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Building nSIM OSCI Linux Virtual Platform

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Francois Bedard edited this page Apr 25, 2014 · 26 revisions

Abstract

This document provides a step-by-step guide on building nSIM OSCI Linux Virtual Platform. Platform allows to run Linux kernel for ARC processors on the nSIM simulator.

Prerequisites

Software:

Environment:

  • In its default configuration platform creates xterm windows, so it requires to be started from GUI. If you from terminal interface, then build platform in headless mode.
  • Ethernet implementation
  • Ethernet implementation requires networking capabilities to be set for Platform binary. Setting those capabilities requires sudo access on host system. You can use Platform without sudo but without Ethernet. Capabilities can be set only on local file system, they can not be set on NFS. For full experience you need to have sudo access and run platform from local file system.

Following document refers to $NSIM_HOME as path to nSIM installation. It is recommended to set this as an environment variable.

Building SystemC and SCML libraries

Note. You need to create directories where you will install SystemC and SCML before building them, which is why we use mkdir in the instructions below.

Build and install SystemC:

tar xzf systemc-2.3.0.tgz
mkdir systemc-2.3.0/BUILD
pushd systemc-2.3.0/BUILD
mkdir -p /path/to/systemc-install
../configure --prefix=/path/to/systemc-install
make
make install
popd

The same for SCML (use make install, make will not work):

tar xzf scml-2.1.3.tgz
mkdir scml-2.1.3/BUILD
pushd scml-2.1.3/BUILD
mkdir -p /path/to/scml-install
../configure --prefix=/path/to/scml-install --with-systemc=/path/to/systemc-install CPPFLAGS='-fpermissive'
make install
popd

Please note that make install command should be used for scml building and installation at once instead of separate execution of make and make install.

On attempt to execute make after configuration this kind of error messages may appear:

In file included from ../../../src/scml2_testing/memory_element_value_proxy.cc:12:0:
../../../src/scml2_testing/../scml2_testing/test_memory_element.h:13:19: fatal error: scml2.h: No such file or directory
 #include <scml2.h>
                   ^
compilation terminated.
In file included from ../../../src/scml2_testing/initiator_socket_proxy_base.cc:11:0:
../../../src/scml2_testing/../scml2_testing/initiator_socket_proxy_base.h:14:19: fatal error: scml2.h: No such file or directory
 #include <scml2.h>

Configure nSIM with your newly built libraries. In $NSIM_HOME/systemc/scripts/config.sh set SYSTEMC_HOME and SCML_HOME to the installation paths of respective libraries. Set TLM_HOME to the same value as SYSTEMC_HOME. Set MW_HOME to empty string, set NSIM_HOME to the nSIM installation path.

Source $NSIM_HOME/systemc/scripts/setup.sh. This setup environment for the Platform.

. $NSIM_HOME/systemc/scripts/setup.sh

Building the Platform

Change dir to Platform directory. This is the location of the SystemC Linux VP example - typically in $NSIM_HOME/systemc/examples/Linux_VP

Update reference to TLM directory in Makefile, because for some reasons TLM which goes with SystemC uses another directory structure than the one which is shipped separatly:

sed -i Makefile -e 's|\$(TLM_HOME)/include/tlm$|\$(TLM_HOME)/include/tlm_core|'

If you are going to use Ethernet, then you'll have to set capabilities. The side effect is that application with set capabilities won't search for shared libraries in LD_LIBRARY_PATH. To overcome this you need to either copy nSIM and SystemC shared libraries to system library directories (not recommended) or set rpath during build time. This guide uses second approach.

sed -i.bak Makefile -e 's|LINK_OPTION=.*|LINK_OPTION := -Wl,-rpath=$(NSIM_HOME)/lib -Wl,-rpath=$(SYSTEMC_HOME)/lib-linux64|'

Build platform:

make EXTRA_CXXFLAGS=-fpermissive

Or if you want to run Linux without UART and PGU then build Platform in "headless" mode:

make EXTRA_CXXFLAGS="-fpermissive -DHEADLESS_MODE"

If you are going to use Ethernet, then set capabilities:

sudo setcap cap_net_admin,cap_net_bind_service=pe sc_top

Running the Platform

Build Linux image using that guide. Copy kernel image to Platform directory or create a respective symlink to image. Alternatively in Platform directory edit properties.ini file to point to the valid kernel image location.

