[Qemu-devel] [RFC] add --image command line for use with non-linux machines

[Liviu Ionescu]

Due to the problems that I recently faced with the semihosting patches, that 
impair functionality for maintaining compatibility with existing linux 
machines, I added the following to my GNU ARM Eclipse branch:

---------------------------------
DEFHEADING(Microcontroller/Cortex-M specific:)
STEXI

Unlike Linux machines, microcontrollers like Cortex-M MCUs, 
do not boot from a device; they have the application code
written into flash and at reset they directly start executing it. 
Therefore there is no need to specify -kernel/-initrd, and a 
simpler solution is available to define the image file that
QEMU will use as flash content to execute.

@table @option
ETEXI

DEF("image", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_image, \
    "-image elf use 'elf' as image to emulate\n", QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
STEXI
@item -image @var{elf-file}
@findex -image
Use @var{elf-file} sections as image of the application to emulate. It is 
the same file used to program the flash via a JTAG/SWD programmer.
ETEXI

STEXI
@end table
ETEXI
DEFHEADING()
---------------------------------

I think that it is reasonably to acknowledge that not all emulated machines are 
linux boxes, and that it is not ok to bend everything to match the linux 
command line options.


Regards,

Liviu