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DriverKit assertion in OSAction::Cancel() for timer handler
I have a dext that creates a periodic timer on its own dispatch queue. The callback is declared as follows: virtual void HandleTimer( OSAction *action, uint64_t time ) TYPE(IOTimerDispatchSource::TimerOccurred); The timer is allocated as follows: CreateActionHandleTimer( size, &ivars->TimerHandler ); IODispatchQueue::Create( "TimerQueue", 0, 0, &ivars->TimerDispatchQueue ); IOTimerDispatchSource::Create( ivars->TimerDispatchQueue, &ivars->TimerDispatchSrc ); I can start up the timer and it works just fine. However, in my Stop() method, when trying to shut the timer down, I get an assertion in OSAction::Cancel() for TimerHandler: Assertion failed: (queue), function Cancel, file uioserver.cpp, line 4401. What does this assertion indicate or is the source code available? If so, where? I'm using macOS 15.5. Note I am attempting to cancel the handler after the dispatch source and queue are canceled and the cleanup methods have been called (which is working). But, cancelling TimerHandler first also asserts.
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95
May ’25
Is it possible to communicate with peripherals through the TypeC port of Apple 15 or above mobile phones?
I need to implement an app that exchanges data with peripherals through TypeC on Apple 15 phones, but I have two questions that I need to ask for help: Which library is used to communicate with peripherals through the TypeC port of the Apple mobile phone? Do peripherals need to pass MFi authentication before they can communicate with the App?
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165
Jun ’25
Technical Inquiry Regarding DriverKit USB Serial Communication Issues on iPadOS
I am currently developing a kiosk system that incorporates an iPad along with a custom peripheral device. The two components are intended to communicate via USB serial. I have encountered a critical issue while working with the official DriverKit sample code provided at the following link: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/driverkit/communicating-between-a-driverkit-extension-and-a-client-app Model info : iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation / M1 chipset) iPadOS 18.4.1 App Stops Functioning After Repeated Builds When I first build and run the sample code without any modifications, it works as expected. However, after making changes and running the app repeatedly on the iPad, it eventually reaches a state where the app stops functioning completely — no logs are printed, and device communication fails. Reinstalling the app or rebooting the iPad does not resolve the issue. Even when I revert to the original, unmodified sample code, the problem persists. Surprisingly, if I generate a new Bundle Identifier, the app functions normally again. I would like to ask: What could be causing this behavior? Have similar cases been reported before? For your reference, I’ve attached a video demonstrating the issue and the source code used during the recording: Source Code: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14whvWwuhrmS5VoR3sSKyNT-GpTPC_c_8/view?usp=sharing Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SfqIkEphSDrvg-CKS6KBcJ1VBP3cPqCC/view?usp=sharing Request for USB Serial Communication Reference Currently, due to the issue above, I am unable to obtain a device instance at all. Even assuming this is resolved, I noticed that the sample code does not include any implementation or reference material for USB serial communication itself. Is there any official sample code or documentation available that demonstrates USB serial communication between an iPad and an external device using DriverKit? Difficulty Debugging Due to Missing os_log Output Another challenge I'm facing is the inability to view os_log output while connecting the USB device to the iPad. This significantly hinders the debugging process during DriverKit development. Are there any recommended or supported methods for accessing logs and debugging effectively in this environment?
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117
Jun ’25
iTunes Asks for an update that doesn't exist
I want to update my iPhone 15 Pro to iOS 26 from iOS 18.5. I downloaded ipsw firmware. But iTunes and Apple Devices App requires update version of app for update to iOS 26. But I use last version of iTunes / Apple Devices, which was realised 2 May, 2025. That mean Apple need to update their apps for adaptation it to iOS 26 update?
