Re: [Qemu-devel] QEmu as a Device Software Optimization tool

[Paul Borman]

The embedded space contains a vast number of boards, often only  
different by what devices are use, where they are located, etc.   
Building a new version of qemu for each board would be burdensome.   
The hope would be that we could build a generic qemu (for an  
architecture family), say, ppc_generic, which then read an external  
file (which, in our case, will be generated from board description)  
and configure itself according to that.  Further, by allowing devices  
to be loaded vi dlopen(), devices can be added after qemu has been  
built.  This would also allow the developer to specify the exact  
location of the device, rather than having a list of IRQ's and base  
ports, etc.

For the embedded world, yes, "outsiders" are certainly going to want  
to define new platforms and more than likely, provide their own  
custom devices.  They key is they do not need to muck with the real  
internals of qemu, just the part that picks the bits and pieces to use.

Oh, and if I am an outsider, then absolutely the answer is yes!, I  
already have had the need :-)

        -Paul

On Jul 26, 2007, at 3:48 PM, n schembr wrote:

> -snap-
>
>
> > Personally though I don't see much benefit to simple syntax config
>
> > files over C files, that are being used now.
>
>
>
> Config files implies a self check process.  A better question might  
> be, has qemu grown to the point where an outsider is going to  
> define a new  platform?
>
> Could an arm based cell phone manufacture use the config files to  
> define the hardware for the emulator without a full port? Iphone  
> anyone :)
>
> Nicholas A. Schembri
> state  college pa usa