OWL

OWL is part of the Open Wireless Link project and implements the Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) protocol in C. This allows Linux and macOS systems to participate in AWDL ad hoc networks, which are used by Apple devices for direct peer-to-peer communication.

The tool integrates seamlessly with existing IPv6-capable programs by creating a virtual network interface, eliminating the need for modifications to applications. It operates entirely in user space, leveraging Linux's Netlink API for Wi-Fi operations like channel switching.

Use cases include interoperability testing with Apple ecosystems, research into AWDL behavior, and enabling AWDL features on non-Apple platforms for development or security analysis.

OWL runs in user space and utilizes Linux’s Netlink API for Wi-Fi specific operations such as channel switching. It integrates into the Linux networking stack by providing a virtual network interface, allowing existing IPv6-capable programs to use AWDL without modification. The implementation is written in C and relies on dependencies like libnl libraries for netlink communication and libpcap for packet capture.