Re: [Qemu-devel] [RFC] extensions to the -m memory option

[Liviu Ionescu]

> On 01 Jun 2015, at 12:16, Peter Crosthwaite <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> If all we are worried about the name of -kernel can we give it an alias?

in my initial implementation I aliased it to --image, but I received a strong 
opposition on the list, for polluting the command line, and I did not insist.

I'd highly appreciate to get rid of all linux specifics for the cortex-m 
emulation, since they really do not apply here, and just increase the user 
confusion.

so I reiterate my suggestion to use "--image file".

> 
> You should define size to match the board and part with either an
> error condition or padding policy. Truncating the flash to something
> smaller than the part is trap for users. Perhaps something like:
> 
> "WARNING: block device /foo/bar/blah.bin is smaller than flash for STMXXXXX"

good point.

> You could support both. -plfash and -kernel, the latter trumping the
> former,

yes, in my view "-pflash file" must be an independent option, to provide 
initial content to the flash area, and to provide a persistent location where 
to save the memory area when emulation ends.

if, on top of it, -image (!) and/or -gdb are used to overwrite parts of the 
flash, this is completely unrelated.

btw, there are microcontrollers with battery backed ram areas, I guess these 
should be handled similarly (just that the name -pflash is no longer 
appropriate).

perhaps some -global properties like "device.flash_file=path", 
"device.persistent_ram_file=path", would be more appropriate for this.


regards,

Liviu