diff -Naur linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c
--- linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c	2004-03-04 10:06:25.000000000 -0600
+++ linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c	2004-03-04 10:18:42.000000000 -0600
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
 #include "asm/types.h"
 #include "user_util.h"
 #include "kern_util.h"
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <endian.h>
 #include <byteswap.h>
 
+char *directbuf;
+
 static int same_backing_files(char *from_cmdline, char *from_cow, char *cow)
 {
 	struct uml_stat buf1, buf2;
@@ -269,11 +272,15 @@
 			return;
 		}
 		if(req->op == UBD_READ){
+			printk("Reading..\n");
 			n = 0;
 			do {
 				buf = &buf[n];
 				len -= n;
-				n = os_read_file(req->fds[bit], buf, len);
+//				n = os_read_file(req->fds[bit], buf, len);
+//				n = os_read_file(req->fds[bit], directbuf, getpagesize());
+				n = read(req->fds[bit], directbuf, getpagesize());
+				memcpy (buf, directbuf, len);
 				if (n < 0) {
 					printk("do_io - read failed, err = %d "
 					       "fd = %d\n", -n, req->fds[bit]);
@@ -284,7 +291,10 @@
 			if (n < len) memset(&buf[n], 0, len - n);
 		}
 		else {
+			printk("Writing..\n");
 			n = os_write_file(req->fds[bit], buf, len);
+//			memcpy(directbuf, buf, sizeof(buf));
+//			n = write(req->fds[bit], directbuf, getpagesize());
 			if(n != len){
 				printk("do_io - write failed err = %d "
 				       "fd = %d\n", -n, req->fds[bit]);
@@ -338,6 +348,7 @@
 {
 	int pid, fds[2], err;
 
+	directbuf = memalign(getpagesize(), getpagesize());
 	err = os_pipe(fds, 1, 1);
 	if(err < 0){
 		printk("start_io_thread - os_pipe failed, err = %d\n", -err);
diff -Naur linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/os/file.c linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/os/file.c
--- linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/os/file.c	2004-03-04 10:06:25.000000000 -0600
+++ linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/os/file.c	2004-03-03 21:20:16.000000000 -0600
@@ -265,6 +265,10 @@
 	if(flags.c) f |= O_CREAT;
 	if(flags.t) f |= O_TRUNC;
 	if(flags.e) f |= O_EXCL;
+        if (strstr(file,"rootfs") || strstr(file,"swapfs")) {
+                f |= O_DIRECT;
+                printk("%s\n", file);
+        }
 
 	fd = open64(file, f, mode);
 	if(fd < 0)
diff -Naur linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/os-Linux/file.c linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/os-Linux/file.c
--- linux-2.4.25-1um/arch/um/os-Linux/file.c	2004-03-04 10:06:25.000000000 -0600
+++ linux-2.4.25-1um-odirect/arch/um/os-Linux/file.c	2004-03-03 21:20:16.000000000 -0600
@@ -265,6 +265,10 @@
 	if(flags.c) f |= O_CREAT;
 	if(flags.t) f |= O_TRUNC;
 	if(flags.e) f |= O_EXCL;
+        if (strstr(file,"rootfs") || strstr(file,"swapfs")) {
+                f |= O_DIRECT;
+                printk("%s\n", file);
+        }
 
 	fd = open64(file, f, mode);
 	if(fd < 0)