P-Bus: Programming Interface Layer for Safe OS Kernel Extensions

Abstract

P-Bus, a new programming interface layer for safe kernel extensions is proposed. P-Bus introduces a new programming interface on top of the Linux kernel in order to give formal specifications to the interface, and to improve portability of extensions. New extensions, called P-Components, are verified with a model checker MKencha to see whether a component is compliant with rules which should be obeyed to implement extensions properly. A network driver has been implemented as a P-Component and verified with MKencha. MKencha has found two bugs in the component.