1---
2title: Code Quality Tools
3category: Contributing
4layout: default
5SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
6---
7
8# Code Quality Tools
9
10The systemd project has a number of code quality tools set up in the source
11tree and on the github infrastructure. Here's an incomprehensive list of the
12available functionality:
13
141. Use `meson test -C build` to run the unit tests. Some tests are skipped if
15   no privileges are available, hence consider also running them with `sudo
16   meson test -C build`. A couple of unit tests are considered "unsafe" (as
17   they change system state); to run those too, build with `meson setup
18   -Dtests=unsafe`. Finally, some unit tests are considered to be very slow,
19   build them too with `meson setup -Dslow-tests=true`. (Note that there are a
20   couple of manual tests in addition to these unit tests.) (Also note: you can
21   change these flags for an already set up build tree, too, with "meson
22   configure -C build -D…".)
23
242. Use `./test/run-integration-tests.sh` to run the full integration test
25   suite. This will build OS images with a number of integration tests and run
26   them in nspawn and qemu. Requires root.
27
283. Use `./coccinelle/run-coccinelle.sh` to run all
29   [Coccinelle](http://coccinelle.lip6.fr/) semantic patch scripts we ship. The
30   output will show false positives, hence take it with a pinch of salt.
31
324. Use `./tools/find-double-newline.sh recdiff` to find double newlines. Use
33   `./tools/find-double-newline.sh recpatch` to fix them. Take this with a grain
34   of salt, in particular as we generally leave foreign header files we include in
35   our tree unmodified, if possible.
36
375. Similar use `./tools/find-tabs.sh recdiff` to find TABs, and
38   `./tools/find-tabs.sh recpatch` to fix them. (Again, grain of salt, foreign
39   headers should usually be left unmodified.)
40
416. Use `ninja -C build check-api-docs` to compare the list of exported symbols
42   of `libsystemd.so` and `libudev.so` with the list of man pages. Symbols
43   lacking documentation are highlighted.
44
457. Use `ninja -C build update-hwdb` and `ninja -C build update-hwdb-autosuspend`
46   to automatically download and import the PCI, USB, and OUI databases and the
47   autosuspend quirks into the hwdb.
48
498. Use `ninja -C build update-man-rules` to update the meson rules for building
50   man pages automatically from the docbook XML files included in `man/`.
51
529. There are multiple CI systems in use that run on every github pull request
53   submission or update.
54
5510. [Coverity](https://scan.coverity.com/) is analyzing systemd `main` branch
56    in regular intervals. The reports are available
57    [online](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/systemd).
58
5911. [oss-fuzz](https://oss-fuzz.com/) is continuously fuzzing the
60    codebase. Reports are available
61    [online](https://oss-fuzz.com/v2/testcases?project=systemd).
62
6312. Our tree includes `.editorconfig`, `.dir-locals.el` and `.vimrc` files, to
64    ensure that editors follow the right indentiation styles automatically.
65
6613. When building systemd from a git checkout the build scripts will
67    automatically enable a git commit hook that ensures whitespace cleanliness.
68
6914. [LGTM](https://lgtm.com/) analyzes every commit pushed to `main`. The list
70    of active alerts can be found
71    [here](https://lgtm.com/projects/g/systemd/systemd/alerts/?mode=list).
72
7315. Each PR is automatically tested with [Address Sanitizer](https://clang.llvm.org/docs/AddressSanitizer.html)
74    and [Undefined Behavior Sanitizer](https://clang.llvm.org/docs/UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer.html).
75    See [Testing systemd using sanitizers](TESTING_WITH_SANITIZERS.md)
76    for more information.
77
7816. Fossies provides [source code misspelling reports](https://fossies.org/features.html#codespell).
79    The systemd report can be found [here](https://fossies.org/linux/misc/systemd/codespell.html).
80
81Access to Coverity and oss-fuzz reports is limited. Please reach out to the
82maintainers if you need access.
83