diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8818818..349c776 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -21,3 +21,24 @@ jobs:
             [ -f "$f" ] || continue
             grep -q "SPDX-License-Identifier" "$f" || { echo "$f missing SPDX header" ; exit 1; }
           done
+
+  driver-build:
+    name: Driver / kbuild
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install kernel headers and build tools
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update -qq
+          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+            linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential
+      - name: Build spanker.ko (out-of-tree)
+        run: make -C src/driver
+      - name: Verify module metadata
+        run: |
+          modinfo src/driver/spanker.ko \
+            | grep -E '^(license|description|version|alias):'
+          # Sanity: license must be GPL per ADR-002.
+          modinfo src/driver/spanker.ko | grep -q '^license:.*GPL'
+      - name: Clean
+        run: make -C src/driver clean
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cb9ce47..eedf627 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,3 +10,13 @@ __pycache__/
 *.swp
 .vscode/
 .idea/
+
+# kbuild out-of-tree module artefacts (per ADR-002)
+*.mod
+*.mod.c
+*.cmd
+.*.cmd
+Module.symvers
+modules.order
+*.symvers
+.tmp_versions/
diff --git a/src/driver/Kbuild b/src/driver/Kbuild
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..893e7e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/Kbuild
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+# Copyright (c) 2026 PopSolutions Cooperative
+#
+# Kbuild for the Spanker accelerator driver (out-of-tree module).
+# Per ADR-002 — Linux driver model.
+
+obj-m += spanker.o
+
+spanker-y := \
+	spanker_main.o \
+	spanker_ioctl.o
+
+ccflags-y += -I$(src)/include
diff --git a/src/driver/Makefile b/src/driver/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a552d9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+# Copyright (c) 2026 PopSolutions Cooperative
+#
+# Top-level Makefile for the Spanker accelerator driver
+# (out-of-tree kernel module). Per ADR-002 — Linux driver model.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   make             # build spanker.ko against the running kernel
+#   make KDIR=...    # cross-build against a specific kernel tree
+#   make clean       # remove build artefacts
+#
+# Kbuild does the actual work; this Makefile only wraps the
+# canonical "make -C $(KDIR) M=$(PWD)" recipe.
+
+KDIR ?= /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
+PWD  := $(shell pwd)
+
+.PHONY: default modules clean help
+
+default: modules
+
+modules:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) M=$(PWD) modules
+
+clean:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) M=$(PWD) clean
+
+help:
+	@echo "Spanker driver — out-of-tree kbuild module"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Targets:"
+	@echo "  modules   build spanker.ko (default)"
+	@echo "  clean     remove build artefacts"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Variables:"
+	@echo "  KDIR      kernel build tree (default: /lib/modules/\$$(uname -r)/build)"
diff --git a/src/driver/include/uapi/spanker_ioctl.h b/src/driver/include/uapi/spanker_ioctl.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94a006f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/include/uapi/spanker_ioctl.h
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only WITH Linux-syscall-note */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 PopSolutions Cooperative
+ *
+ * Public ioctl ABI for the Spanker accelerator driver.
+ *
+ * This header is shared between the in-kernel driver under
+ * src/driver/ and the Rust userspace runtime (per ADR-001).
+ *
+ * Stability: v0 is unstable. The ABI may break between any two
+ * commits while the major version is 0. The first stable major
+ * version (v1) lands when ADR-003 (Public interface contracts) is
+ * accepted and PR #2 ships the runtime that depends on it.
+ *
+ * Discoverability: SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION lets userspace fail
+ * cleanly when it sees a kernel driver with an incompatible major.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _UAPI_LINUX_SPANKER_IOCTL_H
+#define _UAPI_LINUX_SPANKER_IOCTL_H
+
+#include <linux/types.h>
+#include <linux/ioctl.h>
+
+/*
+ * ioctl magic byte.
+ *
+ * 0xE3 is used here as a placeholder; before any in-tree submission
+ * (Generation B per ADR-002), this must be reconciled with
+ * Documentation/userspace-api/ioctl/ioctl-number.rst in mainline.
+ */
+#define SPANKER_IOC_MAGIC 0xE3
+
+/* ABI version reported by SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION. */
+#define SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MAJOR 0
+#define SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MINOR 1
+#define SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_PATCH 0
+
+/*
+ * struct spanker_version — wire format of SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION.
+ *
+ * Fields are __u16 to keep the struct exactly 8 bytes regardless
+ * of architecture or compiler padding choices. Reserved must be 0.
