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https://github.com/hermit-os/hermit-playground

A playground to build C/C++/Go/Fortran applications on top of RustyHermit
https://github.com/hermit-os/hermit-playground

cloud-computing high-performance-computing kernel operating-system unikernels virtualization

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A playground to build C/C++/Go/Fortran applications on top of RustyHermit

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README 

        



# HermitCore-rs - A Rust-based, lightweight unikernel for a scalable and predictable runtime behavior



[![Build Status](https://git.rwth-aachen.de/acs/public/hermit-os/hermit-playground/badges/master/pipeline.svg)](https://git.rwth-aachen.de/acs/public/hermit-os/hermit-playground/pipelines)

[![Slack Status](https://matrix.osbyexample.com:3008/badge.svg)](https://matrix.osbyexample.com:3008)



[HermitCore]( http://www.hermit-os.org ) is a new

[unikernel](http://unikernel.org) targeting a scalable and predictable runtime

for high-performance and cloud computing.

We decided to develop a new version of the kernel in [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org) .

We promise that this will make it easier to maintain and extend our kernel.

All code beside the kernel can still be developed in your preferred language (C/C++/Go/Fortran).

If you want to develope pure Rust applications, please look into [RustyHermit](https://github.com/hermit-os/libhermit-rs).



This repository contains the Rust-based playground for C/C++/Go/Fortran applications.

Currently, it isn't stable and does not support all features of the [C-based version](https://github.com/hermit-os/libhermit) and runs only in our own hypervisor.



## Requirements



The build process works currently only on **x86-based Linux** systems. To build

the HermitCore-rs kernel and applications you need:



 * CMake

 * Recent host compiler such as GCC

 * HermitCore cross-toolchain, i.e. Binutils, GCC, newlib, pthreads

 * [Rust compiler (nightly release)](https://www.rust-lang.org/en-US/install.html)

 * Rust source code for cross-compiling, which can be installed with `rustup component add rust-src`.



### HermitCore-rs cross-toolchain



We provide a Docker container with all required tools to build HermitCore-rs applications.



To test the toolchain, create a simple C program (e.g. `hello world`) and name the file `main.c`.

Use following command to build the applications:



```bash

$ docker run -v $PWD:/volume -w /volume --rm -t ghcr.io/hermit-os/hermit-toolchain:latest x86_64-hermit-gcc -o main main.c

```



The command mounts the current directory as working directory into a docker container and runs the cross-compiler to build the application.

Afterwards, you will find the executable `main` in your current directory.



If you want to build the toolchain yourself, have a look at the `path2rs` branch of the repository

[hermit-toolchain](https://github.com/hermit-os/hermit-toolchain).

It contains scripts to build the whole toolchain for HermitCore-rs.



## Building



### Preliminary work



As a first step, the repository and its submodules have to be cloned:



```bash

$ git clone --recursive https://github.com/hermit-os/hermit-playground.git

$ cd hermit-playground

```



### Building the library operating systems and its examples



To build the Rust-based kernel and its examples, go to the directory with the source code

and issue the following commands:



```bash

$ mkdir build

$ cd build

$ cmake ..

$ make

$ sudo make install

```



If your toolchain is not located in `/opt/hermit/bin` then you have to supply

its location to the `cmake` command above like so:



```bash

$ cmake -DTOOLCHAIN_BIN_DIR=/home/user/hermit/bin ..

```



Assuming that binaries like `x86_64-hermit-gcc` and friends are located in that

directory.

To install your new version in the same directory, you have to set the installation path and install HermitCore-rs as follows:



```bash

$ cmake -DTOOLCHAIN_BIN_DIR=/home/user/hermit/bin -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/home/user/hermit ..

$ make

$ make install

```



**Note:** If you use the cross compiler outside of this repository, it uses the library operating system located

by the toolchain (e.g. `/opt/hermit/x86_64-hermit/lib/libhermit.a`).



## Uhyve - A lightweight hypervisor



Part of HermitCore is a small hypervisor, which is called *uhyve*.

This tool helps to start HermitCore applications within a KVM-accelerated virtual machine.

