tracee-testing-guide

Testing & Quality

Run Tracee tests correctly, especially BPF unit tests via make targets. Use when writing tests, debugging test failures, or validating changes before commit.

QUICK START

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Tracee Testing Guide

Critical Rule

For BPF-related unit tests, do not run go test directly. Use make test-unit so the required BPF environment is configured.

When To Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

creating new unit tests for changed behavior
revising existing *_test.go files after refactors
fixing flaky tests or false assumptions in assertions
tightening coverage for bug fixes

Fast Development Commands

All unit tests: make test-unit
Package-only: make test-unit PKG=pkg/detectors
Function-only: make test-unit TEST=TestKernelVersionRequirement_Basic
Function in package: make test-unit PKG=pkg/ebpf/probes TEST=TestProbeCompatibility_Basic

Other Test Suites

Integration tests: make test-integration (root required)
E2E tests: make test-e2e, make test-e2e-net, make test-e2e-kernel (root required)
Coverage: make coverage, make coverage-html

Troubleshooting

fatal error: bpf/bpf.h: No such file or directory
- Use make test-unit instead of direct go test.
Slow runs
- Use PKG= and TEST= during iteration.
Integration or E2E failures
- Verify root privileges and kernel eBPF support.

Test Authoring Notes

Use testify/assert and testify/require.
Keep test files near source (*_test.go).
Prefer explicit cleanup with defer.
Maintain or improve coverage for changed code.

Unit Test Creation Workflow

Identify the behavior contract and edge cases from changed code.
Add focused test cases first for success path, then error path.
Use table-driven tests when only inputs/expected outputs vary.
Keep each test name descriptive and behavior-based.
Run targeted command first:
- make test-unit PKG=<pkg> TEST=<TestName>
Run package-wide tests:
- make test-unit PKG=<pkg>
Before finishing, run broader validation:
- make test-unit

Unit Test Revision Workflow

When updating existing tests:

prefer fixing test intent instead of copying implementation details
remove stale assertions tied to old behavior
keep failure messages explicit so regressions are easy to diagnose
check cleanup paths and goroutine/resource lifecycle assumptions

Flaky Test Triage Checklist

verify timing assumptions (timeouts, retries, async ordering)
avoid shared mutable global state across tests
isolate test inputs from environment-dependent behavior
run the test repeatedly with:
- make test-unit PKG=<pkg> TEST=<TestName>

Additional Reference

For a concise checklist to apply during unit test creation and review, see unit-test-checklist.md.