diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/Jamfile b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/Jamfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2569f04aa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/Jamfile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+SubDir HAIKU_TOP src add-ons kernel drivers disk virtual ;
+
+#SubInclude HAIKU_TOP src add-ons kernel drivers disk virtual fmap ;
+SubInclude HAIKU_TOP src add-ons kernel drivers disk virtual nbd ;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/Jamfile b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/Jamfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2101706f80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/Jamfile
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+SubDir HAIKU_TOP src add-ons kernel drivers disk virtual fmap ;
+
+SetSubDirSupportedPlatformsBeOSCompatible ;
+
+if $(TARGET_PLATFORM) != haiku {
+	# Needed for <ACPI.h>. Unfortunately we also get the other headers there,
+	# that we don't really want.
+	UsePublicHeaders drivers ;
+}
+
+KernelAddon fmap : kernel drivers bin :
+	fmap.c
+	;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/fmap.c b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/fmap.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8ae37e8f44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/fmap/fmap.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006, François Revol. All rights reserved.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+
+/*
+	fmap driver for Haiku
+
+	Maps BEOS/IMAGE.BE files as virtual partitions.
+*/
+
+#include <KernelExport.h>
+#include <Drivers.h>
+#include <Errors.h>
+
+#define MAX_FMAPS 4
+#define DEVNAME_FMT "disk/virtual/fmap/%2d"
+
+status_t
+init_hardware (void)
+{
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+status_t
+init_driver (void)
+{
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+void
+uninit_driver (void)
+{
+}
+
+static const char *fmap_name[MAX_FMAPS+1] = {
+	NULL
+};
+
+device_hooks fmap_hooks = {
+	NULL, /* open */
+	NULL, /* close */
+	NULL, /* free */
+	NULL, /* control */
+	NULL, /* read */
+	NULL, /* write */
+	NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL
+};
+
+const char**
+publish_devices()
+{
+	return fmap_name;
+}
+
+device_hooks*
+find_device(const char* name)
+{
+	return &fmap_hooks;
+}
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/Jamfile b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/Jamfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0a43a51661
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/Jamfile
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+SubDir HAIKU_TOP src add-ons kernel drivers disk virtual nbd ;
+
+SetSubDirSupportedPlatformsBeOSCompatible ;
+
+#if $(TARGET_PLATFORM) != haiku {
+#	# Needed for <ACPI.h>. Unfortunately we also get the other headers there,
+#	# that we don't really want.
+#	UsePublicHeaders drivers ;
+#}
+
+UsePrivateHeaders drivers ;
+
+KernelAddon nbd :
+	nbd.c
+	;
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd-server.py b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd-server.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4323f90747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd-server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+# from http://lists.canonical.org/pipermail/kragen-hacks/2004-May/000397.html
+import struct, socket, sys
+# network block device server, substitute for nbd-server.  Probably slower.
+# But it works!  And it's probably a lot easier to improve the
+# performance of this Python version than of the C version.  This
+# Python version is 14% of the size and perhaps 20% of the features of
+# the C version.  Hmm, that's not so great after all...
+# Working:
+# - nbd protocol
+# - read/write serving up files
+# - error handling
+# - file size detection
+# - in theory, large file support... not really
+# - so_reuseaddr
+# - nonforking
+# Missing:
+# - reporting errors to client (in particular writing and reading past end)
+# - multiple clients (this probably requires copy-on-write or read-only)
+# - copy on write
+# - read-only
+# - permission tracking
+# - idle timeouts
+# - running from inetd
+# - filename substitution
+# - partial file exports
+# - exports of large files (bigger than 1/4 of RAM)
+# - manual exportsize specification
+# - so_keepalive
+# - that "split an export file into multiple files" thing that sticks the .0
+#   on the end of your filename
+# - backgrounding
+# - daemonizing
+
+class Error(Exception): pass
+
+class buffsock:
+    "Buffered socket wrapper; always returns the amount of data you want."
+    def __init__(self, sock): self.sock = sock
+    def recv(self, nbytes):
+        rv = ''
+        while len(rv) < nbytes:
+            more = self.sock.recv(nbytes - len(rv))
+            if more == '': raise Error(nbytes)
+            rv += more
+        return rv
+    def send(self, astring): self.sock.send(astring)
+    def close(self): self.sock.close()
+            
+
+class debugsock:
+    "Debugging socket wrapper."
+    def __init__(self, sock): self.sock = sock
+    def recv(self, nbytes):
+        print "recv(%d) =" % nbytes,
+        rv = self.sock.recv(nbytes)
+        print `rv`
+        return rv
+    def send(self, astring):
+        print "send(%r) =" % astring,
+        rv = self.sock.send(astring)
+        print `rv`
+        return rv
+    def close(self):
+        print "close()"
+        self.sock.close()
+
+def negotiation(exportsize):
+    "Returns initial NBD negotiation sequence for exportsize in bytes."
