---
name: "virtio"
section: "4"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/virtio"
---

# virtio(4)

VirtIO support driver

## NAME

**virtio** – VirtIO support driver

## SYNOPSIS

**virtio\* at fdt?** **virtio\* at pci? flags 0x00**

## DESCRIPTION

The **virtio** driver provides support service for paravirtualized devices using the VirtIO protocol. Such devices are provided by bhyve, KVM, QEMU, VirtualBox, and [vmm(4)](/vmm/4.md).

Currently there are drivers for the following **virtio** devices:

- [vio(4)](/vio/4.md)

  VirtIO network device

- [vioblk(4)](/vioblk/4.md)

  VirtIO disk

- [viocon(4)](/viocon/4.md)

  VirtIO console device

- [viogpu(4)](/viogpu/4.md)

  VirtIO GPU device

- [viomb(4)](/viomb/4.md)

  VirtIO memory ballooning driver

- [viornd(4)](/viornd/4.md)

  VirtIO random number device

- [vioscsi(4)](/vioscsi/4.md)

  VirtIO SCSI adapter

- [vmmci(4)](/vmmci/4.md)

  [vmm(4)](/vmm/4.md) control interface

The **virtio** driver conforms to the virtio 0.9.5 specification. The virtio 1.0 standard is only supported for PCI devices.

By default 1.x is preferred over 0.9. This can be changed by setting the bit 0x8 in the flags.

## SEE ALSO

[intro(4)](/intro/4.md)

## HISTORY

The **virtio** driver first appeared in OpenBSD 5.3.

## AUTHORS

The **virtio** driver was ported to OpenBSD and improved by Stefan Fritsch ⟨*sf@sfritsch.de*⟩. It is based on the NetBSD driver by Minoura Makoto.

## BUGS

**virtio** big-endian architectures are not yet supported.