New hardware
A driver is needed for PCIe, USB, network, character or block devices.
LINUX KERNEL DEVELOPMENT
Custom Linux driver and kernel module development
System components for hardware, networking, storage and data protection — designed for kernel lifecycle, concurrency, performance and maintainable releases.
When it is needed
Typical Linux kernel-level problems
A proprietary data path
The product needs a module for storage, encryption, packet processing, a virtual device or event interception.
Kernel updates break the code
An out-of-tree module depends on internal APIs, unstable structures, a specific configuration or distribution build.
Scope
What Linux kernel development can include
- PCIe, USB, platform drivers, character, block and network devices
- DMA, IRQ/MSI-X, NAPI, workqueues, timers and multithreading
- sysfs, ioctl, mmap, netlink, debugfs and user-mode interfaces
- BIO, request queues, device mapper, file systems and virtual devices
- Porting across kernels and distributions, DKMS and packaging
- perf, ftrace, eBPF, crash, lockdep, sanitizers and load testing
Engineering process
Module reliability depends on more than the fast path
Kernel boundary
Public interfaces are preferred, dependencies on internal structures are minimized and the supported-version matrix is explicit.
Lifecycle
probe/remove, open/release, suspend/resume, hot unplug and resource-release ordering.
Data path
Copy or zero-copy, queues, backpressure, batching, NUMA, cache locality and execution-context constraints.
Concurrency
Spinlocks, mutexes, RCU, atomics, reference counting, memory ordering and race detection.
Diagnostics
Tracing, counters, fault injection, lockdep, KASAN/KCSAN and crash-dump analysis.
Maintenance
CI builds, DKMS or packages, test kernels, documentation and an update strategy.
PROJECT EXAMPLE
What a verifiable result looks like
The anonymized example shows the form of the outcome and validation without exposing a customer or confidential code.
Initial situation
An out-of-tree module built for only one kernel and broke after distribution updates because it depended on unstable internal APIs.
Work performed
The kernel boundary was reduced, version-specific calls were isolated, and multi-branch builds plus lifecycle tests were added.
Result
Kernel updates no longer required a broad module rewrite; incompatibilities were confined to a small adapter.
Validation
CI builds across the kernel matrix, load and unload under traffic, and validation of both fast and error paths.
How to start
The first stage reduces the most expensive technical risk
Architecture audit
Kernel APIs, lifecycle, concurrency, compatibility and test plan.
Port or stabilize
Build on the target kernel, reproduce the defect, fix it and run regression tests.
Vertical prototype
Initialization, basic I/O, user interface and performance validation.
The minimum paid engagement is three working days, starting from RUB 200,000 or the equivalent in another currency. After a short introductory call, scope, deliverable, validation method and price are fixed.
Before the project starts
Linux driver development FAQ
Can one module support several distributions?
Yes, but the actual kernel versions, configurations and update rules must be defined. A distribution name alone is not enough to assess compatibility.
Is DKMS required?
DKMS is useful for out-of-tree modules that must rebuild after kernel updates. A controlled appliance or custom OS image may be better served by a package tied to a fixed kernel matrix.
Can one codebase support many kernel versions?
Usually within a reasonable range, if a compatibility layer isolates API differences and unnecessary internal dependencies are avoided. Unlimited compatibility is not free.
How is performance validated?
A reproducible workload is defined first. CPU, latency, throughput, queues, cache behavior and NUMA are measured before and after changes using the same test and regression criteria.
Engagement model
KernelSoft is an independent expert practice
Maxim personally leads architecture, critical implementation, diagnostics and final technical validation. Additional engineers or domain specialists are involved only with the customer’s agreement and with explicit roles and responsibility.
28+years of experience
60+patents
14years at Acronis
2 400+citations
Discuss the project
Describe the device, target Linux kernels and required data path
Include the platform, what already exists, where the problem occurs, the target load and the acceptance criterion. This is enough to choose a sensible first stage and validation method.
Target response time: one business dayNext: a short introduction → an NDA if needed → agreement on the first stage.