Development environment for gem5 ARM.

The Dockerfile in this repository creates the gem5-dev docker image that includes the build environment necessary to compile and run the gem5 ARM full system simulator. The image is structured in such a way that it assumes the user mounts a gem5 working directory residing on the host machine into the container running the gem5-dev image. The docker image hosts the full build environment, whereas the gem5 working directory holds the gem5 source code, compile artifacts, and the image files for full system simulation if desired.

The gem5-dev docker image is structured to run as a binary supporting several commands:

install-source: installs the gem5 sources from git in the working directory
update-source: updates the gem5 sources
install-system: installs the gem5 ARM system image by downloading and unpacking the corresponding tar file
build: builds the gem5 ARM binary
run-se: runs a sample binary in Syscall Emulation mode
run-fs: starts a sample run in Full System mode
shell: enters into an interactive shell in the container running the gem5-dev image in which the developer can work within the build environment; above commands are also available within this shell as commands to the gem5-dev tool

How to build the docker image

Build the gem5-dev image like this:

docker build -t gem5-dev docker

This creates the docker image called gem5-dev. Docker hub also holds a pre-built image under arturklauser/gem5-dev. To use this image simply use docker pull arturklauser/gem5-dev or use it in your own Dockerfile:

FROM arturklauser/gem5-dev
...

How to use the docker image

Setting up the gem5 working directory

Create a directory on the host system which you'd like to use as gem5 working directory. It will contain the sources, build artifacts (e.g. .o and binary files), and the ARM system image files. You'll need several GBs of space for this (currently about 12 GB, but it depends on your builds). Let's call that directory $GEM5_WORKDIR.

Installing, building, and running gem5

Now you can run the gem5-dev docker image and use it to get the gem5 source, compile gem5, and run it:

docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev install-source
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev build
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev run-se

Note that the gem5 sources will be installed into a directory called 'source' inside $GEM5_WORKDIR.

Installing and running full system images

If you also want to use full system mode, you have to install the corresponding system files as well:

docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev install-system
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev run-fs

Note that the gem5 ARM system files will be installed into a directory called 'system' inside $GEM5_WORKDIR.

If you want to build your own full system images, see Pau's gem5_arm_fullsystem_files_generator.

Starting your own runs

The runs that were started with the 'run' commands above are just sample commands that allow you to verify that the build has worked properly. In order to actually do something useful with gem5, you'll have to issue your own run commands. To do that, get into a shell in the build environment and issue the run commands you need:

# on the host
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev shell
# now in the docker container
cd source
build/ARM/gem5.opt configs/example/se.py -c tests/test-progs/hello/bin/arm/linux/hello

Modifying source code

The gem5-dev build environment doesn't contain any editor, so it's not a convenient place to modify the gem5 sources. The method of development with the gem5-dev docker image is that you edit the gem5 source files on your host machine on which it is assumed you have already set up whatever source code editing environment you prefer. Since all the source code lives in the gem5 working directory on the host, your host editing environment has full native access to the source files. Once you're done with a modification and want to test it, simply run the compile step inside the gem5-dev container. Here is a sample development cycle:

# on the host
vim $GEM5_WORKDIR/source/src/arch/arm/some_file.cc
# edit that file, then compile it
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev build

Alternatively, you could also use a second terminal in which you keep a shell open in the gem5-dev container and perform your compiles there:

Terminal 1:

# on the host
docker run --rm -v $GEM5_WORKDIR:/gem5 -it gem5-dev shell
# now in the docker container
cd source

Terminal 2:

# on the host
edit $GEM5_WORKDIR/source/src/arch/arm/some_file.cc
# editing that file ...