Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH v1 0/2] Add a generic loader

[Hollis Blanchard <hollis_blanchard@mentor.com>]

This cover letter has some useful explanation. Perhaps some of the 
contents should go into a docs/ file so other people can enjoy it too? :-)

I understand the part about loading multiple files, but why would I want 
to load a kernel with this loader, instead of the -kernel option?

Hollis Blanchard
Mentor Graphics Emulation Division

On 02/17/2016 01:04 PM, Alistair Francis wrote:
> This work is based on the original work by Li Guang with extra
> features added by Peter C and myself.
>
> The idea of this loader is to allow the user to load multiple images
> or values into QEMU at startup.
>
> Memory values can be loaded like this: -device loader,addr=0xfd1a0104,data=0x8000000e,data-len=4
>
> Images can be loaded like this: -device loader,file=./images/u-boot.elf,cpu=0
>
> This can be useful and we use it a lot in Xilinx to load multiple images
> into a machine at creation (ATF, Kernel and DTB for example).
>
> It can also be used to set registers.
>
> The limiation for arch is based off settting the ELF_ARCH macro.
>
> The reset patch is required otherwise the reset will never be registered
> and the loader can't change the PC in the case of images.
>
> Changes since RFC:
>   - Add support for BE
>
>
> Alistair Francis (2):
>    qdev-monitor.c: Register reset function if the device has one
>    generic-loader: Add a generic loader
>
>   default-configs/arm-softmmu.mak  |   1 +
>   hw/misc/Makefile.objs            |   2 +
>   hw/misc/generic-loader.c         | 127 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>   include/hw/misc/generic-loader.h |  50 +++++++++++++++
>   qdev-monitor.c                   |   2 +
>   5 files changed, 182 insertions(+)
>   create mode 100644 hw/misc/generic-loader.c
>   create mode 100644 include/hw/misc/generic-loader.h
>