+    return ('NBDMAGIC' + '\x00\x00\x42\x02\x81\x86\x12\x53' +
+        struct.pack('>Q', exportsize) + '\0' * 128);
+
+def nbd_reply(error=0, handle=1, data=''):
+    "Construct an NBD reply."
+    assert type(handle) is type('') and len(handle) == 8
+    return ('\x67\x44\x66\x98' + struct.pack('>L', error) + handle + data)
+     
+# possible request types
+read_request = 0
+write_request = 1
+disconnect_request = 2
+
+class nbd_request:
+    "Decodes an NBD request off the TCP socket."
+    def __init__(self, conn):
+        conn = buffsock(conn)
+        template = '>LL8sQL'
+        header = conn.recv(struct.calcsize(template))
+        (self.magic, self.type, self.handle, self.offset, 
+            self.len) = struct.unpack(template, header)
+        if self.magic != 0x25609513: raise Error(self.magic)
+        if self.type == write_request: 
+            self.data = conn.recv(self.len)
+            assert len(self.data) == self.len
+    def reply(self, error, data=''):
+        return nbd_reply(error=error, handle=self.handle, data=data)
+    def range(self):
+        return slice(self.offset, self.offset + self.len)
+
+def serveclient(asock, afile):
+    "Serves a single client until it exits."
+    afile.seek(0)
+    abuf = list(afile.read())
+    asock.send(negotiation(len(abuf)))
+    while 1:
+        req = nbd_request(asock)
+        if req.type == read_request:
+            asock.send(req.reply(error=0, 
+                data=''.join(abuf[req.range()])))
+        elif req.type == write_request:
+            abuf[req.range()] = req.data
+            afile.seek(req.offset)
+            afile.write(req.data)
+            afile.flush()
+            asock.send(req.reply(error=0))
+        elif req.type == disconnect_request:
+            asock.close()
+            return
+
+def mainloop(listensock, afile):
+    "Serves clients forever."
+    while 1:
+        (sock, addr) = listensock.accept()
+        print "got conn on", addr
+        serveclient(sock, afile)
+
+def main(argv):
+    "Given a port and a filename, serves up the file."
+    afile = file(argv[2], 'rb+')
+    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    sock.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
+    sock.bind(('', int(argv[1])))
+    sock.listen(5)
+    mainloop(sock, afile)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__': main(sys.argv)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.c b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..833915a156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.c
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2006-2007, François Revol. All rights reserved.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+
+/*
+	nbd driver for Haiku
+
+	Maps BEOS/IMAGE.BE files as virtual partitions.
+*/
+
+#include <KernelExport.h>
+#include <Drivers.h>
+#include <Errors.h>
+#include <ksocket.h>
+
+#include "nbd.h"
+
+#define MAX_NBDS 4
+#define DEVICE_PREFIX "disk/virtual/nbd/"
+#define DEVICE_FMT DEVICE_PREFIX "%2d/raw"
+#define DEVICE_NAME_MAX 32
+#define MAX_REQ_SIZE (32*1024*1024)
+
+struct nbd_request_entry {
+	struct nbd_request_entry *next;
+	struct nbd_request req;
+	bool r; /* is read */
+	size_t len;
+	void *buffer; /* write: ptr to passed buffer; read: ptr to malloc()ed extra */
+};
+
+struct nbd_device {
+	//lock
+	vint32 refcnt;
+	uint64 req; /* next ID for requests */
+	int sock;
+	thread_id postoffice;
+	uint64 size;
+	struct nbd_request_entry *reqs;
+};
+
+typedef struct cookie {
+	struct nbd_device *dev;
+	
+} cookie_t;
+
+/* data=NULL on read */
+status_t nbd_alloc_request(struct nbd_device, struct nbd_request_entry **req, size_t len, const char *data);
+status_t nbd_post_request(struct nbd_device, uint64 handle, struct nbd_request_entry **req);
+status_t nbd_dequeue_request(struct nbd_device, uint64 handle, struct nbd_request_entry **req);
+status_t nbd_free_request(struct nbd_device, struct nbd_request_entry *req);
+
+#pragma mark ==== request manager ====
+
+
+#pragma mark ==== nbd handler ====
+
+int32 postoffice(void *arg)
+{
+	struct nbd_device *dev = (struct nbd_device *)arg;
+	int sock = dev->sock;
+	
+	
+	
+	return 0;
+}
+
+#pragma mark ==== device hooks ====
+
+status_t nbd_open(const char *name, uint32 flags, cookie_t **cookie) {
+	(void)name; (void)flags;