Environment variable SC_SIGNAL_WRITE_CHECK must be set to DISABLE to run Platform. Run:

SC_SIGNAL_WRITE_CHECK=DISABLE ./sc_top

If you've built normal Platform it will open an Xwindow with Linux terminal in it. If Ethernet is configured properly, than on your host system will be created TAP device with IP address 192.168.218.1, Linux on Platform will be available at IP 192.168.218.2. If you've built "headless" system then Ethernet will the only way to communicate with it (use telnet 192.168.218.2 to access the system).

To close system press Ctrl+C in the terminal which runs Platform (kill -SIGINT should work too). Command halt in Linux on Platform will halt the system, but Platform still will be running.

Debugging bare-metal applications via GDB on the Platform

Make sure GDB server is enabled in the platform configuration file properties.ini and port number on which GDB server will accept connections is specified.

[bool]
top.nsim_1./model_config/halt_on_reset: true
top.nsim_1./debugger_config/gdb_server/enabled: true

[uint]
top.nsim_1./debugger_config/gdb_server/port: 12345

Now start the platform as usual

SC_SIGNAL_WRITE_CHECK=DISABLE ./sc_top

In a separate terminal window start GDB client and proceed as with normal remote GDB debug session

$ arc-elf32-gdb vmlinux 
GNU gdb (ARCompact/ARCv2 ISA elf32 toolchain (GCC arc-4.8-R3)) 7.5.1
Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.  Type "show copying"
and "show warranty" for details.
This GDB was configured as "--host=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu --target=arc-elf32".
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<http://solvnet.synopsys.com>...
Reading symbols from vmlinux...(no debugging symbols found)...done.
(gdb) target remote localhost:12345
Remote debugging using localhost:12345
0x00000000 in ?? ()
(gdb) load
Loading section .vector, size 0x2000 lma 0x80000000
Loading section .init.ramfs, size 0x15aa84 lma 0x80002000
Loading section .init.text, size 0xf408 lma 0x8015e000
Loading section .init.data, size 0xb4e4 lma 0x8016d420
Loading section .init.arch.info, size 0x54 lma 0x80178904
Loading section .exit.text, size 0x3e4 lma 0x8017a000
Loading section .text, size 0x292a1c lma 0x8017c000
Loading section __ex_table, size 0x82e8 lma 0x8040ea40
Loading section .rodata, size 0x82438 lma 0x80418000
Loading section __ksymtab, size 0x4bc8 lma 0x8049a438
Loading section __ksymtab_gpl, size 0x2700 lma 0x8049f000
Loading section __ksymtab_strings, size 0xf98c lma 0x804a1700
Loading section __param, size 0x460 lma 0x804b108c
Loading section __modver, size 0xb14 lma 0x804b14ec
Loading section .data, size 0x1a760 lma 0x804b2000
Loading section .debug_frame, size 0x4b9ac lma 0x80506000
Loading section .notes, size 0x24 lma 0x805519ac
Start address 0x8015e000, load size 5318108
Transfer rate: 25 KB/sec, 658 bytes/write.
(gdb) b arc_cache_init
Breakpoint 1 at 0x80160b0e
(gdb) c
Continuing.

Breakpoint 1, 0x80160b0e in arc_cache_init ()
(gdb) disassemble 
Dump of assembler code for function arc_cache_init:
   0x80160b08 <+0>:	push_s     blink
   0x80160b0a <+2>:	sub        sp,sp,0x100
=> 0x80160b0e <+6>:	mov        r2,0x100
   0x80160b12 <+10>:	mov        r1,sp
   0x80160b16 <+14>:	bl.d       0x80182250 <arc_cache_mumbojumbo>

   0x80160b1a <+18>:	mov_s      r0,0
   0x80160b1c <+20>:	bl         0x80401104 <printk>

   0x80160b20 <+24>:	ld         r2,[0x804d0010]
   0x80160b28 <+32>:	breq_s     r2,0,0x80160b86 <arc_cache_init+126>

   0x80160b2a <+34>:	ld         r3,[0x804d000c]
   0x80160b32 <+42>:	breq       r3,2,0x80160b44 <arc_cache_init+60>

