Emulating ARM Linux...


taltoris

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Oct 3, 2008
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Ok, so this is the first time I've posted. I've ordered my unit and am way psyched about getting it.

So psyched, that I want to see some ARM linux right now so I can (maybe) toy around with it and maybe work on some code for the system. However, I can't quite get it to work. I was wondering if anybody has done this before.

Here's what I tried, and how its working out so far. I'm not a Linux pro or anything (primary machine is a Mac), but not a complete novice either. I've installed qemu and qemulator (qemu gui front end) on my Ubuntu partition for emulating the ARM processor. Set up a disk, and it wants an iso with the OS on it.

No problem, I figure. Pandora runs (currently) on Angstrom, so that's what I head off to find. Unfortunately, the only thing its got are weird *.jffs2 files, and qemu doesn't seem to like them. I can't open them, or convert it to iso. Bah, I decided to try downloading a stripped down Debian for ARM. No cigar. It sets up and pretends to work, but the thing shuts down as soon as it starts.

Has anybody got a basic ARM emulator set up? Can you give out basic instructions on putting it together?

Thanks
-Doug
 
An ARM emulator wouldn't nesseciary be a pandora emulator. There's more than just the ARM chip, there's the DSP, OpenGL ES and other wierd bits. I seem to recall tests before mk0s were done were done on the beagleboards, which use a slightly older chip to pandoras.
 
I know that its not sure-fire, but it should be close if I use Open GL. Porting a program from any old ARM cpu to Pandora shouldn't be too hard, right?

I looked at the Beagle Boards, but my gadget budget is empty. If this turns out to be a no-go, then I guess I'll just have to wait.
 
There's a guide for installing Debian on qemu/ARM here: http://www.aurel32.net/info/debian_arm_qemu.php

However, as has already been pointed out, the fact that it's ARM doesn't get you much closer to emulating a Pandora. You'd be just as well developing on an arbitrary Linux machine. If you keep the Pandora's specs in mind and stick to the libraries/APIs that are likely to be available when the Pandora is released, you should be able to port your stuff quite easily when the time comes.
 
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