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97
Jun ’25
BLE Connection Failure with iPad A16 and Silicon Labs Gecko SDK 3.x Devices
We're seeing a consistent issue where iPads with the A16 chip fail to connect to our BLE device, which uses a Silicon Labs chip running Gecko SDK 3.x. All other Apple devices — including older iPads and iPhones — connect without any problems. According to Silicon Labs, the issue stems from the iPad A16 sending an LL_CHANNEL_REPORTING_IND message (opcode 0x28) during connection establishment: Per Silicon Labs: "Currently the iPad 16 will send a message for LL_CHANNEL_REPORTING_IND (opcode 0x28). This is a feature that is not supported in Gecko SDK 3.x. Shortly after, the BLE module responds with an 'Unknown Response' (opcode 0x07), indicating that it does not support opcode 0x28 After this exchange the iPad stops sending meaningful transactions to the BLE module and eventually closes the connection. The BLE Module is responding to this unknown request as specified in the BT Core Spec Volume 6 Part B." Unfortunately, the firmware on these BLE modules cannot be updated remotely, and we've already shipped several thousand units to customers. Given how widely Silicon Labs' BLE modules are deployed, we suspect this issue could be affecting many other developers and products as well. We’re hoping Apple might offer a workaround or allow us access — even internally or unofficially — to suppress or bypass this feature in CoreBluetooth for this specific scenario. For example, is there a way to disable LL_CHANNEL_REPORTING_IND or instruct the stack to ignore the unknown response from the peripheral? We’re open to any workaround via CoreBluetooth (even private APIs or entitlements, if necessary) that would allow us to preserve compatibility without a mass recall. If there's an Apple engineer monitoring this, we'd be extremely grateful for guidance or escalation. Thank you!
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197
Jul ’25
DEXT crashes when app starting
We have developed the driver for the ProCapture video capture card based on PCIDriverKit. The App can communicate with the driver through the UserClient API. Currently, there is an issue where, when the App starts, there is a small probability that it causes a driver crash. However, the crash stack trace does not point to our code but appears to be within the PCIDriverKit framework. We have spent several weeks debugging but still cannot identify the root cause of the crash. Could you please review the crash log and suggest any methods to help pinpoint the issue? com.magewell.ProCaptureDriver-2025-09-15-153522.ips com.magewell.ProCaptureDriver-2025-09-15-082500.ips
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188
Oct ’25
DriverKit. Plug/unplug test leads to MacOS panic
Dear Apple engineers, We have developed a DriverKit (DEXT) driver for an HBA RAID controller. The RAID controller is connected to hosts through Thunderbolt (PCIe port of the Thunderbolt controller). We do plug/unplug tests to verify the developed driver. The test always fails in about 100 cycles with a MacOS crash (panic). The panic contains “LLC Bus error (Unavailable) from cpu0: FAR=0xa40100008 LLC_ERR_STS/ADR/INF=0x80/0x300480a40100008/0x1400000005 addr=0xa40100008 cmd=0x18(ACC_CIFL2C_CMD_RD_LD: request for load miss in E or S state)” At first we assumed that the issue is with hardware. But we did this test on different hosts (MacMini M3 and M4) with different units of our device. The error points to the same physical address FAR=0xa40100008 even if the hosts are different. The 2 full panic logs are attached (one for M4, another one for M3 host). Could you share your understanding of the crash and give any hints on how we can fix it? Please let us know if you need any additional data. Thank you M3 panic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GJXd3tTW6ajdrHpFsJxO_tWWYKYIgcMc/view?usp=share_link M4 panic: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SU-3aBSdhLsyhhxsLknzw9wGvBQ9TbJC/view?usp=share_link
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177
Oct ’25
How to allocate contiguous memory in DriverKit?
We want to allocate a block of contiguous memory (≤1M) for audio ring DMA usage, but we haven't found any explicit method in the DriverKit documentation for allocating contiguous memory. I'm aware that IOBufferMemoryDescriptor::Create can be used in DriverKit to allocate memory and share it with user space. However, is the allocated memory physically contiguous? Can it guarantee that when I subsequently call PrepareForDMA in IODMACommand, there will be only one segment? Could you please help review this? Thank you!
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111
Oct ’25
Disable ISO15693Tag Popup
Dear Apple CS, I’m working with NFC ISO15693 tags using NFCTagReaderSession / NFCISO15693Tag, and I’d like to read these tags in the background if possible. Is there any way to read this tag type without triggering the system NFC popup that iOS normally shows? Please note it will not be a public app, the app is meant for internal use for our employees only. is there an option to submit a special request for this use case? Thank you in advance!
