OS X Driver Programming Workshop
Duration: 3 days

Back to course list Home
Synopsis This course takes a practical approach to device driver construction in OS X. Focusing on aspects of driver architecture, IOKit APIs, and just enough of the overall kernel structure required in order to interface correctly and create a stable, functional device driver.
Target Audience OS X developers - Interested in writing specific device drivers and kernel extensions
Prerequisites
Objectives
  • Gain intimate familiarity with the XNU Kernel, specifically its I/O kit driver runtime
  • Create a fully functional virtual device driver
  • Explain the various Kernel subsystems, including the task scheduler, and virtual memory manager
Exercises This course allocates plenty of time for hands- on practice.
The hands-on exercises in this course include a large rolling exercise:
  • Creating a Kernel Extension
  • Turning the extension onto a character device driver
  • Passing data from user mode to Kernel mode and back using I/O Kit
  • Responding to power management events
  • Responding to plug and play events
Modules
1. OS X Architectural Overview
1-2 hours
Introduction to the Architecture of OS X
  • The Darwin environment
    • XNU: The Kernel
      • Micro vs. Monolithic Kernels
        • Review of prerequisites
          2. The XNU Source
          1 hours
          		Making sense of the XNU source, we discuss its directory structure, and how to navigate it. Unlike Linux, which has the Linux Cross Reference, OS X's XNU, while as formidable, has no such tools.
          • Obtaining the latest source code
            • Navigating the source: What's in each directory?
              • Compiling the Kernel
                • The Kernel debug kit

                  Exercises include:
                  • Compiling the Kernel and adding symbol information
                  3. Programming KEXTs
                  2 (3) hours
                  		Kernel Extensions, or "KEXTs", are the Mac OS equivalent of Kernel modules. In this module, we detail the architecture of KEXTs, commands used to manipulate them, and the process of creating one.
                  • Anatomy of a Kernel Extension
                    • KEXT related commands:
                      • kextk
                        • kextstat
                          • kextload/kextutil
                            • kextfind
                            • Building your first KEXT:
                              • The Entry and exit
                                • The Info.plist
                                  • Handling dependencies

                                  Exercises include:
                                  • Using OSKext APIs to display loaded extensions
                                  • Creating a simple Kernel Extension
                                  4. Kernel Survival Guide
                                  2 hours
                                  		The Kernel is a very inhospitable environment. In user space, we have rock solid isolation. A crash in a process doesn't usually affect the system at all. In the Kernel, however, a single transgression causes a system panic. In this module, we show the dos and don'ts of Kernel programming, focusing on the APIs available for kernel developers, as well as common tasks in the Kernel.
                                  • Kernel programming constraints
                                    • LibKern and other APIs available
                                      • Threading and synchronization
                                        • Atomic operations
                                          • IOLog and output to dmesg
                                            Day 2
                                            5. Kernel/User Mode APIs
                                            2 (3) hours
                                            		Sooner or later, Kernel code needs to communicate with user space. This is usually because the Kernel is meant to serve user mode requests. In this module, we explore the various models of User-Kernel mode communication OS X has to offer, including:
                                            • System calls, both Mach and BSD
                                              • The Kernel implementation of System Calls
                                                • SysCTLs
                                                  • IOCTLs
                                                    • OS X's Kernel-User Notification (KUNC)

                                                      Exercises include:
                                                      • Creating a custom SysCTL
                                                      6. I/O Kit
                                                      2 (4) hours
                                                      		The I/O Kit is a complete driver runtime environment contained in XNU. I/O Kit is object oriented, and makes the development of drivers easier and, in many ways safer, by relying on object oriented concepts such as inheritance and overloading. In this module, we investigate the I/O Kit in depth, and create a sample I/O Kit driver
                                                      • Introducing I/O Kit
                                                        • The I/O Kit base classes
                                                          • IOService and your driver
                                                            • The IOWorkLoop
                                                              • Interrupt Sources
                                                                • Timer Sources
                                                                  • Command Gates
                                                                  • Creating your sample driver
                                                                    • The Entry and exit
                                                                      • The Info.plist
                                                                        • Driver personalities
                                                                          • Handling dependencies

                                                                          Exercises include:
                                                                          • Creating a sample I/O Kit driver for a virtual device
                                                                          7. Memory Management and Synchronization
                                                                          2 hours
                                                                          		Allocating memory in kernel mode, and specifically using IOMemory APIs Kernel Zones Kalloc IOMalloc Synchronization and threading
                                                                          • Responding to device addition & removal
                                                                            • Responding to power management events
                                                                              Day 3
                                                                              8. Plug & Play
                                                                              2 (4) hours
                                                                              		Advanced features of I/O Kit drivers, including:
                                                                              • Responding to device addition & removal
                                                                                • Responding to power management events

                                                                                  Exercises include:
                                                                                  • Extending the I/O Kit driver to support PnP
                                                                                  9. Specific Drivers
                                                                                  2 (4) hours
                                                                                  		Brief of specific IO Families
                                                                                  • Serial Port Drivers
                                                                                    • PCI Express
                                                                                      • Thunderbolt
                                                                                        • Networking

                                                                                          Exercises include:
                                                                                          • Extending IOSerialFamily
                                                                                          10. Kernel Debugging Techniques
                                                                                          2 (4) hours
                                                                                          		Handling the ugly side of kernel programming - when bugs and panics occur
                                                                                          • The Kernel Debug Kit
                                                                                            • Debugging over Serial or FireWire
                                                                                              • KDP
                                                                                                • Panics and dumps
                                                                                                  • The KDebug facility
                                                                                                    • Various kernel debug flags

                                                                                                      Exercises include:
                                                                                                      • Debugging the Mac OS X Kernel