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Adriver wrapper is asubroutine in a software library that functions as anadapter between anoperating system and a driver, such as adevice driver, that was not designed for that operating system.[1] It can enable the use of devices for which no drivers for the particular operating system are available. In particular, as of 2010[update]Microsoft Windows is the dominant family of operating systems forIBM PC compatible computers, and many devices are supplied with drivers for Windows but not other operating systems.
Several open-source software projects allow usingMicrosoft Windows drivers under another operating system, such asLinux.
Examples include network drivers for wireless cards (such asNDISwrapper forLinux orProject Evil forFreeBSD) and theNTFSfile system (seeCaptive NTFS).
The common thread among these examples is the use ofwrapper technology, which allows execution of the drivers in a foreign environment.Limitations for driver wrappers include inability to function at real time. An example of this limitation includes latency problems as those associated with attempts to make compatible withLinux the ZoomR16 audio DAW sound recorder and control surface.
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