GSoC 2026: Test Linux emulation (350h)

Hello,

My name is Emin Arican, and I'm a Computer Science student at the Universit=
y of Illinois Chicago.
I'm interested in the "Test Linux emulation" project for GSoC 2026, mentore=
d by Stephen Borrill.

I have hands-on experience with low-level systems programming and cross-pla=
tform compatibility work. I've previously ported SailfishOS to my phone via=
 the HAL adaptation guide and attempted a NixOS Mobile port, both involved =
working with compatibility/translation layers between different OS interfac=
es, which is probably somewhat relevant to compat_linux.

I've also contributed patches to some opensource projects such as NixOS App=
le Silicon (fixed GPU driver crash by introducing a patch from upstream for=
 Mesa), Libmem (Modernized PTRACE API and improved Android support) and Sur=
realDB (corrected allocator selection for non-x86_64 platforms to prevent c=
rashes). I'm comfortable working across kernel/userland boundaries and debu=
gging platform-specific issues.

For this project, I've already set up a NetBSD VM and studied the compat_li=
nux subsystem, including the full amd64 syscall table in linux_syscalls.c. =
I have a clear picture of which syscalls are implemented and which remain u=
nimplemented.

My approach aligns with the project's outlined steps: determine which tests=
 make sense under Linux emulation, compile and run them on NetBSD, build a =
cross-compilation environment to make the test suite self-hosting, fix emul=
ation issues for tests that fail, and use test results to implement missing=
 syscalls. I plan to use the Linux Test Project as a reference for Linux-sp=
ecific coverage.

I have submitted my full proposal on the GSoC portal.
I'd welcome any feedback or guidance on the project scope.

GitHub: https://github.com/schphe
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/eminarican

Best regards,
Emin Arican