Analysis of Linux kernel as a complex network

Operating system (OS) acts as an intermediary between software and hardware in computer-based systems. In this paper, we analyze the core of the typical Linux OS, Linux kernel, as a complex network to investigate its underlying design principles. It is found that the Linux Kernel Network (LKN) is a directed network and its out-degree follows an exponential distribution while the in-degree follows a power-law distribution. The correlation between topology and functions is also explored, by which we find that LKN is a highly modularized network with 12 key communities. Moreover, we investigate the robustness of LKN under random failures and intentional attacks. The result shows that the failure of the large in-degree nodes providing basic services will do more damage on the whole system. Our work may shed some light on the design of complex software systems.