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3d
Implementing a virtual serial port using DriverKit/SerialDriverKit
I'm trying to implement a virtual serial port driver for my ham radio projects which require emulating some serial port devices and I need to have a "backend" to translate the commands received by the virtual serial port into some network-based communications. I think the best way to do that is to subclass IOUserSerial? Based on the available docs on this class (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/serialdriverkit/iouserserial), I've done the basic implementation below. When the driver gets loaded, I can see sth like tty.serial-1000008DD in /dev and I can use picocom to do I/O on the virtual serial port. And I see TxDataAvailable() gets called every time I type a character in picocom. The problems are however, firstly, when TxDataAvailable() is called, the TX buffer is all-zero so although the driver knows there is some incoming data received from picocom, it cannot actually see the data in neither Tx/Rx buffers. Secondly, I couldn't figure out how to notify the system that there are data available for sending back to picocom. I call RxDataAvailable(), but nothing appears on picocom, and RxFreeSpaceAvailable() never gets called back. So I think I must be doing something wrong somewhere. Really appreciate it if anyone could point out how should I fix it, many thanks! VirtualSerialPortDriver.cpp: constexpr int bufferSize = 2048; using SerialPortInterface = driverkit::serial::SerialPortInterface; struct VirtualSerialPortDriver_IVars {     IOBufferMemoryDescriptor *ifmd, *rxq, *txq;     SerialPortInterface *interface;     uint64_t rx_buf, tx_buf;     bool dtr, rts; }; bool VirtualSerialPortDriver::init() {     bool result = false;     result = super::init();     if (result != true)     {         goto Exit;     }     ivars = IONewZero(VirtualSerialPortDriver_IVars, 1);     if (ivars == nullptr)     {         goto Exit;     }     kern_return_t ret;     ret = ivars->rxq->Create(kIOMemoryDirectionInOut, bufferSize, 0, &ivars->rxq);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     }     ret = ivars->txq->Create(kIOMemoryDirectionInOut, bufferSize, 0, &ivars->txq);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     }     IOAddressSegment ioaddrseg;     ivars->rxq->GetAddressRange(&ioaddrseg);     ivars->rx_buf = ioaddrseg.address;     ivars->txq->GetAddressRange(&ioaddrseg);     ivars->tx_buf = ioaddrseg.address;     return true; Exit:     return false; } kern_return_t IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, HwActivate) {     kern_return_t ret;     ret = HwActivate(SUPERDISPATCH);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     }     // Loopback, set CTS to RTS, set DSR and DCD to DTR     ret = SetModemStatus(ivars->rts, ivars->dtr, false, ivars->dtr);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     } Exit:     return ret; } kern_return_t IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, HwDeactivate) {     kern_return_t ret;     ret = HwDeactivate(SUPERDISPATCH);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     } Exit:     return ret; } kern_return_t IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, Start) {     kern_return_t ret;   ret = Start(provider, SUPERDISPATCH);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         return ret;     }     IOMemoryDescriptor *rxq_, *txq_;     ret = ConnectQueues(&ivars->ifmd, &rxq_, &txq_, ivars->rxq, ivars->txq, 0, 0, 11, 11);     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         return ret;     }     IOAddressSegment ioaddrseg;     ivars->ifmd->GetAddressRange(&ioaddrseg);     ivars->interface = reinterpret_cast<SerialPortInterface*>(ioaddrseg.address);     SerialPortInterface &intf = *ivars->interface;     ret = RegisterService();     if (ret != kIOReturnSuccess) {         goto Exit;     }     TxFreeSpaceAvailable(); Exit:     return ret; } void IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, TxDataAvailable) {     