoryDirectionIn; command.fDataTransferDirection = kSCSIDataTransfer_FromTargetToInitiator; command.fDataBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(dataBuffer); command.fSenseBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(&senseData); command.fSenseLengthRequested = sizeof(senseData); if( driver ) { SCSIType00InParameters response = {}; kr = driver->UserSendCDB(command, &response); if( kr != KERN_SUCCESS ) { Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB failed (0x%x)", kr); return; } Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fCompletionStatus = 0x%x", response.fCompletionStatus); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fServiceResponse = 0x%x", response.fServiceResponse); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fSenseDataValid = 0x%x", response.fSenseDataValid); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB VALID_RESPONSE_CODE = 0x%x", senseData.VALID_RESPONSE_CODE); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB SENSE_KEY = 0x%x", senseData.SENSE_KEY); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE = 0x%x", senseData.ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER = 0x%x", senseData.ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER); if( response.fServiceResponse == kSCSIServiceResponse_TASK_COMPLETE ) { Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB complete success!!"); } for( int i=0; i < 5; i++ ) { Log("data [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x", i*8+0, dataBuffer[i*8+0], i*8+1, dataBuffer[i*8+1], i*8+2, dataBuffer[i*8+2], i*8+3, dataBuffer[i*8+3], i*8+4, dataBuffer[i*8+4], i*8+5, dataBuffer[i*8+5], i*8+6, dataBuffer[i*8+6], i*8+7, dataBuffer[i*8+7] ); } char vendorID[9] = {0}; memcpy(vendorID, &dataBuffer[8], 8); Log("vendorID = %s",vendorID); char productID[17] = {0}; memcpy(productID, &dataBuffer[16], 16); Log("productID = %s",productID); } } My environment is: MacBook Pro (M2), macOS 15.6 If anyone has insight into what causes the ILLEGAL REQUEST, or what I am missing when using IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 and UserSendCDB, I would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you.
1
0
365
Nov ’25
Xcode Signing Fails: Provisioning Profile "doesn't match" com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement
Hello everyone, I am migrating a legacy KEXT to a DriverKit (DEXT) architecture. While the DEXT itself is working correctly, I am completely blocked by a code signing issue when trying to establish the UserClient connection from our SwiftUI management app. Project Goal & Status: Our DEXT (com.accusys.Acxxx.driver) activates successfully (systemextensionsctl list confirms [activated enabled]). The core functionality is working (diskutil list shows the corresponding disk device node). The Core Problem: The userclient-access Signing Error To allow the app to connect to the DEXT, the com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement is required in the app's .entitlements file. However, as soon as this entitlement is added, the build fails. Both automatic and manual signing fail with the same error: `Provisioning profile ... doesn't match the entitlements file's value for the ... userclient-access entitlement.` This build failure prevents the generation of an .app bundle, making it impossible to inspect the final entitlements with codesign. What We've Confirmed: The necessary capabilities (like DriverKit Communicates with Drivers) are visible and enabled for our App ID on the developer portal. The issue persists on a clean system state and on the latest macOS Sequoia 15.7.1. Our Research and Hypothesis: We have reviewed the official documentation "Diagnosing issues with entitlements" (TN3125). According to the documentation, a "doesn't match" error implies a discrepancy between the entitlements file and the provisioning profile. Given that we have tried both automatic and manual profiles (after enabling the capability online), our hypothesis is that the provisioning profile generation process on Apple's backend is not correctly including the approved userclient-access entitlement into the profile file itself. The build fails because Xcode correctly detects this discrepancy. Our Questions: Did we misunderstand a step in the process, or is the issue not with the entitlement request at all? Alternatively, are there any other modifications we can make to successfully connect our App to the DEXT and trigger NewUserClient? Thank you for any guidance.
11
0
692
Nov ’25
"How to" for dext distribution
I have a DriverKit system extension (dext) that uses PCIDriverKit. I would like to get the build environment straightened out to successfully distribute the dext and associated software to end users. There are three types of software involved: The Dext-hosting application - this is the application that must be installed to /Applications/, and will perform the registration of the dext. The dext is deployed "within" this application, and can be found in the /Contents/Library/SystemExtensions folder of the app bundle. The dext itself - this is the actual binary system extension, which will be registered by its owning application, and will operate in its own application space independent of the hosting application. Additional applications that communicate with the dext - these are applications which will connect to the dext through user clients, but these applications do not contain the dext themselves. There are multiple locations where settings need to be exactly correct for each type of software to be signed, provisioned, and notarized properly in order to be distributed to users: developer.apple.com - where "identifiers" and "provisioning profiles" are managed. Note that there are differences in access between "Team Agent", "Admin", and "Developer" at this site. Xcode project's Target "Signing & Capabilities" tab - this is where "automatically manage signing" can be selected, as well as team selection, provisioning profile selection, and capabilities can be modified. Xcode project's Target "Build Settings" tab - this is where code signing identity, code signing development team, code signing entitlements file selection, Info.plist options and file selection, and provisioning profile selection. Xcode's Organizer window, which is where you manage archives and select for distribution. In this case, I am interested in "Developer ID" Direct Distribution - I want the software signed with our company's credentials (Team Developer ID) so that users know they can trust the software. Choosing "automatically manage signing" does not work for deployment. The debug versions of software include DriverKit (development) capability (under App ID configuration at developer.apple.com), and this apparently must not be present in distributable provisioning. I believe this means that different provisioning needs to occur between debug and release builds? I have tried many iterations of selections at all the locations, for all three types of binaries, and rather than post everything that does not work, I am asking, "what is supposed to work?"
