A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux

Jean Melo; Elvis Flesborg; Claus Brabrand; Andrzej Wasowski

doi:10.1145/2866614.2866615

A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux

Jean Melo
, Elvis Flesborg
, Claus Brabrand
, Andrzej Wasowski

Research output: Conference Article in Proceeding or Book/Report chapter › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

Abstract

In order to get insight into challenges with quality in highly-configurable software, we analyze one of the largest open source projects, the Linux kernel, and quantify basic properties of configuration-related warnings. We automatically analyze more than 20 thousand valid and distinct random configurations, in a computation that lasted more than a month. We count and classify a total of 400,000 warnings to get an insight in the distribution of warning types, and the location of the warnings. We run both on a stable and unstable version of the Linux kernel. The results show that Linux contains a significant amount of configuration-dependent warnings, including many that appear harmful. In fact, it appears that there are no configuration-independent warnings in the kernel at all, adding to our knowledge about relevance of family based analyses.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	VaMoS '16 Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery
Publication date	10 Dec 2015
Pages	3-8
ISBN (Print)	978-1-4503-4019-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/2866614.2866615
Publication status	Published - 10 Dec 2015
Event	International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems - Mercure Salvador Rio Vermelho Hotel, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil Duration: 27 Jan 2016 → 29 Jan 2016 https://vamos2016.wordpress.com/

Workshop

Workshop	International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems
Location	Mercure Salvador Rio Vermelho Hotel
Country/Territory	Brazil
City	Salvador, Bahia
Period	27/01/2016 → 29/01/2016
Internet address	https://vamos2016.wordpress.com/

Keywords

highly-configurable software
Linux kernel
configuration-related warnings
software quality analysis
random configurations

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10.1145/2866614.2866615

Cite this

@inproceedings{20107090c83144398ed35d30eebfb137,

title = "A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux",

abstract = "In order to get insight into challenges with quality in highly-configurable software, we analyze one of the largest open source projects, the Linux kernel, and quantify basic properties of configuration-related warnings. We automatically analyze more than 20 thousand valid and distinct random configurations, in a computation that lasted more than a month. We count and classify a total of 400,000 warnings to get an insight in the distribution of warning types, and the location of the warnings. We run both on a stable and unstable version of the Linux kernel. The results show that Linux contains a significant amount of configuration-dependent warnings, including many that appear harmful. In fact, it appears that there are no configuration-independent warnings in the kernel at all, adding to our knowledge about relevance of family based analyses.",

keywords = "highly-configurable software, Linux kernel, configuration-related warnings, software quality analysis, random configurations, highly-configurable software, Linux kernel, configuration-related warnings, software quality analysis, random configurations",

author = "Jean Melo and Elvis Flesborg and Claus Brabrand and Andrzej Wasowski",

year = "2015",

month = dec,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1145/2866614.2866615",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1-4503-4019-9",

pages = "3--8",

booktitle = "VaMoS '16 Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems",

publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery",

address = "United States",

note = "International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems, VAMOS ; Conference date: 27-01-2016 Through 29-01-2016",

url = "https://vamos2016.wordpress.com/",

}

Melo, J, Flesborg, E, Brabrand, C & Wasowski, A 2015, A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux. in VaMoS '16 Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 3-8, International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 27/01/2016. https://doi.org/10.1145/2866614.2866615

A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux. / Melo, Jean; Flesborg, Elvis; Brabrand, Claus et al.
VaMoS '16 Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, 2015. p. 3-8.

Research output: Conference Article in Proceeding or Book/Report chapter › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux

AU - Melo, Jean

AU - Flesborg, Elvis

AU - Brabrand, Claus

AU - Wasowski, Andrzej

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Y1 - 2015/12/10

N2 - In order to get insight into challenges with quality in highly-configurable software, we analyze one of the largest open source projects, the Linux kernel, and quantify basic properties of configuration-related warnings. We automatically analyze more than 20 thousand valid and distinct random configurations, in a computation that lasted more than a month. We count and classify a total of 400,000 warnings to get an insight in the distribution of warning types, and the location of the warnings. We run both on a stable and unstable version of the Linux kernel. The results show that Linux contains a significant amount of configuration-dependent warnings, including many that appear harmful. In fact, it appears that there are no configuration-independent warnings in the kernel at all, adding to our knowledge about relevance of family based analyses.

AB - In order to get insight into challenges with quality in highly-configurable software, we analyze one of the largest open source projects, the Linux kernel, and quantify basic properties of configuration-related warnings. We automatically analyze more than 20 thousand valid and distinct random configurations, in a computation that lasted more than a month. We count and classify a total of 400,000 warnings to get an insight in the distribution of warning types, and the location of the warnings. We run both on a stable and unstable version of the Linux kernel. The results show that Linux contains a significant amount of configuration-dependent warnings, including many that appear harmful. In fact, it appears that there are no configuration-independent warnings in the kernel at all, adding to our knowledge about relevance of family based analyses.

KW - highly-configurable software

KW - Linux kernel

KW - configuration-related warnings

KW - software quality analysis

KW - random configurations

KW - highly-configurable software

KW - Linux kernel

KW - configuration-related warnings

KW - software quality analysis

KW - random configurations

U2 - 10.1145/2866614.2866615

DO - 10.1145/2866614.2866615

M3 - Article in proceedings

SN - 978-1-4503-4019-9

SP - 3

EP - 8

BT - VaMoS '16 Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems

PB - Association for Computing Machinery

T2 - International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems

Y2 - 27 January 2016 through 29 January 2016

ER -

A Quantitative Analysis of Variability Warnings in Linux

Abstract

Workshop

Keywords

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