SerialPortInterface &intf = *ivars->interface;     // Loopback     // FIXME consider wrapped case     size_t tx_buf_sz = intf.txPI - intf.txCI;     void *src = reinterpret_cast<void *>(ivars->tx_buf + intf.txCI); //    char src[] = "Hello, World!";     void *dest = reinterpret_cast<void *>(ivars->rx_buf + intf.rxPI);     memcpy(dest, src, tx_buf_sz);     intf.rxPI += tx_buf_sz;     RxDataAvailable();     intf.txCI = intf.txPI;     TxFreeSpaceAvailable();     Log("[TX Buf]: %{public}s", reinterpret_cast<char *>(ivars->tx_buf));     Log("[RX Buf]: %{public}s", reinterpret_cast<char *>(ivars->rx_buf)); // dmesg confirms both buffers are all-zero     Log("[TX] txPI: %d, txCI: %d, rxPI: %d, rxCI: %d, txqoffset: %d, rxqoffset: %d, txlogsz: %d, rxlogsz: %d",         intf.txPI, intf.txCI, intf.rxPI, intf.rxCI, intf.txqoffset, intf.rxqoffset, intf.txqlogsz, intf.rxqlogsz); } void IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, RxFreeSpaceAvailable) {     Log("RxFreeSpaceAvailable() called!"); } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwResetFIFO){     Log("HwResetFIFO() called with tx: %d, rx: %d!", tx, rx);     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwSendBreak){     Log("HwSendBreak() called!");     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwProgramUART){     Log("HwProgramUART() called, BaudRate: %u, nD: %d, nS: %d, P: %d!", baudRate, nDataBits, nHalfStopBits, parity);     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; }      kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwProgramBaudRate){     Log("HwProgramBaudRate() called, BaudRate = %d!", baudRate);     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwProgramMCR){     Log("HwProgramMCR() called, DTR: %d, RTS: %d!", dtr, rts);     ivars->dtr = dtr;     ivars->rts = rts;     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; Exit:     return ret; } kern_return_t  IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver, HwGetModemStatus){     *cts = ivars->rts;     *dsr = ivars->dtr;     *ri = false;     *dcd = ivars->dtr;     Log("HwGetModemStatus() called, returning CTS=%d, DSR=%d, RI=%d, DCD=%d!", *cts, *dsr, *ri, *dcd);     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwProgramLatencyTimer){     Log("HwProgramLatencyTimer() called!");     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess;     return ret; } kern_return_t   IMPL(VirtualSerialPortDriver,HwProgramFlowControl){     Log("HwProgramFlowControl() called! arg: %u, xon: %d, xoff: %d", arg, xon, xoff);     kern_return_t ret = kIOReturnSuccess; Exit:     return ret; }
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0
2.1k
Feb ’25
Looking for USBSerialDriver sample code
I would like to write a driver that supports our custom USB-C connected device, which provides a serial port interface. USBSerialDriverKit looks like the solution I need. Unfortunately, without a decent sample, I'm not sure how to accomplish this. The DriverKit documentation does a good job of telling me what APIs exist but it is very light on semantic information and details about how to use all of these API elements. A function call with five unexplained parameters just is that useful to me. Does anyone have or know of a resource that can help me figure out how to get started?
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696
Feb ’25
IOUSBHostInterface::Open for interrupt interfaces works on iPad Air but not iPad Pro
I am trying to open the CommunicationControl class IOUSBHostInterface in my USB driver, but it only seems to open on iPad Airs and not iPad Pros. I'm calling ivars->interruptInterface->Open(this, 0, NULL); After retrieving the interruptInterface from the device's InterfaceIterator. I try and open this, but on iPad Pros it returns kIOReturnNotOpen. I've tried closing and reopening the IOUSBHostDevice, closing and reopening the Interface, AbortDeviceRequests before opening, etc. but it just seems to work on iPad Air and not iPad Pro. I've tried on both iPadOS 17.6.1 and 18.2 Has anyone else seen this?