20
0
2.6k
Nov ’25
Using Adhoc Profile for DriverKit show error: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS
We got an app for iPad which has two targets one for the App itself (MainApp target ) and another one for the Driver ( Driver Target ) using DriverKit. The app works fine in Development, but I'm trying to distribute it with adhoc. I've requested the Distribution Entitlement to Apple, after getting it, the App Id for the Driver has the following Capabilities: DriverKit, DriverKit (development), DriverKit USB Transport (development), DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID, In-App Purchase Now in the profile section, I've created a adhoc profile for the Driver AppId (Identifier). Obviously I've also created an Adhoc profile for the Main AppId Finally in the Signing & Capabilities Section I set up the profiles for MainApp target, int the Debug one I set up the Development one and int the Release one I set up the adhoc one. I do the same in the Driver Target, but when I set up the Adhoc one in the Release, I've got a warning: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS. Visit the developer website to create or download a DriverKit profile Also interestingly the Signing Certificate section says: None I also set up the Capabilities for the Driver Target: DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID DriverKit USB Transport ( Development ) Inside these capabilities I set up the vendor ID as dictionary The problem is, if I try to Archive the app I will get the previous Warning message as error: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS. Visit the developer website to create or download a DriverKit profile. Any idea what I'm missing? Thanks
2
0
1.1k
Nov ’25
Can't get USBSerialDriverKit driver loaded
I am writing a DriverKit driver for the first that uses the USBSerialDriverKit. The driver its purpose is to expose the device as serial interface (/dev/cu.tetra-pei0 or something like this). My problem: I don't see any logs from that driver in the console and I tried like 40 different approaches and checked everything. The last message I see is that the driver get successfully added to the system it is in the list of active and enabled system driver extensions but when I plug the device in none of my logs appear and it doesn't show up in ioreg. So without my driver the target device looks like this: +-o TETRA PEI interface@02120000 <class IOUSBHostDevice, id 0x10000297d, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (13 ms), retain 30> | { | "sessionID" = 268696051410 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "UsbLinkSpeed" = 480000000 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "iManufacturer" = 1 | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | "IOPowerManagement" = {"PowerOverrideOn"=Yes,"DevicePowerState"=2,"CurrentPowerState"=2,"CapabilityFlags"=32768,"MaxPowerState"=2,"DriverPowerState"=0} | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "bMaxPacketSize0" = 64 | "iProduct" = 2 | "iSerialNumber" = 0 | "bNumConfigurations" = 1 | "UsbDeviceSignature" = <ad0c16901624000000ff0000> | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "locationID" = 34734080 | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "bcdUSB" = 512 | "USB Address" = 6 | "kUSBCurrentConfiguration" = 1 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"9dc7b780-9ec0-11d4-a54f-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "UsbPowerSinkAllocation" = 500 | "bDeviceProtocol" = 0 | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "Device Speed" = 2 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "kUSBProductString" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "kUSBAddress" = 6 | "kUSBVendorString" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | } | +-o AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice <class AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice, id 0x100002982, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 5> | { | "IOProbeScore" = 50000 | "CFBundleIdentifier" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOProviderClass" = "IOUSBHostDevice" | "IOClass" = "AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOPersonalityPublisher" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "bDeviceSubClass" = 0 | "CFBundleIdentifierKernel" = "com.apple.driver.usb.AppleUSBHostCompositeDevice" | "IOMatchedAtBoot" = Yes | "IOMatchCategory" = "IODefaultMatchCategory" | "IOPrimaryDriverTerminateOptions" = Yes | "bDeviceClass" = 0 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostDeviceUserClient, id 0x100002983, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 7> | { | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@0 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002986, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | | { | | "USBPortType" = 0 | | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | | "USBSpeed" = 3 | | "idProduct" = 36886 | | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | | "locationID" = 34734080 | | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | | "iInterface" = 0 | | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | | "idVendor" = 3245 | | "bInterfaceNumber" = 0 | | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | | } | | | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x100002988, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> | { | "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} | "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" | "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} | "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes | } | +-o IOUSBHostInterface@1 <class IOUSBHostInterface, id 0x100002987, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (5 ms), retain 9> | { | "USBPortType" = 0 | "IOCFPlugInTypes" = {"2d9786c6-9ef3-11d4-ad51-000a27052861"="IOUSBHostFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle"} | "USB Vendor Name" = "Motorola Solutions, Inc." | "bcdDevice" = 9238 | "USBSpeed" = 3 | "idProduct" = 36886 | "IOServiceDEXTEntitlements" = (("com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb")) | "bInterfaceSubClass" = 0 | "bConfigurationValue" = 1 | "locationID" = 34734080 | "USB Product Name" = "TETRA PEI interface" | "bInterfaceProtocol" = 0 | "iInterface" = 0 | "bAlternateSetting" = 0 | "idVendor" = 3245 | "bInterfaceNumber" = 1 | "bInterfaceClass" = 255 | "bNumEndpoints" = 2 | } | +-o lghub_agent <class AppleUSBHostInterfaceUserClient, id 0x10000298a, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 6> { "UsbUserClientBufferStatistics" = {"IOMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOBufferMemoryDescriptor"=0,"IOSubMemoryDescriptor"=0} "IOUserClientCreator" = "pid 1438, lghub_agent" "UsbUserClientBufferAllocations" = {"Bytes"=0,"Descriptors"=0} "IOUserClientDefaultLocking" = Yes } more details in my comment.
Replies
6
Boosts
0
Views
319
Activity
Mar ’26
How to get a IOSerialBSDClient attached?