+ */
+struct spanker_version {
+	__u16 major;
+	__u16 minor;
+	__u16 patch;
+	__u16 reserved;
+};
+
+/*
+ * Smoke-test the ioctl dispatcher.
+ *
+ * No payload, no return data; success indicates the driver is
+ * loaded and the dispatcher reaches this opcode.
+ */
+#define SPANKER_IOC_PING        _IO(SPANKER_IOC_MAGIC, 0x01)
+
+/*
+ * Read driver/ABI version.
+ *
+ * Userspace passes a writable struct spanker_version; the kernel
+ * fills it with SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_{MAJOR,MINOR,PATCH} and a
+ * zeroed reserved field.
+ */
+#define SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION _IOR(SPANKER_IOC_MAGIC, 0x02, struct spanker_version)
+
+#endif /* _UAPI_LINUX_SPANKER_IOCTL_H */
diff --git a/src/driver/spanker_ioctl.c b/src/driver/spanker_ioctl.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8e1b02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/spanker_ioctl.c
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 PopSolutions Cooperative
+ *
+ * Spanker — ioctl dispatcher for /dev/spankerctl.
+ *
+ * Implements the v0 ABI declared in
+ * <uapi/linux/spanker_ioctl.h>. The skeleton handles two opcodes:
+ *
+ *   SPANKER_IOC_PING        — no-op; returns 0 on success.
+ *   SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION — copies struct spanker_version
+ *                              {0,1,0,0} to userspace.
+ *
+ * Future PRs add per-device opcodes (buffer alloc/free, work
+ * submit, completion poll) keyed off /dev/spanker0..N-1, governed
+ * by ADR-003 (Public interface contracts).
+ */
+
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/fs.h>
+#include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include <linux/errno.h>
+#include <linux/compat.h>
+
+#include "include/uapi/spanker_ioctl.h"
+
+static long spanker_ctl_ioctl(struct file *filp, unsigned int cmd,
+			      unsigned long arg)
+{
+	if (_IOC_TYPE(cmd) != SPANKER_IOC_MAGIC)
+		return -ENOTTY;
+
+	switch (cmd) {
+	case SPANKER_IOC_PING:
+		return 0;
+
+	case SPANKER_IOC_GET_VERSION: {
+		struct spanker_version v = {
+			.major    = SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MAJOR,
+			.minor    = SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MINOR,
+			.patch    = SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_PATCH,
+			.reserved = 0,
+		};
+		if (copy_to_user((void __user *)arg, &v, sizeof(v)))
+			return -EFAULT;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	default:
+		return -ENOTTY;
+	}
+}
+
+const struct file_operations spanker_ctl_fops = {
+	.owner          = THIS_MODULE,
+	.open           = stream_open,
+	.unlocked_ioctl = spanker_ctl_ioctl,
+	.compat_ioctl   = compat_ptr_ioctl,
+};
diff --git a/src/driver/spanker_main.c b/src/driver/spanker_main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37978ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/spanker_main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 PopSolutions Cooperative
+ *
+ * Spanker — main module file.
+ *
+ * Per ADR-002 (out-of-tree kbuild kernel module), this file owns
+ * module init/exit, the singleton control character device
+ * /dev/spankerctl, and PCI driver registration.
+ *
+ * The skeleton creates /dev/spankerctl unconditionally so userspace
+ * can verify the driver is loaded and read the v0 ABI even when no
+ * Sails are physically attached. Per-Sail device nodes
+ * /dev/spanker0..N-1 are added by a follow-up PR once the PCI probe
+ * path is wired up against real silicon.
+ *
+ * The PCI driver registration uses placeholder vendor/device IDs
+ * (0xDEAD/0xBEEF). PopSolutions has not yet been assigned a PCI
+ * vendor ID; the follow-up issue cited in PR #1's description tracks
+ * reconciliation before silicon ships.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/module.h>
+#include <linux/init.h>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/fs.h>
+#include <linux/cdev.h>
+#include <linux/device.h>
+#include <linux/pci.h>
+
+#include "include/uapi/spanker_ioctl.h"
+
+#define SPANKER_DRIVER_NAME  "spanker"
+#define SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME "spankerctl"
+
+/*
+ * Placeholder PCI IDs. Must be replaced before silicon; tracked by
+ * the follow-up issue cited in the PR #1 description.