In principle it is a bridge to the Linux system.

If the uyhve is registered as loader to the Linux system, HermitCore applications can be started like common Linux applications.

*uhyve* can be registered with the following command:



```bash

$ sudo -c sh 'echo ":hermit:M:7:\\x42::/opt/hermit/bin/uhyve:" > /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/register'

```



Applications can then be directly called like:

```bash

$ /opt/hermit/x86_64-hermit/extra/tests/hello

```



Otherwise, *uhyve* must be started directly and needs the path to the HermitCore application as an argument:

```bash

$ /opt/hermit/bin/uhyve /opt/hermit/x86_64-hermit/extra/tests/hello

```



Afterwards, the *uhyve* starts the HermitCore application within a VM.



## Testing



HermitCore applications can be directly started as a standalone kernel within a

virtual machine:



```bash

$ cd build

$ make install DESTDIR=~/hermit-build

$ cd ~/hermit-build/opt/hermit

$ bin/uhyve x86_64-hermit/extra/tests/hello

```



The application will be started within our thin

hypervisor powered by Linux's KVM API and therefore requires *KVM* support.

In principle, it is an extension of [ukvm](https://www.usenix.org/sites/default/files/conference/protected-files/hotcloud16_slides_williams.pdf).



The environment variable `HERMIT_CPUS` specifies the number of

CPUs (and no longer a range of core ids). Furthermore, the variable `HERMIT_MEM`

defines the memory size of the virtual machine. The suffixes *M* and *G* can be

used to specify a value in megabytes or gigabytes respectively. By default, the

loader initializes a system with one core and 2 GiB RAM.

For instance, the following command starts the stream benchmark in a virtual machine, which

has 4 cores and 6GB memory:



```bash

$ HERMIT_CPUS=4 HERMIT_MEM=6G bin/uhyve x86_64-hermit/extra/benchmarks/stream

```



To enable an Ethernet device for `uhyve`, we have to setup a tap device on the

host system. For instance, the following command establishes the tap device

`tap100` on Linux:



```bash

$ sudo ip tuntap add tap100 mode tap

$ sudo ip addr add 10.0.5.1/24 broadcast 10.0.5.255 dev tap100

$ sudo ip link set dev tap100 up

$ sudo bash -c 'echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/tap100/proxy_arp'

```



By default, `uhyve`'s network interface uses `10.0.5.2`as IP address, `10.0.5.1`

for the gateway and `255.255.255.0` as network mask.

The default configuration can be overwritten by the environment variables

`HERMIT_IP`, `HERMIT_GATEWAY` and `HERMIT_MASk`.

To enable the device, `HERMIT_NETIF` must be set to the name of the tap device.

For instance, the following command starts an HermitCore application within `uhyve`

and enables the network support:



```bash

$ HERMIT_IP="10.0.5.3" HERMIT_GATEWAY="10.0.5.1" HERMIT_MASK="255.255.255.0" HERMIT_NETIF=tap100 bin/uhyve x86_64-hermit/extra/tests/hello

```



## Building your own HermitCore applications



You can take `usr/tests` as a starting point to build your own applications. All

that is required is that you include

`[...]/HermitCore/cmake/HermitCore-Application.cmake` in the first line of your application's

`CMakeLists.txt`. It doesn't have to reside inside the HermitCore repository.

Other than that, it should behave like normal CMake.



## Tips



### Dumping the kernel log



By setting the environment variable `HERMIT_VERBOSE` to `1`, *uhyve* prints

the kernel log messages to the screen at termination.



## Missing features

(might be comming)

* Multikernel support

* Running baremetal/without hypervisor



## Credits



HermitCore's Emoji is provided for free by [EmojiOne](https://www.gfxmag.com/crab-emoji-vector-icon/).



## License



Licensed under either of



 * Apache License, Version 2.0, ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)

 * MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)



at your option.



### Contribution



Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be dual licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions.



HermitCore-rs is being developed on [GitHub](https://github.com/hermit-os/hermit-playground	).

Create your own fork, send us a pull request, and chat with us on [Slack](https://radiant-ridge-95061.herokuapp.com)