I have a driver extending IOUserUSBSerial and I want the device to show up as /dev/tty.mycustombasename-123 and /dev/cu. respectively. How can I achieve that?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
273
Activity
Feb ’26
Unable to submit a Capability Request
In the Developer portal, I'm attempting to add the "DriverKit UserClient Access" to an App ID that is assigned to a DEXT that we are developing. Once I have filled out the form and clicked "Submit" the screen goes bank and stays blank even after a long delay. The original Capability Request tab's entry for "DriverKit UserClient Access" never changes from "No Requests". I have tried this on two successive days, with the same result.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
109
Activity
Feb ’26
System Panic with IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController during Dispatch Queue Configuration
Hello everyone, We are in the process of migrating a high-performance storage KEXT to DriverKit. During our initial validation phase, we noticed a performance gap between the DEXT and the KEXT, which prompted us to try and optimize our I/O handling process. Background and Motivation: Our test hardware is a RAID 0 array of two HDDs. According to AJA System Test, our legacy KEXT achieves a write speed of about 645 MB/s on this hardware, whereas the new DEXT reaches about 565 MB/s. We suspect the primary reason for this performance gap might be that the DEXT, by default, uses a serial work-loop to submit I/O commands, which fails to fully leverage the parallelism of the hardware array. Therefore, to eliminate this bottleneck and improve performance, we configured a dedicated parallel dispatch queue (MyParallelIOQueue) for the UserProcessParallelTask method. However, during our implementation attempt, we encountered a critical issue that caused a system-wide crash. The Operation Causing the Panic: We configured MyParallelIOQueue using the following combination of methods: In the .iig file: We appended the QUEUENAME(MyParallelIOQueue) macro after the override keyword of the UserProcessParallelTask method declaration. In the .cpp file: We manually created a queue with the same name by calling the IODispatchQueue::Create() function within our UserInitializeController method. The Result: This results in a macOS kernel panic during the DEXT loading process, forcing the user to perform a hard reboot. After the reboot, checking with the systemextensionsctl list command reveals the DEXT's status as [activated waiting for user], which indicates that it encountered an unrecoverable, fatal error during its initialization. Key Code Snippets to Reproduce the Panic: In .iig file - this was our exact implementation: class DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME: public IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController { public: virtual kern_return_t UserProcessParallelTask(...) override QUEUENAME(MyParallelIOQueue); }; In .h file: struct DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME_IVars { // ... IODispatchQueue* MyParallelIOQueue; }; In UserInitializeController implementation: kern_return_t IMPL(DRV_MAIN_CLASS_NAME, UserInitializeController) { // ... // We also included code to manually create the queue. kern_return_t ret = IODispatchQueue::Create("MyParallelIOQueue", kIODispatchQueueReentrant, 0, &ivars->MyParallelIOQueue); if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) { // ... error handling ... } // ... return kIOReturnSuccess; } Our Question: What is the officially recommended and most stable method for configuring UserProcessParallelTask_Impl() to use a parallel I/O queue? Clarifying this is crucial for all developers pursuing high-performance storage solutions with DriverKit. Any explanation or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Best Regards, Charles
Replies
21
Boosts
0
Views
943
Activity
Feb ’26
System Extension Termination Fails
My application installs a system extension. When I try to remove the app from the Applications folder (cmd + backspace) I get an error message: "The operation can’t be completed right now because another operation is in progress, such as moving or copying an item or emptying the Bin." According to systemextensionsctl the extension state is "terminating for uninstall but still running". I can see an error in the console logs: kernelmanagerd Failed to terminate dext com.my.driver-dk, error: Kernel request failed: (os/kern) invalid address (1) sysextd a category delegate declined to terminate extension with identifier: com.my.driver-dk sysextd failed to terminate extension with identifier: com.my.driver-dk: Optional(Error Domain=kernelmanagerd.KMError Code=38 "(null)") Issue occurs with macOS 13 - works fine with macOS 12 and macOS 11 What is the problem here? Have there been any changes in macOS in that regard?
Replies
6
Boosts
1
Views
3.2k
Activity
Feb ’26
DriverKit - IOUSBHostDevice::SetProperties
I am trying to add a few properties to an IOUSBHostDevice but the SetProperties is returning kIOReturnUnsupported. The reason I am trying to modify the IOUSBHostDevice's properties is so we can support a MacBook Air SuperDrive when it is attached to our docking station devices. The MacBook Air SuperDrive needs a high powered port to run and this driver will help the OS realize that our dock can support it. I see that the documentation for SetProperties says: The default implementation of this method returns kIOReturnUnsupported. You can override this method and use it to modify the set of properties and values as needed. The changes you make apply only to the current service. Do I need to override IOUSBHostDevice? This is my current Start implementation (you can also see if in the Xcode project): kern_return_t IMPL(MyUserUSBHostDriver, Start) { kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; OSDictionary * prop = NULL; OSDictionary * mergeProperties = NULL; bool success = true; os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&gt; %s", __FUNCTION__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = Start(provider, SUPERDISPATCH); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ivars-&gt;host = OSDynamicCast(IOUSBHostDevice, provider); __Require_Action(NULL != ivars-&gt;host, Exit, ret = kIOReturnNoDevice); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;Open(this, 0, 0); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); mergeProperties = OSDynamicCast(OSDictionary, prop-&gt;getObject("IOProviderMergeProperties")); mergeProperties-&gt;retain(); __Require_Action(NULL != mergeProperties, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;CopyProperties(&amp;prop); __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); __Require_Action(NULL != prop, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Product Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Product Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s : %s", "USB Vendor Name", ((OSString *) prop-&gt;getObject("USB Vendor Name"))-&gt;getCStringNoCopy()); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); success = prop-&gt;merge(mergeProperties); __Require_Action(success, Exit, ret = kIOReturnError); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "%s:%d", __FUNCTION__, __LINE__); ret = ivars-&gt;host-&gt;SetProperties(prop); // this is no working __Require(kIOReturnSuccess == ret, Exit); Exit: OSSafeReleaseNULL(mergeProperties); OSSafeReleaseNULL(prop); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "err ref %d", kIOReturnUnsupported); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "&lt; %s %d", __FUNCTION__, ret); return ret; }