+ */
+#define SPANKER_PCI_VENDOR_PLACEHOLDER 0xDEAD
+#define SPANKER_PCI_DEVICE_PLACEHOLDER 0xBEEF
+
+/* Defined in spanker_ioctl.c. */
+extern const struct file_operations spanker_ctl_fops;
+
+static const struct pci_device_id spanker_pci_ids[] = {
+	{ PCI_DEVICE(SPANKER_PCI_VENDOR_PLACEHOLDER,
+		     SPANKER_PCI_DEVICE_PLACEHOLDER) },
+	{ 0 }
+};
+MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(pci, spanker_pci_ids);
+
+static int spanker_pci_probe(struct pci_dev *pdev,
+			     const struct pci_device_id *id)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Skeleton: log probe and accept. BAR mapping, IRQ allocation,
+	 * and DMA-coherent ring setup land in follow-up PRs.
+	 */
+	pci_info(pdev,
+		 "spanker: probed placeholder device (vendor=0x%04x device=0x%04x)\n",
+		 id->vendor, id->device);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void spanker_pci_remove(struct pci_dev *pdev)
+{
+	pci_info(pdev, "spanker: remove placeholder device\n");
+}
+
+static struct pci_driver spanker_pci_driver = {
+	.name     = SPANKER_DRIVER_NAME,
+	.id_table = spanker_pci_ids,
+	.probe    = spanker_pci_probe,
+	.remove   = spanker_pci_remove,
+};
+
+/* Singleton control device. */
+static dev_t           spanker_ctl_dev_num;
+static struct cdev     spanker_ctl_cdev;
+static struct class   *spanker_ctl_class;
+static struct device  *spanker_ctl_device;
+
+static int __init spanker_init(void)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	err = alloc_chrdev_region(&spanker_ctl_dev_num, 0, 1,
+				  SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		pr_err("spanker: alloc_chrdev_region failed: %d\n", err);
+		return err;
+	}
+
+	cdev_init(&spanker_ctl_cdev, &spanker_ctl_fops);
+	spanker_ctl_cdev.owner = THIS_MODULE;
+	err = cdev_add(&spanker_ctl_cdev, spanker_ctl_dev_num, 1);
+	if (err < 0) {
+		pr_err("spanker: cdev_add failed: %d\n", err);
+		goto unregister_region;
+	}
+
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(6, 4, 0)
+	spanker_ctl_class = class_create(THIS_MODULE, SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME);
+#else
+	spanker_ctl_class = class_create(SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME);
+#endif
+	if (IS_ERR(spanker_ctl_class)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(spanker_ctl_class);
+		pr_err("spanker: class_create failed: %d\n", err);
+		goto del_cdev;
+	}
+
+	spanker_ctl_device = device_create(spanker_ctl_class, NULL,
+					   spanker_ctl_dev_num, NULL,
+					   SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME);
+	if (IS_ERR(spanker_ctl_device)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(spanker_ctl_device);
+		pr_err("spanker: device_create failed: %d\n", err);
+		goto destroy_class;
+	}
+
+	err = pci_register_driver(&spanker_pci_driver);
+	if (err) {
+		pr_err("spanker: pci_register_driver failed: %d\n", err);
+		goto destroy_device;
+	}
+
+	pr_info("spanker: loaded (ABI v%u.%u.%u, /dev/%s ready)\n",
+		SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MAJOR,
+		SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_MINOR,
+		SPANKER_ABI_VERSION_PATCH,
+		SPANKER_CTL_DEV_NAME);
+	return 0;
+
+destroy_device:
+	device_destroy(spanker_ctl_class, spanker_ctl_dev_num);
+destroy_class:
+	class_destroy(spanker_ctl_class);
+del_cdev:
+	cdev_del(&spanker_ctl_cdev);
+unregister_region:
+	unregister_chrdev_region(spanker_ctl_dev_num, 1);
+	return err;
+}
+
+static void __exit spanker_exit(void)
+{
+	pci_unregister_driver(&spanker_pci_driver);
+	device_destroy(spanker_ctl_class, spanker_ctl_dev_num);
+	class_destroy(spanker_ctl_class);
+	cdev_del(&spanker_ctl_cdev);
+	unregister_chrdev_region(spanker_ctl_dev_num, 1);
+	pr_info("spanker: unloaded\n");
+}
+
+module_init(spanker_init);
+module_exit(spanker_exit);
+
+MODULE_LICENSE("GPL v2");
+MODULE_AUTHOR("PopSolutions Cooperative");
+MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Spanker accelerator driver (skeleton; PR #1)");
+MODULE_VERSION("0.1.0");