QEMU testing

How the project actually tests in QEMU - the same recipes the release gates use.

Interactive boot

make run-bios      # default: 512M, e1000 + user net, serial on stdio
make run-uefi      # q35 + OVMF
make run-bios-gui  # display on (for the TUI)

The run-* targets build the ISO and a fresh etc.img (the 32 MiB FAT32 /etc volume) so persistence tests start clean.

Deterministic boot-log testing

The regression suite (tools/run_fix4_regression.py) drives QEMU through pexpect over -serial mon:stdio:

python3 tools/run_fix4_regression.py build/opencube.iso out.log

It waits for the oc> prompt, then runs the fixed command battery (uname, help -a, heaptest, fstest, cryptotest, crashlog, l1test, and the whole run *test user-program set), and asserts 28 checks on the combined output - boot banner, self-tests, the L0 command count, each test's PASS line. Zero failures is the bar.

Watchdog / logging E2E

python3 tools/wp12_watchdog_logging_e2e.py build/opencube.iso

14 scenarios: klog write/flush/rotation/filter chains, watchdog status/slots/policy kill, health groups + JSON export + CPU alarm, and the two real hardware reset scenarios - S12 boots a q35 machine with -no-reboot, discovers the Intel TCO, arms it, starves it, and asserts the second boot; S13 does the same through ACPI WDAT.

Network E2E

• SSH E2E: starts the in-guest sshd, then logs in from the host through paramiko - full key exchange, session, command round-trip. Requires the /etc volume seeded with host keys (host_keygen_etc).
• HTTPS E2E: wget https://<host> against a reference TLS server - handshake, certificate verification, body saved, close_notify.

Both suites are release gates; see e2e-suites.md for their full mechanics.

Screenshots

make shot-bios     # boot screenshot to build/shot-bios.ppm
make shot-uefi

QEMU devices that map to drivers

QEMU flag	Kernel driver
-device e1000 (default net)	e1000 NIC
-device virtio-blk-pci	virtio-blk
-device nvme	NVMe
-device usb-storage through xHCI	USB MSC
-device AC97 / -device intel-hda	sound
q35 machine	Intel TCO watchdog
-bios OVMF.fd	UEFI boot path

Speed

• -display none -serial mon:stdio for every automated run.
• Boot to the oc> prompt takes ~2 s of wall time in the regression environment; the full 28-check battery runs in well under a minute.