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Activity
Jan ’26
DriverKit Dext fails to load with "Exec format error" (POSIX 8) on macOS 26.2 (Apple Silicon) when SIP is enabled
1. 环境描述 (Environment) OS: macOS 26.2 Hardware: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) DriverKit SDK: DriverKit 19.0 / 20.0 Arch: Universal (x86_64, arm64, arm64e) SIP Status: Enabled (Works perfectly when Disabled) 2. 问题现象 (Problem Description) 在开启 SIP 的环境下,USB 驱动扩展(Dext)能安装,但插入设备时无法连接设备(驱动的Start方法未被调用)。 驱动状态: MacBook-Pro ~ % systemextensionsctl list 1 extension(s) --- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension (Go to 'System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Driver Extensions' to modify these system extension(s)) enabled active teamID bundleID (version) name [state] * * JK9U78YRLU com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver (1.3/4) com.ronganchina.usbapp.MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver [activated enabled] 关键日志证据 (Key Logs) KernelManagerd: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=8 "Exec format error" Syspolicyd: failed to fetch ... /_CodeSignature/CodeRequirements-1 error=-10 AppleSystemPolicy: ASP: Security policy would not allow process DriverKit Kernel: DK: MyUserUSBInterfaceDriver user server timeout dext的 embedded.provisionprofile 已包含: com.apple.developer.driverkit com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb (idVendor: 11977)
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364
Activity
Jan ’26
Show / Hide HAL Virtual Audio Device Based on App State
I am developing a macOS virtual audio device using an Audio Server Plug-In (HAL). I want the virtual device to be visible to all applications only when my main app is running, and completely hidden from all apps when the app is closed. The goal is to dynamically control device visibility based on app state without reinstalling the driver.What is the recommended way for the app to notify the HAL plug-in about its running or closed state ? Any guidance on best-practice architecture for this scenario would be appreciated.
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249
Activity
Jan ’26
UserSendCDB fails due to permissions
I created a custom class that inherits from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 in the DriverKit SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit framework. When I attempted to send a vendor-specific command to a USB storage device using the UserSendCDB function of this class instance, the function returned the error: kIOReturnNotPrivileged (iokit_common_err(0x2c1)) // privilege violation However, when using UserSendCDB in the same way to issue standard SCSI commands such as INQUIRY or Test Unit Ready, no error occurred and the returned sense data was valid. Why is UserSendCDB able to send standard SCSI commands successfully, but vendor-specific commands return kIOReturnNotPrivileged? Is there any required entitlement, DriverKit capability, or implementation detail needed to allow vendor-specific CDBs? Below are the entitlements of my DriverKit extension: <dict> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb</key> <array> <dict> <key>idVendor</key> <integer>[number of vendorid]</integer> </dict> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-any-userclient-access</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.allow-third-party-userclients</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.communicates-with-drivers</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.driverkit.family.scsicontroller</key> <true/> </dict> If there is any additional configuration or requirement to enable vendor-specific SCSI commands, I would appreciate your guidance. Environment: macOS15.6 M2 MacBook Pro
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Activity
Jan ’26
[DriverKit SCSI] SCSI probe stalls for Target ID > 0 with IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController
Hello everyone, We are migrating a KEXT storage driver to DriverKit. In our KEXT, we use a "one LUN = one Target" model and successfully create multiple targets in a loop during initialization. We are now trying to replicate this architecture in our DEXT. The issue is that only Target 0 is fully probed and mounted. For Target 1, the lifecycle silently stops after the first TEST UNIT READY command is successfully acknowledged. The macOS SCSI layer never sends any subsequent probe commands (like INQUIRY) to this target. The failure sequence for Target 1, observed from our logs (regardless of whether Target 0 is created), is as follows: AsyncCreateTargetForID(1) -> UserInitializeTargetForID(1) (Succeeds) UserProcessParallelTask(Target: 1, Opcode: TUR) (Succeeds) The DEXT correctly acknowledges the TUR command for Target 1 by returning kSCSITaskStatus_CHECK_CONDITION with UNIT ATTENTION in the Sense Data (Succeeds) <-- Breakpoint --> UserProcessParallelTask(Target: 1, Opcode: INQUIRY) (Never happens) Through log comparison, we have confirmed that the DEXT's response to the TUR command for Target 1 is identical to the successful KEXT's response. We have tried creating only Target 1 (skipping Target 0 entirely), but the behavior is exactly the same -> the probe still stalls after the TUR. We initially suspected a race condition caused by consecutive calls to AsyncCreateTargetForID(). We attempted several methods to ensure that targets are created sequentially, such as trying to build a "creation chain" using OSAction completion handlers. However, these attempts were unsuccessful due to various compilation errors and API misunderstandings. In any case, this "race condition" theory was ultimately disproven by our experiment where creating only Target 1 still resulted in failure. We would like to ask two questions: Is our inability to have a Target ID greater than 0 fully probed by macOS a bug in our own code, or could there be another reason we are unaware of? If we do indeed need a "one-after-another" creation mechanism for AsyncCreateTargetForID, what is the correct way to implement a "chained creation" using OSAction completion handlers in DriverKit? Thank you for any help or guidance. Best Regards, Charles
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359
Activity
Jan ’26
VM App - PCIDriverKit Entitlement for Thunderbolt
I want to help contribute a feature in a virtual-machine app in macOS that supports PCIe device passthrough over thunderbolt. I have a question about the entitlements. Since I do not represent the GPU vendors, would I be allowed to get a driver signed that matches GPU vendor IDs? Is there such a thing as wildcard entitlement for PCIDriverKit? I don't want end-users to have to disable SIP to be able to use this. Any suggestions/leads? Thank you.
