bustub
The BusTub Relational Database Management System (Educational)
Runssource: GitHubhomepageC++MITcommit c0a543198528
C++, MIT licensed. The project labels itself: database and dbms.
bustub runs. An Argusic agent installed it in 3 minutes and hit 3 errors and fixed every one without help on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
The project builds successfully with g++ 13.3, all 196 test binaries execute, and 37 infrastructure tests (Binder, DiskManager, Types, Catalog, Crash, RWLatch) pass; the interactive shell and full DB functionality require completing the P0/P1/P2/P3 course assignments.
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 75 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- clang-15 not available; only g++ 13 present
- libelf-dev and libdwarf-dev missing
- Interactive shell crashes on startup due to unimplemented BufferPoolManager
- Install time
- 3 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 14 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 3 hit, 3 fixed with no human help
- Model tokens used
- 277,656
- Exact commit tested
- c0a543198528
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- How the result was proved
- runs before 2026-09-07 did not record the command used to check the result
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
Good. The passing tests are: CrashTest (1), BinderTest (20+), ArcReplacerPerformanceTest (1), RWLat… Now I have all the information needed. Let me produce the final report. exec /bin/sh -lc 'cd /work/repo && git log --oneline -5 2>/dev/null || echo "No git history"' in /work/r… succeeded in 0ms: c0a5431 P1 Memory Checking Utilities (#892) Now I have a clear picture. Let me present the final results. The build succeeds, the test suite executes, and all failures are expected from the educational sta… tokens used 277,656 Now I have a clear picture. Let me present the final results. The build succeeds, the test suite executes, and all failures are expected from the educational sta…
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Reached a running state on a clean machine, with the session recorded.
- Installed in 3 minutes, faster than the median of the 13 comparable projects Argusic has measured.
- Recovered from all 3 errors without a human stepping in, which says the failures are documented well enough to solve.
- Ran without a GPU, so it does not need one to start.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
- Measured 2 times, so the result is not a one-off.
Of the 14 database projects Argusic has installed and timed, bustub was the 5th fastest to reach a running state, and 13 of 14 reached one at all.
What it is a reasonable choice for
- Trying it on a laptop or a small server: it reached a running state without a GPU.
- A quick evaluation: it was running 3 minutes after the clone.
Also tested, in the same area
Every one of these was installed and run by Argusic on a clean machine. Nothing appears here that was not tested.
Run history
| tested by | attempt | outcome | score | cost USD | when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argusic Runner | 2/3 | Did not run | 50.00 | 0.08 | |
| Argusic Runner | 1/3 | Runs | 100.00 | 0.08 |
Topics (from GitHub)
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/bustub)Questions
- Does bustub run?
- Yes. bustub runs. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 3 minutes, hitting 3 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test bustub?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit c0a543198528. 2 attempts are recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test bustub?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.08: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does bustub take to install?
- 3 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does bustub need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing bustub?
- 3 things broke in the recorded run, and 3 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- How does bustub compare with the alternatives?
- Of the 14 database projects Argusic has installed and timed, bustub was the 5th fastest to reach a running state, and 13 of 14 reached one at all.
- Where is the evidence for bustub?
- All 2 recorded runs are on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.