Debian12 image for Realm

This is a debian12 image that can be running on Realm as a root file system.
It is built to support running rich applications (e.g., python) with full internet capabilities (e.g., wget).

attached files

• debian12.img: a pre-built debian12 image that contains some packages such as python3, python3-pip, and so on.
• create-image.sh: a script that was used to create the attached debian12.img.
  • command to create an image: ./create-image.sh -a aarch64
  • you can build your own image that ships with additional packages you need. (see line-191 ~ line-194 to know how)
• iptables: a pre-built iptables binary for arm64, needed to enable full internet capabilities

how to boot Realm with this debian image

• relevant components

  • PC Host, which tries to launch FVP Host.
  • FVP Host, which is going to be running as a guest machine of PC Host.
  • Realm, which is going to be launched by FVP Host and acts as a guest to FVP Host.

• instructions

// prerequisites:  copy debian12.img and iptables into the shared directory with FVP Host
$ <PC Host> download debian12.img.tar.xz and iptables, and decompress debian12.img.tar.xz
$ <PC Host> cp -f debian12.img /your/islet/directory/out/shared/
$ <PC Host> cp -f iptables /your/islet/directory/out/shared/

// run FVP
$ <PC Host> ./scripts/fvp-cca --normal-world=linux-net --realm=linux --rmm=islet --hes --no-telnet --rmm-log-level=info --ifname=<the interface name of your PC Host, e.g., eth0> --host-ip=<the IP address of your PC Host>
$ <PC Host> telnet localhost 5000   // connect to the terminal for FVP Host
...
... // wait some minutes to log in FVP Host
...
$ <FVP Host> ./launch-realm-debian.sh
...
...  // wait some minutes to log in Realm
... 
Press Enter for maintenance
(or press Control-D to continue): 
<Realm> root@islet:~#  // --> this is the shell of debian12-!
...
// you need to wait few more seconds for it to detect network interface cards...
...
<Realm> root@islet:~#  ifconfig
enp0s1: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 193.168.20.10  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 193.168.20.255   
// "enp0s1" being detected means you're now able to connect to the internet.

<Realm> root@islet:~# mkdir /shared && mount -t 9p -o trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L FMR /shared
// type in this if you want to access "shared directory with the host"

• notes

  • The file system image at runtime is volatile, meaning that modifications to the image go away right after the FVP gets terminated. If you want to back up the image, copy from /debian12.img to /shared/ in the FVP Host.

• remaining issues

  • It has been confirmed internet connections in the debian-based Realm, through wget and curl. But, it has still problems with apt-get install. We recommend (at least at this moment) you to install packages needed when creating a debian image in the very first place.
  • The debian boot didn't work properly when debian12.img was placed in the 9p-based shared directory. debian12.img was copied into the root filesystem in FVP Host to get around this issue.
  • Slow.. need patience.