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Activity
Jan ’26
"Signing certificate" and post-installation assignment fail due to IOPCIPrimaryMatch
I'm having trouble configuring the "IOPCIPrimaryMatch" entitlement. I'm currently developing using "sign to run locally" and have been able to confirm the expected behavior. I was considering signing with "Developer ID Application" for future distribution to customers, but after finding the following forum, I'm now aiming to sign with "Apple Development." https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/743021 I'm currently having trouble with the IOPCIPrimaryMatch value. The "signing certificate" status in Xcode changes depending on the value, as follows: Successful if the value is as follows: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 An error occurs if the value is as follows: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 So I tried building and installing using "0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916", but this time the driver was not assigned to the PCI device. By the way, when I used "sign to run locally", both the installation and assignment were successful with the following: IOPCIPrimaryMatch 0xFFFFFFFF&0x00161916 Could you please tell me the correct way to write this?
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Activity
Dec ’25
Neither macOS 14.7 "Standard" 'AppleUserHIDEventDriver' Matching Driver Nor Custom HIDDriverKit Driver 'IOUserHIDEventService::dispatchDigitizerTouchEvent' API Work for a HID-standard Digitizer Touch Pad Device
I have been working on a multi-platform multi-touch HID-standard digitizer clickpad device. The device uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as its connectivity transport and advertises HID over GATT. To date, I have the device working successfully on Windows 11 as a multi-touch, gesture-capable click pad with no custom driver or app on Windows. However, I have been having difficulty getting macOS to recognize and react to it as a HID-standard multi-touch click pad digitizer with either the standard Apple HID driver (AppleUserHIDEventDriver) or with a custom-coded driver extension (DEXT) modeled, based on the DTS stylus example and looking at the IOHIDFamily open source driver(s). The trackpad works with full-gesture support on Windows 11 and the descriptors seem to be compliant with the R23 Accessory Guidelines document, §15. With the standard, matching Apple AppleUserHIDEventDriver HID driver, when enumerating using stock-standard HID mouse descriptors, the device works fine on macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" as a relative pointer device with scroll wheel capability (two finger swipe generates a HID scroll report) and a single button. With the standard, matching Apple AppleUserHIDEventDriver HID driver, when enumerating using stock-standard HID digitizer click/touch pad descriptors (those same descriptors used successfully on Windows 11), the device does nothing. No button, no cursor, no gestures, nothing. Looking at ioreg -filtb, all of the key/value pairs for the driver match look correct. Because, even with the Apple open source IOHIDFamily drivers noted above, we could get little visibility into what might be going wrong, I wrote a custom DriverKit/HIDDriverKit driver extension (DEXT) (as noted above, based on the DTS HID stylus example and the open source IOHIDEventDriver. With that custom driver, I can get a single button click from the click pad to work by dispatching button events to dispatchRelativePointerEvent; however, when parsing, processing, and dispatching HID digitizer touch finger (that is, transducer) events via IOUserHIDEventService::dispatchDigitizerTouchEvent, nothing happens. If I log with: % sudo log stream --info --debug --predicate '(subsystem == "com.apple.iohid")' either using the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver driver or our custom driver, we can see that our input events are tickling the IOHIDNXEventTranslatorSessionFilter HID event filter, so we know HID events are getting from the device into the macOS HID stack. This was further confirmed with the DTS Bluetooth PacketLogger app. Based on these events flowing in and hitting IOHIDNXEventTranslatorSessionFilter, using the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver driver or our custom driver, clicks or click pad activity will either wake the display or system from sleep and activity will keep the display or system from going to sleep. In short, whether with the stock driver or our custom driver, HID input reports come in over Bluetooth and get processed successfully; however, nothing happens—no pointer movement or gesture recognition. STEPS TO REPRODUCE For the standard AppleUserHIDEventDriver: Pair the device with macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" using the Bluetooth menu. Confirm that it is paired / bonded / connected in the Bluetooth menu. Attempt to click or move one or more fingers on the touchpad surface. Nothing happens. For the our custom driver: Pair the device with macOS 14.7 "Sonoma" using the Bluetooth menu. Confirm that it is paired / bonded / connected in the Bluetooth menu. Attempt to click or move one or more fingers on the touchpad surface. Clicks are correctly registered. With transducer movement, regardless of the number of fingers, nothing happens.
