This script creates a bootable QEMU disk image from Buildroot kernel and root filesystem images. MLB is used for the actual booting. Works only with x86 / x86_64 images.
I wanted a system that would run completely automated / unattended Buildroot builds and test them in QEMU, all without requiring root privileges. I also wanted it to run using disk images (as opposed to separate kernel and root fs images).
The usual way of creating a bootable disk image involves installing a standard bootloader (such as Grub) into a loopback mounted filesystem. This works perfectly well in most of the cases. For an unattended system however, that would mean:
- the system would have to reliably handle setup and teardown of loopback devices, which would add complexity to an otherwise simple task,
- root privileges would be required.
mklbimg doesn't need loopback devices and works without root privileges.
It's a primitive solution, but it gets the job done.
Run mklbimg in a directory containing bzImage and rootfs.ext2 files.
Output will be in image.qcow2 and image.raw.
- bash
- sfdisk
- xxd
- MLB
- QEMU