last edited: 2024-12-09 19:22:21 +0000

This guide is intended for advanced users who need to build gem5 (>=23.1) with multiple ISAs or customize the build options, such as the Ruby memory protocol. Familiarity with the Kconfig system is required.

Build gem5 with the Kconfig Build System

scons [OPTIONS] Kconfig_command TARGET

Supported Kconfig commands include:

The most common options are defconfig, setconfig and menuconfig. Use can use scons --help to list these commands with additional information.

To build gem5 with Kconfig, there are now two steps. The first is the initial configuration, which sets up a build directory with the desired configuration. The second is building the target. this is done with the defconfig command. For example:

scons defconfig gem5_build build_opts/ALL

This will create a configuration in gem5_build build directory based on that specified inbuild_opts/ALL. The exact path of this configuration is stored in gem5_build/gem5.build/config.

The second step is to build the target in the configured build directory. This is done with scons as usual. For example:

scons -j$(nproc) gem5_build/gem5.opt

Note: In order to maintain backward compatibility with the old build scheme, users need to avoid using the “build” directory for Kconfig builds.

To build gem5 Kconfig with customized Kconfig options, an additional step is required between initial configuration and building the target.

This step is to set up the Kconfig options in the configured build directory. There are two ways to set up the Kconfig options. The first is to directly set the Kconfig options in the command line with the setconfig command. For example:

scons setconfig gem5_build USE_KVM=y

This will set the USE_KVM option to y in the configuration, thus enabling KVM support.

The second way is to use the menuconfig command to open the menuconfig editor. The menuconfig editor allows you to view and edit config values and view help. For example:


```bash
scons menuconfig gem5_build

Details of Kconfig Commands

defconfig

The defconfig command sets up a config using values specified in a defconfig file, or if no value is given, uses the default values. The second argument specifies the defconfig file. All default gem5 defconfig files are located in the build_opts directory. Users can also use their own defconfig files.

For example:

scons defconfig gem5_build build_opts/RISCV

To use your own defconfig file:

scons defconfig gem5_build $HOME/foo/bar/myconfig

setconfig

The setconfig command sets values in an existing config directory as specified on the command line.

The users or developers can get the Kconfig options via menuconfig or guiconfig.

For example, to enable gem5 is built in systemc kernel:

scons setconfig gem5_build USE_SYSTEMC=y

The menuconfig command opens the menuconfig editor. This editor allows you to view and edit config values and view help text. menuconfig runs in the CLI.

scons menuconfig gem5_build

If is successful, the CLI will look like this:

The user can use the arrow keys to navigate the menu, and the enter key to select a menu item. The user can also use the space bar to select or deselect an option. The user can also use the search function to find a specific option. The user can also use the ? key to view help text for a specific option. Below is a screenshot of the help text for the USE_ARM_ISA option:

If the gem5_build directory does not exist, SCons will set up a build directory at the path gem5_build with default options and then invoke menuconfig so you can set up its configuration.

guiconfig

The guiconfig command opens the guiconfig editor. This editor will let you view and edit config values, and view help text. guiconfig runs as a graphical application. The command requires python3-tk package be installed in the system.

scons guiconfig gem5_build

If is successful, it will create new windows to show up like:

savedefconfig

Te=he savedefconfig command saves the current configuration to a defconfig. You can use menuconfig to set up a configuration with the options you care about, and then use savedefconfig to create a minimal configuration file. These files are suitable for use in the build_opts directory. The second argument specifies the filename for the new defconfig file.

A saved defconfig is a good way to see what options have been set to something interesting, and an easier way to pass a config to someone else to use, to put in bug reports, etc.

scons savedefconfig gem5_build new_def_config

listnewconfig

The listnewconfig command lists which option settings are new in the Kconfig and which are not currently set in the existing config file.

scons listnewconfig gem5_build

oldconfig

The oldconfig command updates the existing config setting new values for the desired options. This is similar to olddefconfig except it asks what values you want for the new settings.

scons oldconfig gem5_build

oldsaveconfig

The oldsaveconfig command updates an existing config by setting new values for the desired options. This is similar to the oldconfig option, except it uses the default for any new setting.

scons oldsaveconfig gem5_build

Users can get help by running scons -h to get details of Kconfig commands.

Report a Bug

If an issue is encountered we recommend you report the issue by saving the configuration used and distributing it. To do so, the savedefconfig command can be used:

scons savedefconfig gem5_build new_config

Alternatively, the configuration can be found in the gem5_build/gem5.build/config file.

Reference

  1. Kconfig website: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/next/kbuild/kconfig-language.html