target/linux/uml/README

   1 Openwrt inside a user mode linux.  Why would we even want this many ask?
   2
   3 There are potentially a lot of reasons, one obvious one to me, it allows
   4 folks to 'kick the tires' without actually flashing up any hardware.  It's
   5 also a great environment for porting over packages, you can get a package
   6 fully functional in the uclibc root environment inside a uml without actually
   7 disturbing your 'real router', and then rebuild for a specific target once
   8 it's fully tested.
   9
  10 This is a first stab at a build that 'just works' and there will be more
  11 cleanup to come.  The simple directions are:-
  12
  13 Configure for uml target
  14 Configure with an ext4 root file system
  15 build it all
  16
  17 In your bin directory you will find a kernel and an ext4 root file system
  18 when it's finished.  Just run it like this:-
  19
  20 bin/uml/openwrt-uml-vmlinux ubd0=bin/uml/openwrt-uml-ext4.img
  21
  22 The uml will start, and eventually the serial console of the uml will be at your
  23 console prompt.  If you would like it in xterms, substitute con=xterm and con0=xterm.
  24 No networking is configured, but, it's a starting point.  The resulting file system
  25 has just enough free space to start kicking the tires and playing in the world of
  26 'embedded routers' along with all the resource restrictions that come with that
  27 world.
  28
  29 To configure networking and more, refer to the user mode linux documentation online.
  30 A quick start goes along this line.  install the uml-utilities packages so you have
  31 the uml switch in and running, then add a command param to your uml start like this
  32
  33 eth0=daemon,00:01:01:01:01:01,unix,/<your uml switch control socket here>
  34
  35 With that in, and uml networking actually functional (can be a challenge at times),
  36 you should be able to ifconfig the interface and talk to the host side, or, if you
  37 bridged the uml switch to your host network, you should be able to run udhcp and be
  38 away with networking off to the world.  Again, if you are unfamiliar with uml and
  39 uml networking, please read the docs and how-to stuff available on the net.  It does
  40 take some fiddling to get it started and working right the first time, but after that,
  41 it opens up a whole new world of virtual machines.
  42
  43
  44
  45 http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/