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Activity
Dec ’25
DEXT (IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController): Direct I/O Succeeds, but Buffered I/O Fails with Data Corruption on Large File Copies
Hi all, We are migrating a SCSI HBA driver from KEXT to DriverKit (DEXT), with our DEXT inheriting from IOUserSCSIParallelInterfaceController. We've encountered a data corruption issue that is reliably reproducible under specific conditions and are hoping for some assistance from the community. Hardware and Driver Configuration: Controller: LSI 3108 DEXT Configuration: We are reporting our hardware limitations to the framework via the UserReportHBAConstraints function, with the following key settings: // UserReportHBAConstraints... addConstraint(kIOMaximumSegmentAddressableBitCountKey, 0x20); // 32-bit addConstraint(kIOMaximumSegmentCountWriteKey, 129); addConstraint(kIOMaximumByteCountWriteKey, 0x80000); // 512KB Observed Behavior: Direct I/O vs. Buffered I/O We've observed that the I/O behavior differs drastically depending on whether it goes through the system file cache: 1. Direct I/O (Bypassing System Cache) -> 100% Successful When we use fio with the direct=1 flag, our read/write and data verification tests pass perfectly for all file sizes, including 20GB+. 2. Buffered I/O (Using System Cache) -> 100% Failure at >128MB Whether we use the standard cp command or fio with the direct=1 option removed to simulate buffered I/O, we observe the exact same, clear failure threshold: Test Results: File sizes ≤ 128MB: Success. Data checksums match perfectly. File sizes ≥ 256MB: Failure. Checksums do not match, and the destination file is corrupted. Evidence of failure reproduced with fio (buffered_integrity_test.fio, with direct=1 removed): fio --size=128M buffered_integrity_test.fio -> Test Succeeded (err=0). fio --size=256M buffered_integrity_test.fio -> Test Failed (err=92), reporting the following error, which proves a data mismatch during the verification phase: verify: bad header ... at file ... offset 1048576, length 1048576 fio: ... error=Illegal byte sequence Our Analysis and Hypothesis The phenomenon of "Direct I/O succeeding while Buffered I/O fails" suggests the problem may be related to the cache synchronization mechanism at the end of the I/O process: Our UserProcessParallelTask_Impl function correctly handles READ and WRITE commands. When cp or fio (buffered) runs, the WRITE commands are successfully written to the LSI 3108 controller's onboard DRAM cache, and success is reported up the stack. At the end of the operation, to ensure data is flushed to disk, the macOS file system issues an fsync, which is ultimately translated into a SYNCHRONIZE CACHE SCSI command (Opcode 0x35 or 0x91) and sent to our UserProcessParallelTask_Impl. We hypothesize that our code may not be correctly identifying or handling this SYNCHRONIZE CACHE opcode. It might be reporting "success" up the stack without actually commanding the hardware to flush its cache to the physical disk. The OS receives this "success" status and assumes the operation is safely complete. In reality, however, the last batch of data remains only in the controller's volatile DRAM cache and is eventually lost. This results in an incomplete or incorrect file tail, and while the file size may be correct, the data checksum will inevitably fail. Summary Our DEXT driver performs correctly when handling Direct I/O but consistently fails with data corruption when handling Buffered I/O for files larger than 128MB. We can reliably reproduce this issue using fio with the direct=1 option removed. The root cause is very likely the improper handling of the SYNCHRONIZE CACHE command within our UserProcessParallelTask. P.S. This issue did not exist in the original KEXT version of the driver. We would appreciate any advice or guidance on this issue. Thank you.
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Activity
Dec ’25
The total DMA size in DriverKit cannot exceed 2G?
We are developing a DriverKit driver on Apple M1. We use the following code to prepare DMA buffer: IODMACommandSpecification dmaSpecification; bzero(&dmaSpecification, sizeof(dmaSpecification)); dmaSpecification.options = kIODMACommandSpecificationNoOptions; dmaSpecification.maxAddressBits = p_dma_mgr->maxAddressBits; kret = IODMACommand::Create(p_dma_mgr->device, kIODMACommandCreateNoOptions, &dmaSpecification, &impl->dma_cmd ); if (kret != kIOReturnSuccess) { os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "Error: IODMACommand::Create failed! ret=0x%x\n", kret); impl->user_mem.reset(); IOFree(impl, sizeof(*impl)); return ret; } uint64_t flags = 0; uint32_t segmentsCount = 32; IOAddressSegment segments[32]; kret = impl->dma_cmd->PrepareForDMA(kIODMACommandPrepareForDMANoOptions, impl->user_mem.get(), 0, 0, // 0 for entire memory &flags, &segmentsCount, segments ); if (kret != kIOReturnSuccess) { OSSafeReleaseNULL(impl->dma_cmd); impl->user_mem.reset(); IOFree(impl, sizeof(*impl)); os_log(OS_LOG_DEFAULT, "Error: PrepareForDMA failed! ret=0x%x\n", kret); return kret; } I allocated several 8K BGRA video frames, each with a size of 141557760 bytes, and prepared the DMA according to the method mentioned above. The process was successful when the number of frames was 15 or fewer. However, issues arose when allocating 16 frames: Error: PrepareForDMA failed! ret=0xe00002bd By calculating, I found that the total size of 16 video frames exceeds 2GB. Is there such a limitation in DriverKit that the total DMA size cannot exceed 2GB? Are there any methods that would allow me to bypass this restriction so I can use more video frame buffers?
