Re: [OpenBIOS] [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
2:01 a.m.
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM, qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org wrote:
On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm thinking
something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be found:
http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want to implement this
feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented.
Hello,
I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
that used on sparc too ?
5. Besides what is in
http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
Thanks
BR
Max.
4:09 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
Le 11/09/2015 20:01, Programmingkid a écrit :
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM, qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org
<mailto:qemu-discuss-request@nongnu.org> wrote:
Nostalgia: a seven years old thread, out of date now:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2008-05/msg00002.html
On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved
between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
thinking something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>. Hello,
I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
that used on sparc too ?
5. Besides what is in
http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
Thanks
BR
Max.
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called
OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be
found: http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want
to implement this feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented.
Laurent
5:07 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sep 11, 2015, at 4:09 PM, Laurent Vivier wrote:
Le 11/09/2015 20:01, Programmingkid a écrit :
Could you send the patch please?
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM, qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org
<mailto:qemu-discuss-request@nongnu.org> wrote:
Nostalgia: a seven years old thread, out of date now:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2008-05/msg00002.html
On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved
between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
thinking something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>. Hello,
I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
that used on sparc too ?
5. Besides what is in
http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
Thanks
BR
Max.
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called
OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be
found: http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want
to implement this feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented.
Laurent
3:46 p.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
Le 11/09/2015 23:07, Programmingkid a écrit :
On Sep 11, 2015, at 4:09 PM, Laurent Vivier wrote:
The patch is attached to the mail in the thread. Anyway, I don't think
it applies now.
Laurent
Le 11/09/2015 20:01, Programmingkid a écrit :
Could you send the patch please?
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM, qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org
<mailto:qemu-discuss-request@nongnu.org> wrote:
Nostalgia: a seven years old thread, out of date now:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2008-05/msg00002.html
On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
> nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
>
> I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
>
> So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
> the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
>
> 1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
> add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
>
> 2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
> look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
> sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
> functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
>
> 3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
> something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
>
> 4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
> that used on sparc too ?
>
> 5. Besides what is in
> http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
> some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
> with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
> spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
>
> Thanks
> BR
> Max.
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved
between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
thinking something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called
OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be
found: http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want
to implement this feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented.
Laurent
2:01 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sep 12, 2015, at 3:46 AM, Laurent Vivier wrote:
Le 11/09/2015 23:07, Programmingkid a écrit :
The extension on the patch is incorrectly set to .bin. Had to change it to .txt to make it
work. Thanks.
I don't have the original poster's email address so I can't send it to him.
Hopefully he had read these
emails and knows about it.
On Sep 11, 2015, at 4:09 PM, Laurent Vivier wrote:
The patch is attached to the mail in the thread. Anyway, I don't think
it applies now.
Laurent
Le 11/09/2015 20:01, Programmingkid a écrit :
Could you send the patch please?
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM, qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org
<mailto:qemu-discuss-request@nongnu.org> wrote:
> On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
>> nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
>>
>> I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
>>
>> So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
>> the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
>>
>> 1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
>> add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
>>
>> 2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
>> look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
>> sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
>> functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
>>
>> 3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
>> something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
>>
>> 4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
>> that used on sparc too ?
>>
>> 5. Besides what is in
>> http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
>> some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
>> with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
>> spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
>>
>> Thanks
>> BR
>> Max.
>
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved
between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
thinking something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
Nostalgia: a seven years old thread, out of date now:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2008-05/msg00002.html
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called
OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be
found: http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want
to implement this feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented.
Laurent 
1:14 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:00 PM,
qemu-discuss-request(a)nongnu.org
<mailto:qemu-discuss-request@nongnu.org> wrote:
On 10/09/2015 8:58 AM, Maximilian H. wrote:
This sounds like a good idea. Having OpenBIOS settings actually be saved
between boots
would make things more real.
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
actually load the
saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
thinking something
along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
Max, there is a project that you should probably look at called
OpenBIOS. It implements
an implementation of Open Firmware. Here is where more info can be
found: http://www.openfirmware.info/Welcome_to_OpenBIOS. If you do want
to implement this feature,
it would help to know how the BIOS is implemented. Hello,
I was looking into what parts would need change to save and restore the
nvram content for the qemu-system-sparc vm between boots.
I see the code in hw/timer/m48t59.c that implements the nvram.
So some questions arise, and before I spend too much time poking around
the still unknown code, I'd thought I ask first.
1. Command line processing starts in vl.c in the main fct there ? Can I
add a command line argument there, say "-sparcnvram" ?
2. In hw/timer/m48t59.c has no functionality that I see from having a
look at it (not in depth) to save or restore the nvram's contents for
sparc. Is there a general facility that qemu has that provides such a
functionality - i.e. is there a general qemu save and restore framework ?
3. Is there an example somebody could point me to that implements
something similar ? Imitation is the sincerest of flattery ....
4. All the alarm and watchdog functionality that the m48t08 provides, is
that used on sparc too ?
