Using Claude Code to modernize a forgotten Linux kernel driver
3 days ago
- #linux-kernel
- #data-recovery
- #vintage-computing
- The author enjoys recovering data from old QIC-80 tapes, a popular backup medium from the 1990s.
- QIC-80 tapes connect to the floppy controller, a cost-saving measure that limited data transfer speeds to around 500 Kbps.
- The ftape driver is essential for reading QIC-80 tapes in Linux but was unsupported after the year 2000.
- The author modernized the ftape driver using Claude Code, enabling it to work with modern Linux kernels.
- Claude Code helped update deprecated kernel functions and structures, making the driver compatible with kernel version 6.8.
- The modernized ftape driver can now be compiled as a standalone loadable kernel module (.ko).
- The author collaborated with Claude Code, treating it like a junior engineer, to debug and refine the driver.
- The updated ftape driver successfully detects and dumps data from QIC-80 tapes on modern Linux systems.
- The author highlights the importance of specificity and domain knowledge when working with AI coding tools.
- The experience sparked the author's interest in kernel development and demonstrated the potential of AI as a learning aid.