Aarch64 Quickstart Guide
This page will help those new to aarch64(armv8) get started with the Foundation Model provided by ARM. The are a number of options available when using the model, including use of a disk image file or NFS root filesystem, as well as a choice of kernel if you would like to use Systemd or Busybox as the init process.
Download the Foundation Model
The first step will be to download the Foundation model from ARM. The model is not redistributable and will therefor require you to create a free account with ARM. Once completed you will be able to download the Foundation Model and begin.
To run the model you may need to install some additional software with the following command:
sudo yum install xterm xorg-x11-fonts-{misc,100dpi,75dpi}* telnet bridge-utils
Extract the Foundation Model
Once you have downloaded the model, you will need to set up your environment. The model can extracted to a path of your choosing, in this example we will use your home directory. Unpack the model:
mkdir ~/aarch64 cd ~/aarch64 tar xvzf FM000-KT-00035-r0p8-44rel23.tgz
Using the Model with an Image
There is a bug in the Foundation Model Virtual Disk I/O implementation that makes the model unstable. Until it has been fixed using an NFS root will provide greater stability.
Using the commands below, download and extract the Aarch64 root filesystem disk image. The disk image will extract to roughly 8GB in size and may take several minutes to unpack depending on your hardware.
cd ~/aarch64 wget http://fedorapeople.org/~pwhalen/aarch64/stage4-root-20130423.img.tar.bz2 tar xvjf stage4-root-20130423.img.tar.bz2
Download and extract the kernel package:
wget http://fedorapeople.org/~pwhalen/aarch64/aarch64-kernels.tar.bz2 tar xvjf aarch64-kernels.tar.bz2
The model can now be launched using the disk image as the root filesystem with the commands below:
Systemd: sudo Foundation_v8pkg/Foundation_v8 --image aarch64-kernels/systemd-3.7-image-foundation.axf --block-device stage4-root-20130423.img --network=bridged Busybox: sudo Foundation_v8pkg/Foundation_v8 --image aarch64-kernels/busybox-3.7-image-foundation.axf --block-device stage4-root-20130423.img --network=bridged
The model will take a few moments to start. The root password is 'fedora', there is also another account called 'builder' password 'builder'.
Network Configuration
After launching the model, sign in using the root account for the network to be auto-configured.
On the host system:
sudo ifconfig ARM0 10.0.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0
Using the model with an NFS root
Using the model through an NFS is recommended as it will allow the most flexibility when working with the system. It is important to use the paths provided as the kernel will expect the root file system to be mounted through NFS from the given path.
Setting up an NFS Root Filesystem
First you will need to create a directory for the root filesystem. It is important you use the same path in the example as the kernel expects the rootfs to be at the path used below (extracting may take several minutes depending on your hardware):
sudo mkdir -p /var/exports/aarch64/stage4-nfs-root cd /var/exports/aarch64/ sudo wget http://fedorapeople.org/~pwhalen/aarch64/stage4-root-20130423.tar.xz cd stage4-nfs-root sudo tar xvJf ../stage4-root-20130423.tar.xz sudo mv stage4-root-20130423/* . sudo mv stage4-root-20130423/.profile . sudo rm -rf stage4-root-20130423
- Now create an NFS share for the rootfs, edit /etc/exports
sudo vi /etc/exports /var/exports/aarch64/stage4-nfs-root *(rw,no_root_squash,no_all_squash,async)
- Start the service
sudo systemctl start nfs.service # Fedora service nfs start # RHEL
Booting the Model with an NFS root
You need to setup the network for use with the aarch64 model and the addressing used in the kernel arguments. Start the model using one of the following depending on if you would like to use systemd or busybox as your init process (Busybox is currently recommended).
- Systemd:
sudo Foundation_v8pkg/Foundation_v8 --image aarch64-kernels/systemd-3.7-nfs-foundation.axf --network=bridged
- Busybox:
sudo Foundation_v8pkg/Foundation_v8 --image aarch64-kernels/busybox-3.7-nfs-foundation.axf --network=bridged
After starting the model you will see a new device created on your host system named 'ARM0', use the following to assign an IP address for use with the model:
sudo ifconfig ARM0 10.0.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0
Once this adapter is assigned an IP address, the system should boot to either a login prompt or boot with busybox as the init process.
You may need to adjust your firewall to allow connections to the NFS server (Port 2049).
Allowing the Model to Connect to the Internet
On the host:
- Enable IP forwarding (as root)
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
- Set up Network Address Translation:
HOSTEXTERNAL=eth0 # Replace this with your outside interface sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o $HOSTEXTERNAL -j MASQUERADE sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i $HOSTEXTERNAL -m conntrack --ctstate RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i ARM0 -o $HOSTEXTERNAL -j ACCEPT
- Firewall trouble? Try this:
sudo iptables -A INPUT -i ARM0 -j ACCEPT
The model uses Google's Public DNS server (8.8.8.8) for name resolution (/etc/resolv.conf).
Getting Started with the Aarch64 Bootstrap
Consider setting the date to something more current. The following command, run as root, will set the date to April 19 2000 hours, 2013:
date 041920002013
Log in using the root account (using the Busybox kernel this will be done by default)
su - builder
Then execute the script:
/usr/sbin/arm-rebuild.sh
The system should begin building packages for the aarch64 bootstrap, below is an example of the output you should see:
[builder@aarch64 ~]$ /usr/sbin/arm-rebuild.sh building: bouncycastle-1.46-7.fc19 at Thu Apr 25 22:43:27 GMT 2013 INFO: mock.py version 1.1.30 starting... Start: init plugins INFO: selinux disabled Finish: init plugins Start: run INFO: Start(/home/builder/bouncycastle-1.46-7.fc19.src.rpm) Config(stage4-aarch64) Start: lock buildroot Start: clean chroot Finish: clean chroot Finish: lock buildroot Start: chroot init Start: lock buildroot Mock Version: 1.1.30 INFO: Mock Version: 1.1.30 INFO: calling preinit hooks INFO: enabled root cache INFO: enabled yum cache Start: cleaning yum metadata Finish: cleaning yum metadata INFO: enabled ccache Start: device setup Finish: device setup Start: yum update