Master’s Research Paper Presentation • Software Engineering • Silent Contributors: Categorizing Ghost Commit Patterns with the SZZ Algorithm

Thursday, December 12, 2024 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EST (GMT -05:00)

Please note: This master’s research paper presentation will take place in DC 3317 and online.

Shaquille Pearson, Master’s candidate
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science

Supervisor: Professor Shane McIntosh

The increasing reliance on digital infrastructure and the demand for efficient software development have highlighted the critical role of reproducible builds in ensuring consistency, security, and reliability across software ecosystems. Reproducible builds guarantee that identical source code consistently produces identical outputs, mitigating risks associated with dependency and environmental variability. However, achieving reproducibility remains a challenge, particularly in build-centric ecosystems like Debian, where the complexity of dependencies and configurations can give rise to “ghost commits” addition or deletion-only bug-fixing commits that lack direct traceability to defect-inducing changes. These ghost commits pose significant challenges for defect tracking and quality assurance, complicating efforts to enhance build reliability.


To attend this master’s research paper presentation in person, please go to DC 3317. You can also attend virtually on Zoom.