OSS Audit — Linux Kernel

Student: Aryan Saxena

Roll Number: 24BAC10040

Course: Open Source Software — CSE0002

Chosen Software: Linux Kernel (Operating System Core)

License: GNU General Public License v2 (GPL v2)

Repository: https://github.com/Dev-Aryan-Saxena/oss-audit-24BAC10040.git

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📖 About This Project

This repository contains the capstone audit of the Linux Kernel, one of the most significant collaborative projects in software history. Conducted as part of the Open Source Software (OSS NGMC) course, this audit examines the kernel's evolution from a 1991 hobby project to critical global infrastructure.

The project includes a deep-dive analysis of the GPL v2 "Copyleft" licensing model and its impact on modern Linux systems.

Additionally, five original shell scripts are developed to demonstrate:

• Linux auditing
• Subsystem inspection
• Shell scripting proficiency

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🐧 Chosen Software: The Linux Kernel

The Linux Kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Unlike proprietary kernels (such as Windows NT), Linux follows a monolithic but modular architecture.

Its success is strongly tied to its license — GPL v2, which ensures that improvements made by organizations must be shared with the community.

This audit explores how this open-source "social contract" powers modern computing systems worldwide.

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🛠️ Setup & Configuration

1. Environment Setup

This project is designed for Linux environments such as:

• Ubuntu
• Debian
• CentOS
• RHEL
• Fedora
• Arch

The scripts are hardware-agnostic, meaning they analyze kernel behavior without exposing hardware-specific identifiers.

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2. Dependency Installation

Ensure your system has required tools installed:

Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install kmod coreutils -y

RHEL / Fedora:

sudo dnf install kmod coreutils -y

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3. Execution Instructions

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Dev-Aryan-Saxena/oss-audit-24BAC10040.git

# Navigate to scripts folder
cd Shell-Scripts

# Make scripts executable
chmod +x *.sh

# Run any script
./[script_name].sh

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📁 Repository Structure

NGMC-OSS-Project/
├── README.md                          ← Project documentation  
├── PROJECT_REPORT.md                  ← Project report  
├── Shell-Scripts-Screenshots/         ← Output screenshots  
│   ├── DiskAndPermissionAuditor.jpg  
│   ├── FossPackageInspector.jpg  
│   ├── LogFileAnalyser.jpg  
│   ├── SystemIdentityReport.jpg  
│   ├── TheOpenSourceManifestoGenerator.jpg  
└── Shell-Scripts/  
    ├── diskAndPermmisssionAuditor.sh  
    ├── fossPackageInspector.sh  
    ├── logFileAnalyser.sh  
    ├── systemIdentityReport.sh  
    └── theOpenSourceManifestoGenerator.sh  

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📜 Script Descriptions

1. System Identity Report

File: systemIdentityReport.sh

Displays system information including distribution details, kernel version, and GPL v2 notice.

Concepts: Variables, command substitution $(), echo

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2. Kernel Component Inspector

File: fossPackageInspector.sh

Checks for Linux kernel packages and essential FOSS tools (GCC, LibC).

Concepts: if-else, case, package queries (dpkg, rpm)

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3. Disk & Permission Auditor

File: diskAndPermissionAuditor.sh

Analyzes permissions, ownership, and disk usage of key kernel directories.

Concepts: for loops, du, ls -ld, awk

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4. Kernel Log Analyzer

File: logFileAnalyser.sh

Examines kernel logs (dmesg) and counts occurrences of specific events.

Concepts: while read, input redirection, arithmetic expansion

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5. Open Source Manifesto Generator

File: theOpenSourceManifestoGenerator.sh

Interactive script that generates a personalized FOSS manifesto file.

Concepts: read -p, string concatenation, file writing (>, >>)

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🛡️ Security & Privacy Note

• No Hardcoded Data: Uses environment variables like $USER and $HOME
• Non-Invasive: Avoids privileged access; uses temporary files for log analysis
• Portable: Runs on standard Linux distributions without exposing sensitive data

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⚖️ License

This project is submitted as coursework for the OSS NGMC course. All shell scripts and documentation are original works created for academic evaluation.

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