I am developing an independent macOS compatibility driver for the Avid/Digidesign Eleven Rack, an EOL USB audio device that does not have an Apple-silicon-compatible OEM driver. The existing hardware identifies as: Vendor ID: 0x0DBA — Digidesign/Avid Product ID: 0xB011 — Eleven Rack Transport: USB 2.0 high-speed isochronous audio The proposed implementation uses AudioDriverKit and USBDriverKit. It consists of a DriverKit system extension packaged inside a macOS control application. The USB entitlement would be restricted to this exact VID/PID. I am an independent developer and do not own the Digidesign/Avid VID. I am not manufacturing hardware or attempting to use that VID for a new USB product. The driver would only match existing Eleven Rack devices. The implementation is independently written for interoperability, and no Avid executable code would be included. I currently have a working direct user-space USB proof of concept, but I cannot properly activate and test the AudioDriverKit extension with SIP enabled without the required entitlements. Before enrolling in the paid Apple Developer Program, I would appreciate clarification on the following: Does Apple consider DriverKit development and distribution entitlement requests from independent developers supporting existing EOL hardware when the developer does not own the device’s VID? Is written authorization from the VID owner always required, or are these requests evaluated individually? Would restricting the USB transport entitlement to the exact 0x0DBA:0xB011 device affect eligibility? Is there a way to obtain an initial eligibility determination before purchasing Apple Developer Program membership? The anticipated entitlements are: com.apple.developer.driverkit com.apple.developer.driverkit.family.audio com.apple.developer.driverkit.transport.usb com.apple.developer.system-extension.install for the host application Restricted user-client access between the host application and driver I understand that the forum cannot grant an entitlement. I am trying to determine the appropriate process and whether manufacturer authorization is a prerequisite before submitting a formal request.
Does Apple consider DriverKit development and distribution entitlement requests from independent developers supporting existing EOL hardware when the developer does not own the device’s VID?
Yes. I'm not sure we've ever explicitly said this, but our goal has never been to restrict driver development to the original hardware developer. Historically, 3rd party driver development was a significant part of our KEXT ecosystem and there's no reason DriverKit would change that.
Is written authorization from the VID owner always required, or are these requests evaluated individually?
Outside of very unusual circumstances, we don't require any specific authorization and nothing you’re describing sounds particularly unusual or concerning.
Would restricting the USB transport entitlement to the exact 0x0DBA:0xB011 device affect eligibility?
The basic answer here is that you should ask for what you think you'll need. If you only ever intend to support one device, then you should ask for that. If you plan to support several devices, then ask for that.
The grey area here is that, as the device count rises, it reaches the point where it's more sensible to simply grant the vendor entitlement instead of restricting by PID. There isn't a hard and fast "rule" for what that limit is, but if you plan to support 10+ devices, then it's certainly reasonable to just ask for the vendor entitlement.
In practice, a lot of this comes down to whatever is most practical. If you're planning to support a number of different devices from a particular vendor, but you haven't finalized the exact list and expect it to grow over time, then it's totally reasonable to simply ask for the VID match. Having you submit a request every 3-12 months as you grow your supported hardware set is busy work that doesn't really help anyone.
One thing to keep in mind here— the DriverKit entitlements control what your DEXT COULD match against, NOT what your DEXT WILL match against. This post has more detail on how this actually works, but the key point is that the kernel uses your IOKitPersonalities to determine whether your DEXT can match a given device, then checks your entitlements to see whether or not you’re "allowed" to.
The critical point there is that this means a DEXT that matches a specific device has EXACTLY the same load behavior regardless of whether it's signed with:
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The VID/PID entitlement configuration (Specific VID/PID only)
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The VID entitlement configuration (Specific VID, Any PID)
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The Development entitlement (ANY USB device)
...because, in all three cases, the kernel only bothers looking at the entitlements AFTER your IOKitPersonalities has already matched with the specific device.
Is there a way to obtain an initial eligibility determination before purchasing Apple Developer Program membership?
We don’t really have a formal process for that but, based on what you've described, I don't see any reason we wouldn't approve your entitlement request.
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Kevin Elliott
DTS Engineer, CoreOS/Hardware
