The Russian Linux Verification Center, founded in 2005, is an opensource project; it has specialists in, and thus specializes in, automated testing of complex software projects. This includes comprehensive test suites, frameworks, and detailed analyses (both static and dynamic) being performed on the core Linux kernel as well as on the primarily device drivers within the kernel. This project puts a great deal of focus on the testing and verification of kernel modules as well, which many similar projects tend to skim.
Of particular interest to us here is the Online Linux Driver Verification Service page (http://linuxtesting.org/ldv/online?action=rules); it contains a list of a few verified Rules (Figure 1.11):
By glancing through these rules, we'll be able to not only see the rule but also instances of actual cases where these rules were violated by driver/kernel code within the mainline kernel, thus introducing bugs. The LDV project has successfully discovered and fixed (by sending in patches in the usual manner) several driver/kernel bugs. In a few of the upcoming chapters, we shall mention instances of these LDV rule violations (for example, memory leakage, Use After Free (UAF) bugs, and locking violations) having been uncovered, and (probably) even fixed.
Here are some useful links on the LDV website:
- The Linux Verification Center home page; http://linuxtesting.org/
- Linux Kernel Space Verification; http://linuxtesting.org/kernel
- Online Linux Driver Verification Service page with verified Rules : http://linuxtesting.org/ldv/online?action=rules
- Problems in Linux Kernel page; lists over 400 issues found in existing drivers (mostly fixed as well); http://linuxtesting.org/results/ldv