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Activity
Dec ’25
Archive Fails: Conflict with Existing KEXT Developer ID Certificate
Hi everyone, We're trying to prepare a DriverKit App for a client test, and we've run into an unavoidable signing conflict that seems to be caused by the Xcode Archive process itself. Background & Environment: Environment: macOS 15.6.1, Xcode 16.4 Our project consists of a main App Target and a DEXT Target. Both the Debug and Release configurations for both targets are set to Xcode's default: Automatically manage signing. Our developer account holds a valid, active Developer ID Application (With Kext) certificate, which we use for signing our legacy KEXT. The Action That Triggers Failure: From this clean state, we execute Product -> Archive. The Archive process fails during the signing validation phase and presents the following three errors, completely halting the process: There is a problem with the request entity - You already have a current Developer ID Application Managed (With Kext) certificate... No profiles for 'com.company.Acxxx.driver' were found... No profiles for 'com.company.Acxxx.app' were found... This error seems to indicate that the Xcode Archive process: Ignores the project's Release configuration (even the default 'Auto' setting). Attempts to automatically create a new, standard Developer ID certificate for us. This action conflicts with the existing (With Kext) certificate in our account, causing the entire Archive process to fail. The "Failed Experiment" to Resolve This: To work around this automation conflict, we tried the solution: configuring a fully manual signing process for the Release configuration to explicitly tell Xcode to use our existing KEXT certificate. Our Steps: We disabled automatic signing for both the App and DEXT targets for the Release configuration and manually assigned the Developer ID Provisioning Profiles created for our Developer ID (With Kext) certificate. The New Problem: After doing this, the Signing Certificate field for the DEXT Target's Signing & Capabilities interface now shows None, accompanied by the misleading warning about needing a DriverKit development profile. The Outcome: This None issue now prevents us from even starting the Archive process, as the project fails to build due to the incorrect signing configuration. We've tried every debugging step — including rebuilding profiles, validating the keychain, and clearing caches — but nothing resolves this None issue. Our Dilemma: State A (Fully Automatic Signing): The Archive process fails due to the KEXT certificate conflict. State B (Manual Release Signing): The project fails to build due to the Signing Certificate: None issue, preventing us from initiating an Archive. For a development team holding a KEXT Developer ID certificate, how should an Xcode project be configured when migrating to DriverKit, so that the Archive process: Does not trigger the flawed automation logic that attempts to create a new certificate? And, does not fall into the Signing Certificate: None configuration trap? Related Forum Threads We've Studied: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/781932 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/751490 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/767152 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/721563 Best Reagrds, Charles
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449
Activity
Dec ’25
INQUIRY command is ILLEGAL REQUEST
I am developing a DriverKit driver with the goal of sending vendor-specific commands to a USB storage device. I have successfully created the DriverKit driver, and when I connect the USB storage device, it appears correctly in IORegistryExplorer. My driver class inherits from IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 in the SCSIPeripheralsDriverKit framework. I also created a UserClient class that inherits from IOUserClient, and from its ExternalMethod I tried sending an INQUIRY command as a basic test to confirm that command transmission works. However, the device returns an ILLEGAL REQUEST (Sense Key 0x5 / ASC 0x20). Could someone advise what I might be doing wrong? Below are the logs output from the driver: 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573730+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] Driver - NewUserClient() - Finished. 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573733+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - Start() 2025-11-14 21:00:43.573807+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - Start() - Finished. 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574249+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - ExternalMethod() called 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574258+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - ----- SCSICmdINQUIRY ----- 2025-11-14 21:00:43.574268+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = 512 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575980+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fCompletionStatus = 0x0 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575988+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fServiceResponse = 0x2 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575990+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fSenseDataValid = 0x1 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575992+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB VALID_RESPONSE_CODE = 0x70 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575994+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB SENSE_KEY = 0x5 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575996+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE = 0x20 2025-11-14 21:00:43.575998+0900 0x26e9 Default 0x0 0 0 kernel: (SampleDriverKitApp.SampleDriverKitDriver.dext) [DEBUG] UserClient - SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER = 0x0 Here is the UserClient class: class SampleDriverKitUserClient: public IOUserClient { public: virtual bool init(void) override; virtual kern_return_t Start(IOService* provider) override; virtual kern_return_t Stop(IOService* provider) override; virtual void free(void) override; virtual kern_return_t ExternalMethod( uint64_t selector, IOUserClientMethodArguments* arguments, const IOUserClientMethodDispatch* dispatch, OSObject* target, void* reference) override; void SCSICmdINQUIRY(SampleDriverKitDriver *driver) LOCALONLY; }; Here is the part that sends the INQUIRY command: void SampleDriverKitUserClient::SCSICmdINQUIRY(SampleDriverKitDriver *driver) { kern_return_t kr = KERN_SUCCESS; SCSIType00OutParameters command = {}; UInt8 dataBuffer[512] = {0}; SCSI_Sense_Data senseData = {0}; Log("----- SCSICmdINQUIRY -----"); SetCommandCDB(&command.fCommandDescriptorBlock, 0x12, 0x00, 0x00, 0x24, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00); command.fLogicalUnitNumber = 0; command.fTimeoutDuration = 10000; // milliseconds command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = sizeof(dataBuffer); Log("command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer = %lld", command.fRequestedByteCountOfTransfer); command.fBufferDirection = kIOMemoryDirectionIn; command.fDataTransferDirection = kSCSIDataTransfer_FromTargetToInitiator; command.fDataBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(dataBuffer); command.fSenseBufferAddr = reinterpret_cast<uint64_t>(&senseData); command.fSenseLengthRequested = sizeof(senseData); if( driver ) { SCSIType00InParameters response = {}; kr = driver->UserSendCDB(command, &response); if( kr != KERN_SUCCESS ) { Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB failed (0x%x)", kr); return; } Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fCompletionStatus = 0x%x", response.fCompletionStatus); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fServiceResponse = 0x%x", response.fServiceResponse); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB fSenseDataValid = 0x%x", response.fSenseDataValid); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB VALID_RESPONSE_CODE = 0x%x", senseData.VALID_RESPONSE_CODE); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB SENSE_KEY = 0x%x", senseData.SENSE_KEY); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE = 0x%x", senseData.ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE); Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER = 0x%x", senseData.ADDITIONAL_SENSE_CODE_QUALIFIER); if( response.fServiceResponse == kSCSIServiceResponse_TASK_COMPLETE ) { Log("SCSICmdINQUIRY() UserSendCDB complete success!!"); } for( int i=0; i < 5; i++ ) { Log("data [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x [%04d]=0x%x", i*8+0, dataBuffer[i*8+0], i*8+1, dataBuffer[i*8+1], i*8+2, dataBuffer[i*8+2], i*8+3, dataBuffer[i*8+3], i*8+4, dataBuffer[i*8+4], i*8+5, dataBuffer[i*8+5], i*8+6, dataBuffer[i*8+6], i*8+7, dataBuffer[i*8+7] ); } char vendorID[9] = {0}; memcpy(vendorID, &dataBuffer[8], 8); Log("vendorID = %s",vendorID); char productID[17] = {0}; memcpy(productID, &dataBuffer[16], 16); Log("productID = %s",productID); } } My environment is: MacBook Pro (M2), macOS 15.6 If anyone has insight into what causes the ILLEGAL REQUEST, or what I am missing when using IOUserSCSIPeripheralDeviceType00 and UserSendCDB, I would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you.
