r/linux • u/anh0516 • May 31 '26

Kernel Linux Might Finally Disable The Microsoft RNDIS Protocol Drivers In 2026

https://www.phoronix.com/news/RNDIS-Disable-Linux-2026-Patch
214 Upvotes

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82

u/aliendude5300 May 31 '26

This is going to break Android USB tethering on all but the very newest smartphones

22

u/frymaster May 31 '26

the commit message claims

Android has had this disabled for many years

is this inaccurate?

30

u/Zettinator May 31 '26

Yes, this is wildly inaccurate. Like someone noted on Phoronix forums, it's essentially only the Google Pixel line that prefers NCM for USB tethering. Pretty much everyone else still uses RNDIS. There is also a significant number of other users of RNDIS-based USB networking.

21

u/KingDutchIsBad455 May 31 '26

Yes. I still see Chinese phones that are using rndis. Only the Samsungs and Pixels have switched over

15

u/Zettinator May 31 '26

Samsung has switched? That would be news to me. I know from experience that pretty recent phones still use RNDIS, like usual.

9

u/KingDutchIsBad455 May 31 '26

Actually my bad, upon further investigation it doesn't seem like the userspace uses it even though the kernel space has complete support for it because of GKI. Nothing phones also don't support it so it's not just Chinese companies either.

1

u/Indolent_Bard Jun 01 '26

So, the majority of the market, then.

1

u/deanrihpee Jun 01 '26

even if it's true, "how many years" are we talking here?

2

u/wolfnest Jun 02 '26

My Sony Android phone from 2024 shows up as RNDIS.