QEMU debugging via LLDB or optionally GDB

Makefile

@@ -1,22 +1,39 @@
 all: iso
 
 iso: kernel limine
+	@echo "Copying kernel to isodir..."
 	cp -v ./kernel/bin/cowos ./isodir/boot/
-
+	@echo "Creating ISO image..."
 	xorriso -as mkisofs -R -r -J -b boot/limine/limine-bios-cd.bin \
 		-no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -hfsplus \
 		-apm-block-size 2048 --efi-boot boot/limine/limine-uefi-cd.bin \
 		-efi-boot-part --efi-boot-image --protective-msdos-label \
 		isodir -o cowos.iso
-
+	@echo "Installing Limine BIOS..."
 	./limine/limine bios-install cowos.iso
 
 kernel:
-	make -C ./kernel/ all
+	@echo "Buliding kernel..."
+	make -C ./kernel/
 
 limine: kernel
+	@echo "Setting up Limine..."
 	./scripts/limine-git.sh
 	
 clean:
+	@echo "Cleaning up..."
 	rm cowos.iso
 	make -C ./kernel/ clean
+
+run:
+	@echo "Running cowos in QEMU..."
+	@if [ "$(DEBUG)" = "1" ]; then \
+		echo "Debug mode: Starting QEMU with LLDB..."; \
+		qemu-system-x86_64 -cdrom cowos.iso -m 512M -serial stdio -s -S & \
+		echo "Launching LLDB..."; \
+		lldb --arch x86_64 -o "gdb-remote localhost:1234" ./kernel/bin/cowos; \
+	else \
+		qemu-system-x86_64 -cdrom cowos.iso -m 512M -serial stdio; \
+	fi
+
+.PHONY: all iso kernel limine clean run

README.md

@@ -15,13 +15,41 @@ You'll need a few things:
 - xorriso (iso creation)
 - git
 - make
+
+### OPTIONAL:
 - qemu (for virtual machine)
+- LLDB (debugging purposes)
 
 After acquiring those just run make and it'll do everything for you:
 ```bash
 make
 ```
 
+By default the kernel is compiled with debug symbols, if you would like to avoid this, you can simply override the CFLAGS:
+```bash
+cd kernel/ # it is recommended to go to the actual directory yourself
+make CFLAGS="-s -O3 -pipe"
+cd .. # return to root
+make
+```
+Eventually in the future this will be changed to be something much more convienent, however for now the inclusion of debug symbols is nessacary for development.
+
+## RUNNING
+There is now a script to automate running cowos, although it's quite simple right now, this is important for the future as cowos will eventually require a root partition and other things as it grows to userspace slowly. To run, simply run this in the root of the repository:
+```bash
+make run # This will require qemu
+```
+
+For developers, running with the DEBUG flag will launch lldb with qemu to help debug issues with cowos:
+```bash
+make DEBUG=1 run
+```
+if you do not like LLDB, I included a script called `run-gdb` in the `scripts/` directory for the gdb fans out there. I personally want to keep this project as gnu-free as possible, since I want cowos to not be GNU/cowos, I want it to just be cowos. And this means that I will even avoid anything as simple as the debugger being used to be non-GNU. Run in the root like so:
+```bash
+./scripts/run-gdb
+```
+It will automatically exit qemu if gdb is exited, and by default gdb will run in tui mode.
+
 # Credits
 - [Limine](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine): modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader and boot manager. 
 

scripts/limine-git.sh

@@ -11,4 +11,8 @@ if [ ! -d ./limine/ ]; then
 
 	cp -v limine/BOOTX64.EFI isodir/EFI/BOOT/
 	cp -v limine/BOOTIA32.EFI isodir/EFI/BOOT/
+else
+	echo "Limine is already setup! Skipping..."
 fi
+
+

scripts/run-gdb

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+echo "Starting QEMU with GDB server (localhost:1234)..."
+qemu-system-x86_64 -cdrom cowos.iso -m 512M -serial stdio -s -S &
+QEMU_PID=$!
+
+sleep 1 # just in case so we let it cook
+
+if ! ps -p $QEMU_PID > /dev/null; then
+    echo "Error: QEMU failed to start."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "Launching GDB in TUI mode..."
+gdb --tui \
+    -ex "file ./kernel/bin/cowos" \
+    -ex "target remote localhost:1234" \
+
+# kill QEMU when GDB exits
+echo "GDB exited. Terminating QEMU..."
+kill $QEMU_PID 2>/dev/null