+	*cookie = (void*)malloc(sizeof(cookie_t));
+	if (*cookie == NULL) {
+		dprintf("nbd_open : error allocating cookie\n");
+		goto err0;
+	}
+	memset(*cookie, 0, sizeof(cookie_t));
+	return B_OK;
+err0:
+	return B_ERROR;
+}
+
+status_t nbd_close(void *cookie) {
+	(void)cookie;
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+status_t nbd_free(cookie_t *cookie) {
+	free(cookie);
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+status_t nbd_control(cookie_t *cookie, uint32 op, void *data, size_t len) {
+	switch (op) {
+	case B_GET_DEVICE_SIZE: /* this one is broken anyway... */
+		if (data) {
+			*(size_t *)data = (size_t)cookie->dev->size;
+			return B_OK;
+		}
+		return EINVAL;
+	case B_SET_DEVICE_SIZE: /* broken */
+		return EINVAL;
+	case B_SET_NONBLOCKING_IO:
+		return EINVAL;
+	case B_SET_BLOCKING_IO:
+		return B_OK;
+	case B_GET_READ_STATUS:
+	case B_GET_WRITE_STATUS:
+		if (data) {
+			*(bool *)data = false;
+			return B_OK;
+		}
+		return EINVAL;
+	case B_GET_GEOMETRY:
+	case B_GET_BIOS_GEOMETRY:
+		if (data) {
+			device_geometry *geom = (device_geometry *)data;
+			geom->bytes_per_sector = 256;
+			geom->sectors_per_track = 1;
+			geom->cylinder_count = cookie->dev->size / 256;
+			geom->head_count = 1;
+			geom->device_type = B_DISK;
+			geom->removable = false;
+			geom->read_only = false; // XXX
+			geom->write_once = false;
+			return B_OK;
+		}
+		return EINVAL;
+	case B_GET_MEDIA_STATUS:
+		if (data) {
+			*(status_t *)data = B_OK;
+			return B_OK;
+		}
+		return EINVAL;
+		
+	case B_EJECT_DEVICE:
+	case B_LOAD_MEDIA:
+		return ENOSYS;
+	case B_FLUSH_DRIVE_CACHE: /* wait for request list to be empty ? */
+	default:
+		return ENOSYS;
+	}
+	return B_NOT_ALLOWED;
+}
+
+status_t nbd_read(cookie_t *cookie, off_t position, void *data, size_t *numbytes) {
+	*numbytes = 0;
+	return B_NOT_ALLOWED;
+}
+
+status_t nbd_write(cookie_t *cookie, off_t position, const void *data, size_t *numbytes) {
+	(void)cookie; (void)position; (void)data; (void)numbytes;
+	*numbytes = 0;
+	return EIO;
+}
+
+device_hooks nbd_hooks={
+	(device_open_hook)nbd_open,
+	nbd_close,
+	(device_free_hook)nbd_free,
+	(device_control_hook)nbd_control,
+	(device_read_hook)nbd_read,
+	(device_write_hook)nbd_write,
+	NULL,
+	NULL,
+	NULL,
+	NULL
+};
+
+
+#pragma mark ==== driver hooks ====
+
+static const char *nbd_name[MAX_NBDS+1] = {
+	NULL
+};
+
+status_t
+init_hardware (void)
+{
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+status_t
+init_driver (void)
+{
+	int i;
+	// load settings
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_NBDS; i++) {
+		nbd_name[i] = malloc(DEVICE_NAME_MAX);
+		if (nbd_name[i] == NULL)
+			break;
+		sprintf(nbd_name[i], DEVICE_FMT, i);
+	}
+	nbd_name[i] = NULL;
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+void
+uninit_driver (void)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_NBDS; i++) {
+		free(nbd_name[i]);
+	}
+}
+
+const char**
+publish_devices()
+{
+	return nbd_name;
+}
+
+device_hooks*
+find_device(const char* name)
+{
+	return &nbd_hooks;
+}
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9494cdd788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/drivers/disk/virtual/nbd/nbd.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Network Block Device protocol
+ * Copyright 2006-2007, François Revol. All rights reserved.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ * 
+ * references:
+ * include/linux/nbd.h
+ */
+
+enum {
+	NBD_CMD_READ = 0,
+	NBD_CMD_WRITE,
+	NBD_CMD_DISC
+};
+
+#define NBD_REQUEST_MAGIC 0x25609513
+#define NBD_REPLY_MAGIC 0x67446698
+
+/* in network byte order */
+struct nbd_request {
+	uint32 magic; /* REQUEST_MAGIC */
+	uint32 type;
+	uint64 handle; //char handle[8];
+	uint64 from;
+	uint32 len;
+} _PACKED;
+
+/* in network byte order */
+struct nbd_reply {
+	uint32 magic; /* REPLY_MAGIC */
+	uint32 error;
+	uint64 handle; //char handle[8];
+} _PACKED;
+
+/* initialization protocol (ENBD ? or at least Linux specific ?) */
+
+#define NBD_INIT_PASSWD "NBDMAGIC"
+#define NBD_INIT_MAGIC 0x0000420281861253LL
+
+/* in network byte order */
+struct nbd_init_packet {
+	uint8 passwd[8]; /* "NBDMAGIC" */
+	uint64 magic; /* INIT_MAGIC */
+	uint64 device_size; /* size in bytes */
+	uint8 dummy[128]; /* reserved for future use */
+} _PACKED;
\ No newline at end of file