A Time Series Analysis of Assertions in the Linux Kernel
arXiv:2412.19465 · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-05188-2_1
Abstract
Assertions are a classical and typical software development technique. These are extensively used also in operating systems and their kernels, including the Linux kernel. The paper fills a gap in existing knowledge by empirically examining the longitudinal evolution of assertion use in the Linux kernel. According to the results, the use of assertions that cause a kernel panic has slightly but not substantially decreased from the kernel's third to the sixth release series. At the same time, the use of softer assertion variants has increased; these do not cause a panic by default but instead produce warnings. With these time series results, the paper contributes to the existing but limited empirical knowledge base about operating system kernels and their long-term evolution.
arXiv commentProceedings of the 37th International Conference on Testing Software and Systems (ICTSS 2025), Limassol, Springer, pp. 3-15