   0x80160b36 <+46>:	mov        r0,0x8048398c
   0x80160b3e <+54>:	bl         0x80400e90 <panic>

   0x80160b42 <+58>:	nop_s      
   0x80160b44 <+60>:	ld         r3,[0x804d0008]
   0x80160b4c <+68>:	cmp_s      r3,64
   0x80160b4e <+70>:	bnz        0x80160b36 <arc_cache_init+46>

   0x80160b52 <+74>:	breq       r2,3,0x80160b7c <arc_cache_init+116>

   0x80160b56 <+78>:	ld         r2,[0x804bac40]
   0x80160b5e <+86>:	tst        r2,r2
   0x80160b62 <+90>:	mov.nz     r0,0x804839b4
   0x80160b6a <+98>:	jlnz       0x80400e90 <panic>

   0x80160b72 <+106>:	mov_s      r0,0x804839d8
   0x80160b78 <+112>:	bl         0x80401104 <printk>

   0x80160b7c <+116>:	lr         r2,[0x11]
   0x80160b80 <+120>:	bclr_s     r2,r2,0
   0x80160b82 <+122>:	sr         r2,[0x11]
   0x80160b86 <+126>:	ld         r2,[0x804d0024]
   0x80160b8e <+134>:	breq       r2,0,0x80160bda <arc_cache_init+210>

   0x80160b92 <+138>:	ld         r2,[0x804d0020]
   0x80160b9a <+146>:	brne       r2,4,0x80160b36 <arc_cache_init+46>

   0x80160b9e <+150>:	ld         r2,[0x804d001c]
   0x80160ba6 <+158>:	cmp        r2,64
   0x80160baa <+162>:	bnz        0x80160b36 <arc_cache_init+46>

   0x80160bae <+166>:	ld         r2,[0x804d0018]
   0x80160bb6 <+174>:	cmp        r2,0x8003
   0x80160bbe <+182>:	mov.hi     r0,0x80483a10
   0x80160bc6 <+190>:	jlhi       0x80400e90 <panic>

   0x80160bce <+198>:	lr         r2,[0x48]
   0x80160bd2 <+202>:	and        r2,r2,-66
   0x80160bd6 <+206>:	sr         r2,[0x48]
   0x80160bda <+210>:	ld.as      blink,[sp,64]
   0x80160bde <+214>:	j_s.d      [blink]
   0x80160be0 <+216>:	add        sp,sp,0x104
End of assembler dump.
(gdb) stepi
0x80160b12 in arc_cache_init ()
(gdb) info registers 
r0             0x40	64
r1             0x3	3
r2             0x100	256
r3             0x800	2048
r4             0x0	0
r5             0x0	0
r6             0x5	5
r7             0x0	0
r8             0x1e4	484
r9             0x0	0
r10            0x5	5
r11            0x2	2
r12            0x0	0
r13            0x804b3ff0	2152415216
r14            0x0	0
r15            0x0	0
r16            0x0	0
r17            0x0	0
r18            0x0	0
r19            0x0	0
r20            0x0	0
r21            0x0	0
r22            0x0	0
r23            0x0	0
r24            0x0	0
r25            0x804ba2b0	2152440496
gp             0x1b	0x1b
fp             0x0	0x0
sp             0x804b3ce0	0x804b3ce0 <init_thread_union+7392>
ilink1         0x0	0x0
ilink2         0x0	0x0
blink          0x8015ff20	0x8015ff20 <setup_processor+40>
r32            0x0	0
r33            0x0	0
r34            0x0	0
r35            0x0	0
r36            0x0	0
r37            0x0	0
r38            0x0	0
r39            0x0	0
r40            0x0	0
r41            0x0	0
r42            0x0	0
r43            0x0	0
r44            0x0	0
r45            0x0	0
r46            0x0	0
r47            0x0	0
r48            0x0	0
r49            0x0	0
r50            0x0	0
r51            0x0	0
r52            0x0	0
r53            0x0	0
r54            0x0	0
r55            0x0	0
r56            0x0	0
r57            0x0	0
r58            0x0	0
r59            0x0	0
lp_count       0x0	0
pcl            0x80160b10	0x80160b10 <arc_cache_init+8>
pc             0x80160b12	0x80160b12 <arc_cache_init+10>
(gdb) c
Continuing.
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