Codethink Limited Announces World’s First Baseline Safety Assessment for a Linux-Based OS to SIL 3 / ASIL D

Codethink today announced the publication of its baseline Safety Assessment report for Codethink Trustable Reproducible Linux (CTRL OS). exida’s assessment validates Codethink’s safety argument for use of CTRL OS in safety-critical and mixed-criticality systems up to SIL 3 / ASIL D, and independently confirms that Codethink’s approach satisfies the expectations of both IEC 61508 and ISO 26262.

This is the latest milestone in Codethink’s strategic journey to establish a defensible, engineering-led methodology for the use of Open Source software in systems where safety, security, performance, availability, and reliability are considered critical.

“We are concentrating on the real work of engineering safety, security, and reliability, not just chasing certificates by following a standard,” said Paul Sherwood, Codethink’s Chairman. “This all boils down to trust. How can we trust software to do what we expect, and how can we trust our mitigations when things go wrong?”

Codethink’s solution was initially driven by customer demand for a “safe Linux” automotive platform, but now extends beyond the operating system to integration of critical software stacks, where the re-use of mature open source components can significantly reduce costs versus proprietary software, and reduce engineering risks versus creating new software from scratch.

“Trust is fundamental to modern technology, and Codethink’s approach to trustable software is groundbreaking,” said Jonathan Moore, Director, Advanced Systems, exida LLC. “Their rigorous Trustable Software Framework methodology sets a new benchmark for how safety and assurance can be engineered into complex, open source–based systems from day one.”

CTRL OS is delivered in alignment with the Eclipse Trustable Software Framework, an open source industry initiative led by Codethink to create transparent, open foundations for safety-certified systems.

This assessment shows the way for any product company building safety-critical systems to adopt mature open source components such as Linux with confidence. Codethink’s objective-based approach means that the safety argument and the evidence to support it are built and maintained alongside the software.

CTRL OS proves that open source isn’t a compromise—it’s a foundation for the future of safety-critical software.

You can’t audit your way to trust. You have to build it.

Ready to ship with confidence? Start with Codethink.

Download the baseline safety assessment report at https://www.codethink.co.uk/ctrl-os.html.

Industry Reactions

“Codethink’s safety-assessed Linux unlocks the speed and agility needed for developing software-defined vehicles. For our Level 4 autonomous trucking platform, it means we can build faster—with confidence that our stack will meet the highest safety bar.”

— C.J. King, Chief Technology Officer, Torc Robotics, Inc.

"JLR has collaborated with Codethink for more than a decade, leveraging expertise in support of the development, build and release of trustable, high-integrity software into our vehicles including infotainment, cockpit, networking and DevSecOps. JLR continues to work collaboratively with Codethink on its pioneering work driving the development of safe Linux solutions built on an engineering methodology delivering safety, security and reliability satisfying IEC 61508 / ISO 26262 for safety critical and mixed criticality systems as they are announcing today, which we see as a central element for the future to optimise our software defined vehicles."

— David Nesbitt FREng, Director Digital Product Platform, JLR

“Helping kick off Codethink’s safety journey might become one of the most meaningful chapters of my career. It’s deeply satisfying to see that what began as a bold question has now become a defensible, standards-driven reality.”

– Ulrich Kersken, Former Vice President, Robert Bosch GmbH

“We originally approached Codethink with a simple question: Can we use open source software in our most safety-critical systems? What followed has reshaped how we think about software quality, transparency, and long-term compliance. Codethink didn’t just answer the question how to do it, they did it. Now it’s the industry’s task to utilize the results.”

— Detlef Zerfowski PhD, Vice President, ETAS GmbH

“Codethink’s achievement is a landmark for the industry. Their trustable approach to open source and safety-critical software is exactly what Tier 1 suppliers like Panasonic Automotive need as software becomes central to our future. We fully support this direction and are excited to embed these practices across our portfolio as we expand our software capabilities.”

— Mark Thornton, Vice President, and General Manager, Panasonic Automotive

“This achievement validates a core belief of our community: that transparency and collaboration can meet—even exceed—the most stringent safety standards.”

— Mike Milinkovich, Executive Director of the Eclipse Foundation

"Codethink’s accomplishment demonstrates that trustable open source software is not just aspirational — it can be built, measured, and proven. It is an inspiring example of how metrics, transparency, and community stewardship drive long-term confidence in open technologies."

— Daniel Izquierdo Cortázar, PhD, CEO, Bitergia; Board Member, CHAOSS

“What Codethink has achieved changes the game. This assessment proves that Linux is a viable option for mission-critical systems and clears the way to certification. Codethink has put the incumbents on notice.”

— Dr Richard Windsor PhD CFA, Principal Analyst, Radio Free Mobile

"We believe trustable open source frameworks could fundamentally change how industries — and insurers — approach risk. By improving transparency and auditability across the software supply chain, they are laying a stronger foundation for digital trust and more resilient risk management."

— Joe Deems, Executive Director, National Risk Retention Association

"Codethink’s work is a powerful reminder that when open source is paired with rigorous engineering practices, it can unlock extraordinary value even in the world’s most safety-critical applications. At the Rust Foundation, we are proud to support the Safety Critical Rust Consortium and the advancement of technologies that are safe, secure, and built on trustable foundations."

— Rebecca Rumbul, Executive Director & CEO, Rust Foundation

About Codethink
Codethink is a world-class provider of critical, high-performance software projects and solutions for international-scale companies in a range of industries including Automotive, Finance, Medical, and IoT. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, Codethink has pioneered software industry thinking around concepts of trustable software, working to improve the quality of software engineering.

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