Building gem5 Creating a simple configuration script Adding cache to configuration script Understanding gem5 statistics and output Using the default configuration scripts Extending gem5 for ARM
Setting up your development environment Creating a very simple SimObject Debugging gem5 Event-driven programming Adding parameters to SimObjects and more events Creating SimObjects in the memory system Creating a simple cache object ARM Power Modelling ARM DVFS Support
Introduction to Ruby MSI example cache protocol Declaring a state machine In port code blocks Action code blocks Transition code blocks MSI Directory implementation Compiling a SLICC protocol Configuring a simple Ruby system Running the simple Ruby system Debugging SLICC Protocols Configuring for a standard protocol
gem5 101 Homework 1 Homework 2 Homework 3 Homework 4 Homework 5 Homework 6
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authors: Jason Lowe-Power
last edited: 2024-10-15 17:01:42 +0000

Introduction

The goal of this document is to give you a thorough introduction on how to use gem5 and the gem5 codebase. The purpose of this document is not to provide a detailed description of every feature in gem5. After reading this document, you should feel comfortable using gem5 in the classroom and for computer architecture research. Additionally, you should be able to modify and extend gem5 and then contribute your improvements to the main gem5 repository.

This document is colored by my personal experiences with gem5 over the past six years as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The examples presented are just one way to do it. Unlike Python, whose mantra is “There should be one– and preferably only one –obvious way to do it.” (from The Zen of Python. See The Zen of Python), in gem5 there are a number of different ways to accomplish the same thing. Thus, many of the examples presented in this book are my opinion of the best way to do things.

One important lesson I have learned (the hard way) is when using complex tools like gem5, it is important to actually understand how it works before using it.

You can find the source for this book at https://github.com/gem5/website/tree/stable/_pages/documentation/learning_gem5/.

What is gem5?

gem5 is a modular discrete event driven computer system simulator platform. That means that:

  1. gem5’s components can be rearranged, parameterized, extended or replaced easily to suit your needs.
  2. It simulates the passing of time as a series of discrete events.
  3. Its intended use is to simulate one or more computer systems in various ways.
  4. It’s more than just a simulator; it’s a simulator platform that lets you use as many of its premade components as you want to build up your own simulation system.

gem5 is written primarily in C++ and python and most components are provided under a BSD style license. It can simulate a complete system with devices and an operating system in full system mode (FS mode), or user space only programs where system services are provided directly by the simulator in syscall emulation mode (SE mode). There are varying levels of support for executing Alpha, ARM, MIPS, Power, SPARC, RISC-V, and 64 bit x86 binaries on CPU models including two simple single CPI models, an out of order model, and an in order pipelined model. A memory system can be flexibly built out of caches and crossbars or the Ruby simulator which provides even more flexible memory system modeling.

There are many components and features not mentioned here, but from just this partial list it should be obvious that gem5 is a sophisticated and capable simulation platform. Even with all gem5 can do today, active development continues through the support of individuals and some companies, and new features are added and existing features improved on a regular basis.

Capabilities out of the box

gem5 is designed for use in computer architecture research, but if you’re trying to research something new and novel it probably won’t be able to evaluate your idea out of the box. If it could, that probably means someone has already evaluated a similar idea and published about it.

To get the most out of gem5, you’ll most likely need to add new capabilities specific to your project’s goals. gem5’s modular design should help you make modifications without having to understand every part of the simulator.

As you add the new features you need, please consider contributing your changes back to gem5. That way others can take advantage of your hard work, and gem5 can become an even better simulator.

Asking for help

Please visit our Ask a question page.

Before reporting a problem, please read Reporting Problems.