We have set up a PS3 for Cell processor-based projects. We also set up a PC running the system-level simulation of Cell processors. Please contact Yi to get the access to those machines. You may also install the Cell simulator on your own PC with the following instruction.

 

How to install IBM Cell SDK 3.0 on an x86 machine

1. Install Fedora 7

  • Download Fedora 7 ISO here: http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist/Fedora/7/i386/. Select file F-7-i386-DVD.iso from "releases/7/Fedora/i386/iso". Burn the iso to a DVD disc.
  • Boot with the DVD.
  • When install Fedora 7, make sure to choose "Software Development" package. For dual-boot (e.g., with Windows Vista), install Grub on the root partition, NOT on the MBR!
  • Reboot with installed Fedora 7.
  • Possible problems: Dual-boot does not work. Show errors like "Grub error 15".
    Solution:
    Boot from the DVD, select rescue.
    Type "chroot /mnt/sysimage".
    Use "fdisk -l" to locate your linux and windows partitions.
    Edit the grub.conf under /boot/grub. Set the partition of your Windows partition. For example, your Windows partition is on the second partition of the first disk, set it to (hd0, 2).
    Type "grub".
    In grub, type "root (hd0, 5)", if (hd0,5) is your Fedora partition.
    Type "setup (hd0)".
    Type "quit".
    Reboot the machine to check whether Grub works.

2. Update linux kernel

  • Use "ifconfig" to check whether your network works.
  • If you have network connection, use "yum update kernel" to get the latest linux kernel.
  • If you don't have network connection in Fedora (for example, on Dell XPS420):
    Follow instructions here: http://www.anbecom.com/wordpress/?p=379. You can install newer kernel, instead of 2.6.22.
  • Reboot
  • Update system with "yum update".

3. Download Cell SDK 3.0

From http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/power/cell/pkgdownloads.html?S_TACT=105AGX16&S_CMP=LP. Click the " Fedora 7 download page" to download the installation rpm, the Developer package and the Extras package.

4. Install SDK

  • Update and install some packages:
    yum update selinux-policy selinux-policy-targeted
    yum install rsync sed tcl wget
  • yum install ppu-sysroot ppu-sysroot64 tk
  • You may need libspe2, netpbm, sysroot_image. Go to http://www.bsc.es/plantillaH.php?cat_id=577 download and install.
  • Install sdk (assume the the installation rpm and the isos are stored at /root/cell/cellsdk/)
    /etc/init.d/yum-updatesd stop
    rpm -ivh cell-install-3.0.0-1.0.noarch.rpm
    cd /opt/cell
    cellsdk --iso /root/cell/cellsdk/ install
    cellsdk_sync_simulator install
    1. When you install sdk, you meet error like “cannot find cell-extras-documentation”, you can go to /opt/cell/yum-repos/CellSDK-Extras-RHEL/rpms/ execute
       rpm -ivh cell-extras-documentation-3.1-1.noarch.rpm
      where CellSDK-Extras-RHEL may be CellSDK-Extras-Fedora, it depends on your os.
    2. If cellsdk_sync_simulator install is failed, you can go to http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/cellsystemsim/download download and install.
  • Use "/opt/cell/cellsdk verify" to check packages of Cell SDK. Use yum to install optional packages you need.
  • Add "PATH=/opt/ibm/systemsim-cell/bin:$PATH " to your .bash_profile.
  • When you miss package in the installation, try to yum install package-name.

5. Install Java, Eclipse

  • Download Java from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html. File: j2sdk_1_4_2_16-linux-i586.rpm.
  • Download Eclipse 3.2.2 from http://archive.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.2.2-200702121330/index.php. Select this file: "eclipse-SDK-3.2.2-linux-gtk.tar.gz".
  • Download CDT for Eclipse from http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/tools/cdt/releases/callisto/dist/3.1.2/. File: "org.eclipse.cdt.sdk-3.1.2-linux.x86.tar.gz".
  • Install Java:
    rpm -ivh j2sdk_1_4_2_16-linux-i586.rpm
    update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/javac javac /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_16/bin/javac 120
    update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/java java /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_16/jre/bin/java 120
    alternatives --config javac
    alternatives --config java
    add "PATH=$PATH:/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_16/jre/bin" to your .bash_profile.
  • Install Eclipse:
    tar -xzf eclipse-SDK-3.2.2-linux-gtk.tar.gz
    add "PATH=$PATH:/cellsdk_addon/eclipse3.2.2/eclipse" to your .bash_profile, where "/cellsdk_addon/eclipse3.2.2/eclipse" is the folder of the decompressed eclipse.
  • Install CDT:
    tar -xzf org.eclipse.cdt.sdk-3.1.2-linux.x86.tar.gz
    Run Eclipse with "eclipse -vm /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.2_16/jre/bin/java".
    In Eclipse, select Help>>Software Updates>>Find and Install...>>Search for new features to install>>New Local Site.... Add a local site at "file:/cellsdk_addon/CDT3.1.2/eclipse/" to install CDT, where "/cellsdk_addon/CDT3.1.2/eclipse/" is the folder of the decompressed CDT.
  • Exclude updates to some packages:
    add "exclude=blas kernel numactl oprofile" to /etc/yum.conf
  • Restart yum-updatesd:
    /etc/init.d/yum-updatesd start

6. Install SDK IDE

  • Install the cellide package:
    /opt/cell/cellsdk --iso ~/cell/cellsdk/ mount (if you reboot or umount /tmp/sdk, yum may not find sdk packages, in this case use this command to mount sdk isos)
    yum install cellide
  • In Eclipse, select Help>>Software Updates>>Find and Install...>>Search for new features to install>>New Local Site.... Add a local site at "file:/opt/cell/ide/com.ibm.celldt.update/" to install the cell ide in Eclipse.
  • Install the alf-ide-template package:
    yum install alf-ide-template

7. Run the "Hello Cell"

  • Compile samples included in the SDK:
    cd /opt/cell/sdk/src
    for i in ./*.tar; do tar -xf $i; done
    make
  • Run "Hello Cell":
    systemsim -g
    Mode-->Fast Mode (shown as "in mode LOOSE")
    press Go
    In the simulator:
    cd /opt/cell/sdk/usr/bin/tutorial
    simple
  • You can use callthru to exchange data between your os and simulator.
  • A bug of the simulator: VisualSPE doesn't work
    Watch this thread: http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=178168&start=0&tstart=0