cirosantilli/linux-kernel-module-cheat
Linux Kernel Module Cheat
This project provides a Linux kernel development environment and a system emulation suite for building and debugging kernel modules and baremetal assembly across multiple hardware architectures. It functions as a comprehensive sandbox and framework for low-level system development, utilizing QEMU to simulate hardware environments without the need for physical devices.
The environment integrates cross-compilation toolchains using Buildroot and crosstool-NG to target x86_64, ARMv7, and ARMv8 platforms from a single host. It features a specialized kernel debugging framework that leverages GDB and KGDB for step-by-step execution and state inspection of both kernel and userland processes.
Broad capabilities include automated regression testing for isolating boot and functional failures through version control bisection, hardware abstraction for managing CPU power states and system registers, and low-level testing primitives for memory state integrity and assembly analysis. The system also includes utilities for command performance benchmarking, output logging, and containerized workspace bootstrapping.
Features
- Kernel Build Systems - Provides a comprehensive build infrastructure specifically for compiling and testing Linux kernel modules across multiple architectures.
- System Emulators - Provides a full system emulation suite using QEMU and gem5 to execute kernel modules and baremetal assembly.
- Cross-Compilation Toolchains - Uses Buildroot and crosstool-NG to generate architecture-specific compilers and root filesystems for multiple target platforms.
- Toolchain Generators - Integrates crosstool-NG to generate architecture-specific compilers and linkers for ARM and x86_64 platforms.
- Cross-Platform Toolchains - Configures Buildroot and crosstool-NG to manage the full build-to-debug lifecycle across diverse hardware architectures.
- Kernel Debugging with GDB and QEMU - Connects GDB to a QEMU-emulated environment to perform step-by-step execution and state inspection of the target kernel.
- Crosstool-NG Integrations - Uses crosstool-NG to build architecture-specific compilers and linkers for ARM and x86_64 platforms.
- Assembly Sandboxes - Provides an isolated environment for developing and testing processor-specific assembly code and low-level memory operations.
- Low-Level Module Development - Builds and tests low-level modules and assembly using specialized toolchains within an emulation environment.
- Kernel Component Debugging - Provides a collection of GDB and KGDB configurations for step-debugging kernel modules and system behavior.
- Kernel Development Environments - Provides a pre-configured emulation setup for building and debugging Linux kernel modules across multiple hardware architectures.
- Cross-Architecture Module Development - Enables building and testing low-level kernel modules across multiple hardware architectures using an emulation environment.
- Kernel Emulation Environments - Provides a pre-configured virtual environment to develop and test low-level modules and baremetal assembly.
- x64 Assembly Analysis - Executes and debugs low-level assembly code within a controlled emulator to study processor behavior.
- Buildroot-Based Distributions - Integrates Buildroot to generate custom root filesystems and cross-compilers tailored for specific hardware architectures.
- Baremetal Emulator Development - Enables the development and debugging of low-level assembly for x86_64 and ARM architectures within a controlled emulator.
- Build Constraints - Defines compilation flags and architecture restrictions to ensure code builds correctly for specific target environments.
- Commit History Bisecting Tools - Implements automated binary search across commit history to identify the specific change that introduced a functional error.
- Memory Integrity Testing - Provides utilities to verify data integrity and system state using raw memory comparisons during execution.
- Multi-Architecture Emulators - Executes and tests code across diverse hardware targets including x86_64, ARMv7, and ARMv8 using emulation.
- Operating System Emulation - Launches pre-built emulators with verbose logging to analyze system behavior and kernel output.
- User Space Tooling - Configures the set of command-line utilities and shells compiled into the emulation environment to support development.
- Emulation Suites - Offers a virtualization environment used to run and analyze kernel-level code and baremetal assembly without physical hardware.
- Boot Failure Bisections - Executes boot sequences in an emulator and analyzes version history to identify the commit causing boot failures.
- Regression Isolation - Provides automated binary search through version control history to isolate commits that introduce functional or boot failures.
- Linux Kernel Development - Cheat sheet for Linux kernel module development.