5. Besides what is in
http://wiki.qemu.org/Documentation/GettingStartedDevelopers, is there
some qemu coding documentation to make it faster for somebody unfamilar
with qemu's code like me to be able to implement something ? I'd like to
spend a few evenings on this, produce a patch and move on.
Thanks
BR
Max.
From memory the reason this hasn't been done is
because the NVRAM
interface is used across multiple architectures and there
hasn't been a
solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
May I ask why you want to save the NVRAM state between boots on SPARC?
My guess would be that you're using a real SS-5 PROM image and looking
to avoid having to type boot commands into the terminal after every
reset. If this is the case then you may be pleasantly surprised using
QEMU 2.4 with the built-in OpenBIOS as there were fixes applied during
the last development cycle that were enough to allow SunOS 4.1.4 to boot.
If this solution works for you and you are keen use the alarm/watchdog
features then there may be some scope to add the required features to
QEMU/OpenBIOS in future.
ATB,
Mark.
5:50 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
I'm wondering, why wouldn't it be enough to memmap a nvram file instead of
mallocing (or whatever) the memory area?
On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
> Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU
command line option to
> actually load the
> saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
> thinking something
> along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
From memory the
reason this hasn't been done is because the NVRAM
interface is used across
multiple architectures and there hasn't been a
solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
5:55 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sep 13, 2015, at 5:50 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
I'm wondering, why wouldn't it be enough to memmap a nvram file instead of
mallocing (or whatever) the memory area?
What advantage does mmap() have over malloc()? I think malloc() is a lot more
familiar to use than mmap().
On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
> Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU
command line option to
> actually load the
> saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
> thinking something
> along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
From
memory the reason this hasn't been done is because the NVRAM
interface is used
across multiple architectures and there hasn't been a
solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
7:20 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Programmingkid wrote:
I'm wondering, why wouldn't it be enough to memmap a nvram file instead of
mallocing (or whatever) the memory area?
What advantage does mmap() have over malloc()? I think malloc() is a lot more
familiar to use than mmap().
The advantage is that it's file-backed (optionally, but intended here).
Everything you write into that memory area will be automatically
saved and restored just like a nvram should be. At least, that's what the
documentation promises, I never used it myself, therefore I ask.
On Sep 13, 2015, at 5:50 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
>> On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
> Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU
command line option to
> actually load the
> saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
> thinking something
> along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
From
memory the reason this hasn't been done is because the NVRAM
interface is used
across multiple architectures and there hasn't been a
solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
7:25 a.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On Sep 13, 2015, at 7:20 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Programmingkid wrote:
What advantage does mmap() have over malloc()? I think malloc() is a lot more
familiar to use than mmap().
The advantage is that it's file-backed (optionally, but intended here).
Everything you write into that memory area will be automatically
saved and restored just like a nvram should be. At least, that's what the
documentation promises, I never used it myself, therefore I ask.
You make mmap() sound good. Maybe we should use it.
On Sep 13, 2015, at 5:50 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
>> On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
> Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU
command line option to
> actually load the
> saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
> thinking something
> along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
> From memory the reason this hasn't been
done is because the NVRAM
interface is used across multiple architectures and there hasn't been a
solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
I'm wondering, why wouldn't it be enough to memmap a nvram file instead of
mallocing (or whatever) the memory area? 
5:33 p.m.
New subject: [Qemu-discuss] Qemu-system-sparc: What would I need to change to add functionality to save the nvram content between boots ?
On 14 September 2015 at 00:25, Programmingkid <programmingkidx(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On Sep 13, 2015, at 7:20 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
Rather than reinventing the wheel I suggest looking at how QEMU
already supports file-backed ROMs for other platforms...
thanks
-- PMM
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Programmingkid wrote:
The advantage is that it's file-backed (optionally, but intended here).
Everything you write into that memory area will be automatically
saved and restored just like a nvram should be. At least, that's what the
documentation promises, I never used it myself, therefore I ask.
You make mmap() sound good. Maybe we should use it. On Sep 13, 2015, at 5:50 PM, Bodo Eggert wrote:
> On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
>> On 11/09/15 19:01, Programmingkid wrote:
>>
Mark, do you think it is possible for a QEMU command line option to
>> actually load the
>> saved OpenBIOS settings from a file and restore them into memory? I'm
>> thinking something
>> along the lines of -prom-memory <file name>.
>> From memory the reason this hasn't been done is because the NVRAM
> interface is used across multiple architectures and there hasn't been a
> solution devised that would work well enough for all of them. Then again
> as the BIOSs involved have continued to develop, it may be now that some
> of the issues can now be solved so it never hurts to ask on the -devel list.
I'm wondering, why wouldn't it be enough to memmap a nvram file instead of
mallocing (or whatever) the memory area?
What advantage does mmap() have over malloc()? I think malloc() is a lot more
familiar to use than mmap().
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10 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
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Peter Maydell -
Programmingkid