We Could See WireGuard Upstreamed In The Linux Kernel In 2018

WireGuard is the effort led by Jason Donenfeld to provide a next-gen secure network tunnel for the Linux kernel. Jason has laid out plans and next steps for getting this interesting project merged into the upstream Linux kernel.

Donenfeld laid out the current state and next steps for WireGuard in a message on the Linux kernel mailing list. Long story short, over the coming months he'll begin the review/comment process (or "request for grumbles" as he calls it) and after seeing how that goes, the initial core implementation could be on its way to mainline. Highlights include:

- Before upstreaming WireGuard to the Linux kernel, Jason plans to overhaul the Linux kernel's crypto API. Jason has expressed issues with the current crypto API within the Linux kernel so up to now he's been writing his own cryptography interface.

- Initially the WireGuard for the Linux kernel will be the "core" implementation while subsequent pull requests will add additional functionality.

- Some of the big pieces still to be worked on are in-band control messages, Netlink multicast event notification, and GRO integration.

- Jason intends to work more on the user-space implementation in the near future and to take it to deployment-quality.

- Mobile apps for using WireGuard.

- Jason is also looking at macOS and Windows support for the user-space implementation to which he's already mostly done.

- Bindings and libraries for WireGuard is also on his TODO list.

- Integration into network managers and routing daemons.

More details on the kernel mailing list. If you are not familiar with this Linux network project, learn more at WireGuard.com.