Howto | setup an ARM Linux System for qemu

I 've been playing with qemu lately and found that it's really awesome. To get started all you need is to create a root filesystem and cross compile a kernel
Which is quite easy to set up on a Debian/Ubuntu based system. Here is what I did:


0 prerequisites
Sudo apt-Get install debootstrap qemu-user-static qemu-system git gcc-arm-Linux-gnueabihf


1 create the rootfs
# Create the hard disk file
Fallocate-l 2gib ubuntu-armhf.ext3
Mkfs. ext3 ubuntu-armhf.ext3

# Mount the hard disk file
Mkdir mnt
Sudo Mount-o loop ubuntu-armhf.ext3 mnt

# Create an initial rootfs using debootstrap
Hostname = Ubuntu-armhf sudo debootstrap -- variant = minbase -- foreign -- arch armhf precise./mnt

# Copy the statically linked qemu binary into the rootfs
Sudo CP/usr/bin/qemu-arm-static MNT/usr/bin/

# Chroot into the rootfs and start a Shell Using qemu-arm-static
Lang = C sudo chroot MNT/usr/bin/qemu-arm-static-CPU cortex-a9/bin/sh
# Run the debootstrap second stage from within the chroot:
/Debootstrap -- second-stage

# Create the sources. List Files for apt:
Echo "Deb http://ports.ubuntu.com precise
Main restricted universe
Deb-Src http://ports.ubuntu.com precise
Main restricted universe ">/etc/APT/sources. List
Echo "Deb http://ddebs.ubuntu.com precise
Main restricted universe Multiverse ">/etc/APT/sources. List. d/ddebs. List
Apt-key adv -- keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com -- Recv-keys
428d7c01

# Install some fundamental packages
Apt-Get update
Apt-Get install sudo apt-utils dialog less wget

# Create configuration for the serial console
CP/etc/init/tty1.conf/etc/init/ttyama0.conf
Sed-I "s/tty1/ttyama0/"/etc/init/ttyama0.conf

# Add a user
Adduser myuser
# Add User to The sudo Group
Usermod-Ag sudo myuser

# Exit the chroot env
Exit

# Unmount the rootfs
Sudo umount mnt
Rmdir mnt


2 cross compile the kernel
# Check out the sources
Git clone-depth = 1 git: // git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
Mkdir Linux-build
CD Linux
# Create a. config Based on the versatile express Default Configuration
Make arch = arm o = ../Linux-build vexpress_defconfig
# Compile the kernel
Make arch = arm cross_compile = arm-Linux-gnueabihf-O = ../Linux-Build-J 'getconf _ nprocessors_onln 'zimage
CD ..


3 boot the image using qemu
Qemu-system-Arm \
-M vexpress-a9-M 1024 \
-Serial stdio-no-Reboot \
-Kernel Linux-build/ARCH/ARM/boot/zimage \
-Drive file = ubuntu-armhf.ext3, if = SD, cache = writeback \

-- APPEND "RW console = ttyama0, 38400n8 console = tty root =/dev/mmcblk0"-S

Then you can use GDB or eclipse for debugging.