[Cbe-oss-dev] Kernel Development Tips for QS22?

[Michael Ellerman]

On Wed, 2009-08-26 at 14:51 -0400, gelliott wrote:
> I only started hacking the Linux kernel a few months ago and now I find 
> myself developing on a QS22 blade.  I am inexperienced in kernel 
> development, but I am learning.  I was hoping some of the folks on this 
> list could share the techniques they use for kernel development on 
> Cell-based systems.  I am having particular difficulty on the QS22 due 
> to the console SOL interface; it's pretty cumbersome.  I am also finding 
> the QS22 more difficult since there is no virtualized environment 
> (contrast with using qemu for x86 development)-- I don't think anyone 
> here uses the Cell simulator, but maybe I'm wrong.
> 
> Regarding my own development environment, I am modifying the BSC Fedora 
> 9 kernel (based on 2.6.25).  I am using the source RPMs and repeated 
> rebuilds of the kernel is consuming a lot of my time (3+ hours per go).  
> I am unsure of what drivers I can cut out of the BSC kernel for the 
> QS22.  Is there anyone developing for a QS22 that might want to share a 
> slimmed down .config file?  Would it be smart to just start compiling 
> the kernel with 'make' and 'make install'?

      * Don't use RPMs for building, just build the kernel yourself.
      * Try cell_defconfig as a start.
      * Netboot
      * Compile on another box, cross compile if you don't have a fast
        PPC box.
      * Use the upstream kernel - I think, I don't see why you'd want to
        use 2.6.25.

I haven't used the cell simulator, but I have used that simulator for
other projects and it is quite good once you get used to it. Though
depending on what you're developing there's nothing like the real
hardware for testing.

cheers
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 197 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://lists.ozlabs.org/pipermail/cbe-oss-dev/attachments/20090827/6fb07fac/attachment-0001.pgp>