1
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626
Dec ’24
How to get my extension’s process ID of the dext for debugging with lldb
I've asked this question in Stackoverflow, but no response, so I ask for help in here. I follow this guide Debugging and testing system extensions, and try to debug my dext code. In the Attach the debugger to your system extension, it said After your system extension launches, run the ps command-line tool and note your extension’s process ID. This is the current output for my dext status % systemextensionsctl list 1 extension(s) --- com.apple.system_extension.driver_extension enabled active teamID bundleID (version) name [state] * * K3TDMD9Y6B com.accusys.scsidriver (1.0/1) com.accusys.scsidriver [activated enabled] and I used the ps command but nothing happen, I can not get my extension’s process ID. ps aux | grep com.accusys.scsidriver or ps -ef | grep com.accusys.scsidriver How to do that? Any suggestion is appreciated.
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673
Dec ’24
Driver build does not get updated during Development
Hey, I'currently working on a Driver (and its App) for iPadOS (USB Device). I think have the right entitlements, as my driver gets installed with the app properly (after accepting it in the settings). It also gets loaded once the device is plugged in and so on. However the Kernel is not using the updated Version after I install a new Version of App and Driver to the iPad (at least most of the times). I'm verifying this by reading out the Logs via Console and the Driver prints its Build number on Start(). Sometimes it works like it should but I found no pattern. As far as I understand the iPad should automatically install the new Version of the Driver with the new App if its Build is different from the current one. I'm incrementing the Build of App and Driver automatically post-build so each build the iPad gets has its own Build number (This also works). Steps to reproduce: Cleaning Xcode Build Folder Unplugging the USB Device from the iPad. Building and Installing a new Version of the Driver and the App via Xcode (making sure the build number has changed) Plugging the USB back into the iPad Reading Console output of the iPad However it works (each time if I: Uninstall the app from the iPad manually or via Devices in Xcode Build and install the App via Xcode Open the Settings App and activate the Driver But uninstalling the App each time is taking a lot of time and manual Steps so I would like to fix this issue. Do you have any Ideas? Thanks, Bjarne
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679
Dec ’24
NSInternalInconsistencyException Call must be made on main thread
#4 Thread NSInternalInconsistencyException Call must be made on main thread CoreFoundation ___exceptionPreprocess + 164 libsystem_pthread.dylib _start_wqthread + 8 #0 Thread semaphore_wait_trap libsystem_kernel.dylib semaphore_wait_trap + 8 libdispatch.dylib 0x00000001b96ed000 + 457547470247841612 UnityFramework Staticburst_initialize + 17597401577822386088 UnityFramework DllCanUnloadNow + 52172 UnityFramework. DllCanUnloadNow + 51292 UnityFramework DllCanUnloadNow + 421068 UnityFramework. Unityplcrash_async_mach_exception_get_siginfo + 5073080 UnityFramework. GlobalizationNative_GetTimeZoneDisplayName + 1585284 UnityFramework. GlobalizationNative_GetTimeZoneDisplayName + 926212 UnityFramework. 0x000000010ce18000 + 77478852 UnityFramework. GlobalizationNative_GetTimeZoneDisplayName + 124804 UnityFramework. GlobalizationNative_GetTimeZoneDisplayName + 124592 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 2445400 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 2502608 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 2556896 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 2555820 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 211836 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 1216980 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 1145620 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 1145684 UnityFramework. _ZdaPvRKSt9nothrow_t + 1146408 UnityFramework. UnitySendMessage + 6940844 UnityFramework. _Z12DecodeBase64PKhPhi + 138076 QuartzCore. 0x00000001b2d06000 + 193228 UIKitCore. UIApplicationMain + 1589427071078105428 UnityFramework. _Z12DecodeBase64PKhPhi + 11056988545834161928
1
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571
Dec ’24
Crash in IOService::Create
I am getting an unexpected crash from IOService::Create() when attempting to create a new user-client. The crash is a nullptr exception in OSCopyInObjects(). The last call from my code was IOService::Create(). As far as I can tell, all the input parameters to Create() are correct, and the Info.plist is has the correct key and class information - indeed, if I corrupt these I get an error status return rather than a crash. Any suggestions as to what could be causing this? I suspect that the problem may be related from a change in the underlying application that is creating the user client. This was modified from a standard app to a daemon, following the advice here: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/signing-a-daemon-with-a-restricted-entitlement. However, it is the driver that crashes - not the host opening the user client.
1
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494
Jan ’25