Share USB device over network using usbip utility.
Preliminary notes
The following example is based on Ubuntu 21.10 using 5.13.0-27-generic #29-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jan 12 17:36:47 UTC 2022 kernel.
$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available. Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 21.10 Release: 21.10 Codename: impish
$ uname -a
Linux milosz-IdeaCentre-5-14IOB6 5.13.0-27-generic #29-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jan 12 17:36:47 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Common steps
Install linux-tools-common package as it contains usbip utility.
$ sudo apt install linux-tools-common
Determine if all dependencies are installed.
$ usbip version
WARNING: usbip not found for kernel 5.13.0-27
You may need to install the following packages for this specific kernel:
linux-tools-5.13.0-27-generic
linux-cloud-tools-5.13.0-27-generic
You may also want to install one of the following packages to keep up to date:
linux-tools-generic
linux-cloud-tools-generic
Install missing dependencies.
$ sudo apt install linux-tools-generic linux-cloud-tools-generic
Fix missing list of USB ID’s.
$ sudo mkdir /usr/share/hwdata
$ sudo ln -s /usr/share/misc/usb.ids /usr/share/hwdata/usb.ids
Ensure that required modules will load at boot.
$ cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/usbip.conf usbip_core usbip_host vhci_hcd EOF
Restart systemd-modules-load service to load these modules without reboot.
$ sudo systemctl restart systemd-modules-load.service
Ensure that usbip utility can be executed.
$ usbip version
usbip (usbip-utils 2.0)
Configure server
Create systemd service for USB/IP server daemon.
$ cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/usbipd.service [Unit] Description=USB/IP server daemon After=network.target [Service] Type=simple Restart=always ExecStart=/usr/bin/usbipd [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target EOF
Create a template service for binding targets.
$ cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/usbip-bind@.service [Unit] Description=USB/IP server After=network.target usbipd.service Requires=usbipd.service [Service] Type=simple ExecStart=/usr/bin/usbip bind --busid %i ExecStop=/usr/bin/usbip unbind --busid %i RemainAfterExit=yes Restart=on-failure [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target EOF
Reload systemd manager configuration.
$ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
USB/IP server daemon is disabled by default.
$ systemctl status usbipd.service
○ usbipd.service - USB/IP server daemon
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/usbipd.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: inactive (dead)
Enable USB/IP server daemon service.
$ sudo systemctl enable --now usbipd.service
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/usbipd.service → /etc/systemd/system/usbipd.service.
Inspect USB/IP server daemon status.
$ systemctl status usbipd.service
● usbipd.service - USB/IP server daemon
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/usbipd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2022-01-23 14:49:02 CET; 1min 12s ago
Main PID: 2281034 (usbipd)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 18955)
Memory: 332.0K
CPU: 5ms
CGroup: /system.slice/usbipd.service
└─2281034 /usr/lib/linux-tools/5.13.0-25-generic/usbipd
sty 23 14:49:02 desktop systemd[1]: Started USB/IP server daemon.
sty 23 14:49:02 desktop usbipd[2281034]: usbipd: info: starting usbipd (usbip-utils 2.0)
sty 23 14:49:02 desktop usbipd[2281034]: usbipd: info: listening on 0.0.0.0:3240
sty 23 14:49:02 desktop usbipd[2281034]: usbipd: info: listening on :::3240
Display USB devices.
$ lsusb
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:8000 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 006: ID 1050:0407 Yubico.com Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:8008 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Display exportable USB devices.
$ usbip list --local
- busid 1-1.6 (1050:0407) Yubico.com : Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID (1050:0407)
Display exportable USB devices using machine-friendly format.
$ usbip list --parsable --local
busid=1-1.6#usbid=1050:0407#
Bind a device using systemd template service.
$ sudo systemctl enable --now usbip-bind@1-1.6
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/usbip-bind@1-1.6.service → /etc/systemd/system/usbip-bind@.service.
Inspect service status.
$ sudo systemctl status usbip-bind@1-1.6
● usbip-bind@1-1.6.service - USB/IP server
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/usbip-bind@.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (exited) since Sun 2022-01-23 14:55:46 CET; 13s ago
Process: 2282127 ExecStart=/usr/bin/usbip bind --busid 1-1.6 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 2282127 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
CPU: 4ms
sty 23 14:55:46 desktop systemd[1]: Started USB/IP server.
sty 23 14:55:46 desktop usbip[2282127]: usbip: info: bind device on busid 1-1.6: complete
Display exported USB devices.
$ usbip list --remote=localhost
Exportable USB devices
======================
- localhost
1-1.6: Yubico.com : Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID (1050:0407)
: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.6
: (Defined at Interface level) (00/00/00)
Configure client
Display USB devices.
$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:0129 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5129 Card Reader Controller Bus 001 Device 008: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub Bus 001 Device 006: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub Bus 001 Device 010: ID 046d:c52b Logitech, Inc. Unifying Receiver Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Display USB devices exported on remote server.
$ usbip list --remote dell
Exportable USB devices
======================
- dell
1-1.6: Yubico.com : Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID (1050:0407)
: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.6
: (Defined at Interface level) (00/00/00)
Attach specific device.
$ sudo usbip attach --remote dell --busid 1-1.6
Display attached devices.
$ sudo usbip port
Imported USB devices
====================
Port 00: <Port in Use> at Full Speed(12Mbps)
Yubico.com : Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID (1050:0407)
3-1 -> usbip://dell:3240/1-1.6
-> remote bus/dev 001/006
Display USB devices.
$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 003 Device 002: ID 1050:0407 Yubico.com Yubikey 4/5 OTP+U2F+CCID Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:0129 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTS5129 Card Reader Controller Bus 001 Device 008: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub Bus 001 Device 006: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub Bus 001 Device 010: ID 046d:c52b Logitech, Inc. Unifying Receiver Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Use the device freely.
Detach device after using it.
$ sudo usbip detach --port 00
usbip: info: Port 0 is now detached!
Create a template service for atta.
$ cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/usbip-attach@.service [Unit] Description=USB/IP bind service After=network.target Requires=usbipd.service [Service] Type=simple ExecStart=/usr/bin/usbip bind --busid %i ExecStop=/usr/bin/usbip unbind --busid %i RemainAfterExit=yes Restart=on-failure [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target EOF
Reload systemd manager configuration.
$ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
Additional notes
Use firewall and create a whitelist on the server to protect USB/IP server daemon port on the local network/vpn.
The systemd template service for client can be created by using a dedicated environment file as a parameter, inside you can define remote server and USB bus id.
I am using it for simple input devices like Logitech unifying receiver and it works flawlessy.
The vhci_hcd module is required on the client side.
