OS X and iOS Kernel Programming

Testing and Quality Assurance

Testing a kernel extension can be a challenge. Modern computer systems and devices are usually very complex, and even if your component is fairly isolated from the rest of the system, unwanted side effects happen as result of it being another cog in the machinery. Proper testing, preferably conducted by those not directly involved in the engineering process, is essential—those directly involved may have preconceived notions of how the product works and fail to discover issues an end-user would. Testing kernel extensions is very dependent on the nature and type of the extension; so, providing an exhaustive list of things to test for is impossible. The following are some general suggestions:

• Test that the driver handles ...