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Activity
Nov ’25
Xcode Signing Fails: Provisioning Profile "doesn't match" com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement
Hello everyone, I am migrating a legacy KEXT to a DriverKit (DEXT) architecture. While the DEXT itself is working correctly, I am completely blocked by a code signing issue when trying to establish the UserClient connection from our SwiftUI management app. Project Goal & Status: Our DEXT (com.accusys.Acxxx.driver) activates successfully (systemextensionsctl list confirms [activated enabled]). The core functionality is working (diskutil list shows the corresponding disk device node). The Core Problem: The userclient-access Signing Error To allow the app to connect to the DEXT, the com.apple.developer.driverkit.userclient-access entitlement is required in the app's .entitlements file. However, as soon as this entitlement is added, the build fails. Both automatic and manual signing fail with the same error: `Provisioning profile ... doesn't match the entitlements file's value for the ... userclient-access entitlement.` This build failure prevents the generation of an .app bundle, making it impossible to inspect the final entitlements with codesign. What We've Confirmed: The necessary capabilities (like DriverKit Communicates with Drivers) are visible and enabled for our App ID on the developer portal. The issue persists on a clean system state and on the latest macOS Sequoia 15.7.1. Our Research and Hypothesis: We have reviewed the official documentation "Diagnosing issues with entitlements" (TN3125). According to the documentation, a "doesn't match" error implies a discrepancy between the entitlements file and the provisioning profile. Given that we have tried both automatic and manual profiles (after enabling the capability online), our hypothesis is that the provisioning profile generation process on Apple's backend is not correctly including the approved userclient-access entitlement into the profile file itself. The build fails because Xcode correctly detects this discrepancy. Our Questions: Did we misunderstand a step in the process, or is the issue not with the entitlement request at all? Alternatively, are there any other modifications we can make to successfully connect our App to the DEXT and trigger NewUserClient? Thank you for any guidance.
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Activity
Nov ’25
"How to" for dext distribution
I have a DriverKit system extension (dext) that uses PCIDriverKit. I would like to get the build environment straightened out to successfully distribute the dext and associated software to end users. There are three types of software involved: The Dext-hosting application - this is the application that must be installed to /Applications/, and will perform the registration of the dext. The dext is deployed "within" this application, and can be found in the /Contents/Library/SystemExtensions folder of the app bundle. The dext itself - this is the actual binary system extension, which will be registered by its owning application, and will operate in its own application space independent of the hosting application. Additional applications that communicate with the dext - these are applications which will connect to the dext through user clients, but these applications do not contain the dext themselves. There are multiple locations where settings need to be exactly correct for each type of software to be signed, provisioned, and notarized properly in order to be distributed to users: developer.apple.com - where "identifiers" and "provisioning profiles" are managed. Note that there are differences in access between "Team Agent", "Admin", and "Developer" at this site. Xcode project's Target "Signing & Capabilities" tab - this is where "automatically manage signing" can be selected, as well as team selection, provisioning profile selection, and capabilities can be modified. Xcode project's Target "Build Settings" tab - this is where code signing identity, code signing development team, code signing entitlements file selection, Info.plist options and file selection, and provisioning profile selection. Xcode's Organizer window, which is where you manage archives and select for distribution. In this case, I am interested in "Developer ID" Direct Distribution - I want the software signed with our company's credentials (Team Developer ID) so that users know they can trust the software. Choosing "automatically manage signing" does not work for deployment. The debug versions of software include DriverKit (development) capability (under App ID configuration at developer.apple.com), and this apparently must not be present in distributable provisioning. I believe this means that different provisioning needs to occur between debug and release builds? I have tried many iterations of selections at all the locations, for all three types of binaries, and rather than post everything that does not work, I am asking, "what is supposed to work?"
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Activity
Nov ’25
Using Adhoc Profile for DriverKit show error: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS
We got an app for iPad which has two targets one for the App itself (MainApp target ) and another one for the Driver ( Driver Target ) using DriverKit. The app works fine in Development, but I'm trying to distribute it with adhoc. I've requested the Distribution Entitlement to Apple, after getting it, the App Id for the Driver has the following Capabilities: DriverKit, DriverKit (development), DriverKit USB Transport (development), DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID, In-App Purchase Now in the profile section, I've created a adhoc profile for the Driver AppId (Identifier). Obviously I've also created an Adhoc profile for the Main AppId Finally in the Signing & Capabilities Section I set up the profiles for MainApp target, int the Debug one I set up the Development one and int the Release one I set up the adhoc one. I do the same in the Driver Target, but when I set up the Adhoc one in the Release, I've got a warning: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS. Visit the developer website to create or download a DriverKit profile Also interestingly the Signing Certificate section says: None I also set up the Capabilities for the Driver Target: DriverKit USB Transport - VendorID DriverKit USB Transport ( Development ) Inside these capabilities I set up the vendor ID as dictionary The problem is, if I try to Archive the app I will get the previous Warning message as error: Xcode 14 and later requires a DriverKit development profile enabled for iOS and macOS. Visit the developer website to create or download a DriverKit profile. Any idea what I'm missing? Thanks
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Nov ’25