Re: QEMU Automated Testing (was [Qemu-devel] qemu Makefile.target vl.h hw/acpi.c hw/adlib.c ...)

[Jamie Lokier <jamie@shareable.org>]

Natalia Portillo wrote:
> But that required some macro interface "click at x,y, wait some seconds,
> press 'k' key", that is not currently under QEMU.
> 
> The best solution I think is to get a way to send QEMU the screenshot to
> file command some times and stop the VM when both are equal, then send the
> last took screenshot to a mail address so breakability can be checked. (If
> it is the login window, great, it BOOTS!, if not, it doesn't)

If there was a way to get QEMU to stop when the screen matches a
particular stored screenshot, that would make it a lot more scriptable.

For example, you could record the steps to install a particular OS
from installation media as a series of screenshots showing dialog
boxes, and script commands like pressing keys or clicking at x, y when
those screens match.

Another useful event to stop on would be when the processor hits an
x86 HLT instruction or whatever is the equivalent on other
architectures, or particular recognised waiting loops - in conjunction
with there being no outstanding I/O.  Maybe that's an appropriate time
to check for matching screenshots.

That kind of script would be nice when you want to create a new fresh
installation of some OS, but with a few options changed.  The script
would not be too hard to stop at a certain point, and set different
option in the installation, then continue.  Currently I do this
manually and it's quite tedious.

Similarly for actually running applications in a VM.

-- Jamie