resources: Add documentation about extending disk images #148
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| packer build /path/to/packer/script | ||
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| **Note:** If you want to view the terminal of the image during the build process, you can use a VNC viewer. Packer will provide a VNC port during the build, which you can connect to using a VNC viewer. |
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It could be good to show an example of Packer output with the VNC port so it's easier for people to find, but it's not absolutely necessary
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| 4. **Create a Packer Script** | ||
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| Write a Packer script to use the above disk image as a base image and extend it. Below is an example Packer script with placeholders: |
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Once the new npb/gapbs disk images are merged, it could be helpful to point toward the Packer scripts for those as well. It would give people more examples to look at.
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It would also be good to add a link to the directories for the base Ubuntu x86/Arm disk images to provide more examples of Packer scripts.
You could also tell readers to simply use those directories as more of the process is automated, making it easier to make disk images.
| packer build /path/to/packer/script | ||
| ``` | ||
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| **Note:** If you want to view the terminal of the image during the build process, you can use a VNC viewer. Packer will provide a VNC port during the build, which you can connect to using a VNC viewer. |
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I'd clarify what you mean by "terminal of the image". If I'm reading this I'd think i was already in the terminal. What it the "image's" terminal.
I think maybe the problem is you've not really explained what packer is doing here. Is it running in quemu and therefore has it's own terminal output?
| variable "ssh_password" { | ||
| type = string | ||
| default = "12345" # Update if different for the base image | ||
| } | ||
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| variable "ssh_username" { | ||
| type = string | ||
| default = "gem5" # Update if different for the base image |
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how does someone find out what the password and user name is for a base image?
| iso_urls = [""] # Path to the base image | ||
| memory = "8192" | ||
| output_directory = "" # Output directory path | ||
| qemu_binary = "/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64" |
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I assume you need to update this for each of the 3 base images?
| provisioner "shell" { | ||
| execute_command = "echo '${var.ssh_password}' | {{ .Vars }} sudo -E -S bash '{{ .Path }}'" | ||
| scripts = ["# path to the post-install script that will extend the disk image"] | ||
| expect_disconnect = true | ||
| } | ||
| } |
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This is the most important part of the whole thing and you really brushed over it.
I'd make this more tutorially and have a good example here of what a script can do here to setup a disk image.
Like, I have an application i want to be in the disk image. How do I put it there? How to I setup it up correctly so it runs when the US finishes booting?
| ## Running disk images in gem5 | ||
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| As these disk iamges throw m5 exit events, we need to handle those to succesfully run the image to boot. |
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I think you should lead with a small script which can run the disk image they just created before jumping straight into explaining exit events.
| format = "raw" | ||
| headless = "true" | ||
| disk_image = "true" | ||
| iso_checksum = "sha256:# sha256sum of the base image" |
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Do you need this? It's rather annoying they need to get the md5 of the disk image just to put it here. There's no way to disable the checksum?
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it serves as a check that the file is not curropted.
| build { | ||
| sources = ["source.qemu.initialize"] | ||
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I think it'd be worth explaining what quemu is and in what capacity you're using it here to work with the disk images
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I added a small description in the begining of the section.
| ```sh | ||
| sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install packer # Installing Packer |
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Don't you need to install qemu and stuff like riscv-system-qemu to have this work cross-platform?
| "<wait120>", | ||
| "gem5<enter><wait>", | ||
| "12345<enter><wait>", | ||
| "sudo mv /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml.bak /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml<enter><wait>", | ||
| "12345<enter><wait>", | ||
| "sudo netplan apply<enter><wait>", | ||
| "<wait>" |
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You should explain this magic.
| } | ||
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| source "qemu" "initialize" { | ||
| accelerator = "kvm" |
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So I need to have a KVM enabled machine? Does this work even if my disk image is X86 but my host is ARM?
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It is set by the creator of the base image. I edited the comments to mention that the 22.04 and 24.04 images on gem5 resources have this user and password.
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