Using Claude Code to modernize a forgotten Linux kernel driver (dmitrybrant.com)

A longtime hobbyist and archivist successfully modernized the ftape Linux kernel driver—originally designed in the late 1990s to support data recovery from legacy QIC-80 tape drives connected via floppy controllers—using Claude Code, an AI coding assistant. The ftape driver had become obsolete and was removed from the Linux kernel around 2000, forcing users to rely on outdated operating systems like CentOS 3.5 to access these drives. By leveraging Claude Code’s ability to iteratively analyze compiler errors and suggest modern kernel API replacements, the developer transformed this 25-year-old driver into a loadable kernel module compatible with Linux kernel version 6.8. This revival is significant because it enables seamless integration of legacy hardware with current Linux distributions, simplifying data recovery from media once considered nearly inaccessible. The AI-assisted update required adapting deprecated kernel functions and converting the driver into a standalone module, tasks traditionally daunting without deep kernel expertise. Through interactive feedback loops between AI-generated code and real-world kernel logs (dmesg), configuration issues were resolved, allowing the driver to correctly detect and read tape drives. The developer’s experience highlights the practical value of AI in accelerating complex, low-level system modernization and serves as a case study in collaborative human-AI software engineering, especially for niche or archival computing challenges.