[avr-gcc-list] Re: Simulator for GCC Testing

[Andrew Hutchinson]

I has resurrected my testsuite setup for AVR. Thanks Eric for emailling 
me instructions.

I want to use this to check my patches.

The setup  uses patched gcc files to run gcc tests thru the AVR-GCC 
compiler. Using GDB and SIMULAVR for execution (if appropriate)

Now I'm running this under CYGWIN

There are a an awful lot of tests, of  which a large number are 
inappropriate or otherwise misapplied to the AVR.

This combination  makes it impractical to run under Cygwin - due to time 
needed to run tests. Tests not suitable for the AVR often end up failing 
Timeout setting - taking (say) a minute per test before timing out. gdb 
and simulavr are not that quick either. I think I got about 1000 
test/hour over night. Compilation only tests run at about 3500/hour.

So essentially the tests we should not be using are slowing down all the 
test we should be.

Of course I'm sure it would be quicker under Linux - but thats not the 
point (or indeed practical for me right now). We really need to get this 
suite trimmed down.

To get things going quicker, I re-tried Avrora as a simulator  - last 
time I tried (2004)  it would not load files correctly but 1.6.0 seems 
to have solved that. This simulator is not only quicker than simulavr- 
but I can avoid using gdb. So I can get more cpu cycles/real time. ( I 
can also limit execution time in terms of cpu cycles!)

Its not perfect, the breakpoints only list the address, not the symbol, 
or a breakpoint number. So I hacked test setup files to make exit and 
abort jump to fixed address so that dejagnu scripts could figure 
difference between pass/fail.

It's  also throwing  RAM read exceptions (outside of target address 
range) - I didn't notice that with SIMULAVR - but I don't know if that 
is problem with gcc, Avrora or Simulavr!

I still have to go back over the results to figure out if my setup is 
fully correct.

The idea simulator for the testsuite is one that loads software and 
setting from command line and runs it quickly - minimal I/O emulation 
needed. Simple breakpoints - so that exit/abort can be output. Control 
of maximum execution time is desirable. For AVR, at least, I do not see 
a need to use gdb as front end for testing.  So Avrora is somewhat 
attractive in this respect. I have yet to try simulavrxx.




Andy