cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

[Ruinskiy, Dima]

Hi Oliver, how are you?

You are listed at the maintainer for the cdc_ncm and usbnet Linux drivers.

The cdc_ncm driver has only had a handful of changes in recent years, as 
the spec too has not been updated for some time.

Recently, the USB NCM workgroup has finished and published a major 
revision to the spec - NCM 1.1 - with several new features as well as 
data path updates.

The new revision is available here:
https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-communications-class-subclass-specifications-network-control-model-devices-v11

An "executive summary" is here:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mcci-corporation_usb-if-compliance-workshop-139-activity-7335815355266719744-BAdf/

There are on-going initiatives to update the Windows and MacOS NCM 
drivers to support the new 1.1 features.

Do you know of any plans to update the Linux driver as well? I expect 
there will be some inquiries as soon as the first NCM1.1-capable devices 
appear, which may happen already next year.

CC-ing Terry and Maze who have been active participants in the NCM 
workgroup and expressed interest in Linux support.

Cheers!

--Dima
(Intel Ethernet driver developer and NCM 1.1 spec co-author)

Re: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

[Greg KH]

On Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 03:18:07PM +0300, Ruinskiy, Dima wrote:
> Hi Oliver, how are you?
> 
> You are listed at the maintainer for the cdc_ncm and usbnet Linux drivers.
> 
> The cdc_ncm driver has only had a handful of changes in recent years, as the
> spec too has not been updated for some time.
> 
> Recently, the USB NCM workgroup has finished and published a major revision
> to the spec - NCM 1.1 - with several new features as well as data path
> updates.
> 
> The new revision is available here:
> https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-communications-class-subclass-specifications-network-control-model-devices-v11
> 
> An "executive summary" is here:
> https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mcci-corporation_usb-if-compliance-workshop-139-activity-7335815355266719744-BAdf/
> 
> There are on-going initiatives to update the Windows and MacOS NCM drivers
> to support the new 1.1 features.
> 
> Do you know of any plans to update the Linux driver as well? I expect there
> will be some inquiries as soon as the first NCM1.1-capable devices appear,
> which may happen already next year.

Patches are always gladly accepted to add new support like this, thanks!  :)

greg k-h

RE: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

[Terry Moore]

Thanks Greg, Oliver,

I'm the NCM committee chair. 

Of course, if people can get funding, patches will be pushed. That's not
really the reason for establishing the connection.

We're working on an interop test in December. We really hope to find any
active open-source developers so we get them involved in the interop
testing. 

Best regards,
--Terry

Contact Info 
Terrill M. Moore 
CEO | MCCI Corporation | tmm@mcci.com | www.mcci.com   
mobile:  +1-607-703-9582 | https://linkedin.com/in/terrillmoore
Initiator, The Things Network New York | https://thethings.nyc 
Initiator, The Things Network Ithaca | https://ttni.tech 
  
Ithaca Office 
MCCI Corporation, 3520 Krums Corners Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 
+1-607-277-1029 x118 

New York City Office 
MCCI Corporation, 1140 Avenue of the Americas, 9F, New York, NY 10036 
+1-646-380-6643


-----Original Message-----
From: Greg KH <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 08:29
To: Ruinskiy, Dima <dima.ruinskiy@intel.com>
Cc: Oliver Neukum <oliver@neukum.org>; Oliver Neukum <oneukum@suse.com>;
Maciej Żenczykowski <maze@google.com>; Terry Moore <tmm@mcci.com>;
linux-usb@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

On Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 03:18:07PM +0300, Ruinskiy, Dima wrote:
> Hi Oliver, how are you?
> 
> You are listed at the maintainer for the cdc_ncm and usbnet Linux drivers.
> 
> The cdc_ncm driver has only had a handful of changes in recent years, as
the
> spec too has not been updated for some time.
> 
> Recently, the USB NCM workgroup has finished and published a major
revision
> to the spec - NCM 1.1 - with several new features as well as data path
> updates.
> 
> The new revision is available here:
>
https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-communications-class-subclass-speci
fications-network-control-model-devices-v11
> 
> An "executive summary" is here:
>
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mcci-corporation_usb-if-compliance-workshop-1
39-activity-7335815355266719744-BAdf/
> 
> There are on-going initiatives to update the Windows and MacOS NCM drivers
> to support the new 1.1 features.
> 
> Do you know of any plans to update the Linux driver as well? I expect
there
> will be some inquiries as soon as the first NCM1.1-capable devices appear,
> which may happen already next year.

Patches are always gladly accepted to add new support like this, thanks!  :)

greg k-h

Re: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

['Greg KH']

On Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 10:38:05AM -0400, Terry Moore wrote:
> Thanks Greg, Oliver,
> 
> I'm the NCM committee chair. 

Great!

> Of course, if people can get funding, patches will be pushed. That's not
> really the reason for establishing the connection.

We work off of patches, you all know this :)

> We're working on an interop test in December. We really hope to find any
> active open-source developers so we get them involved in the interop
> testing. 

Do you have devices that we can test changes with?  Without that, it's
going to be hard to implement anything.

thanks,

greg k-h

RE: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

[Terry Moore]

Hi Greg,

>> We're working on an interop test in December. We really hope to find any
>> active open-source developers so we get them involved in the interop
>> testing. 

> Do you have devices that we can test changes with?  Without that, it's
> going to be hard to implement anything.

Member companies are working on devices. MCCI plans to have a test device;
we've sampled to a couple of the member companies. It's a USB 3.2 gen2
device for engineering purposes, MCCI's Model 3411 board with updated
firmware. 

I'll ask at the Thursday meeting if there's any other info I should share
from other companies that might help with testing in the open-source area.

Best regards,
--Terry

Re: cdc_ncm driver and NCM 1.1 revision

[Oliver Neukum]

On 22.10.25 20:24, Terry Moore wrote:
> Hi Greg,
> 
>>> We're working on an interop test in December. We really hope to find any
>>> active open-source developers so we get them involved in the interop
>>> testing.
> 
>> Do you have devices that we can test changes with?  Without that, it's
>> going to be hard to implement anything.
> 
> Member companies are working on devices. MCCI plans to have a test device;
> we've sampled to a couple of the member companies. It's a USB 3.2 gen2
> device for engineering purposes, MCCI's Model 3411 board with updated
> firmware.
I have looked at the spec and this is best coupled with a revamp
of the API between usbnet and minidrivers. Other than that without
a test device this would be hard to support.

	Regards
		Oliver