Command-line interface

To start the simulator in command-line mode, enter the following command: PATH=/opt/ibm/systemsim-cell/bin:$PATH; systemsim.

This command starts the simulator, which initializes the simulation and displays the prompt:

 systemsim %

The window displaying the simulator prompt is the command window. While starting the simulation, the simulator creates the console window, which is initially labeled UART0 in the window's title bar.

All commands must be entered at the prompt in the command window (that is, the window in which the simulator was started). Some of the important commands are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Important Commands for the IBM Full System Simulator for the Cell Broadband Engine
Simulator Command	Meaning
quit	Closes the simulation and exits the simulator.
help	Displays a list of the available simulator commands.
mysim go	Starts or continues the simulation. The first time it is issued, the simulator boots the Linux operating system on the simulation.
mysim spu n set model mode	Sets `SPEn` into model mode, where n is a value from 0 to 7 and mode is either `pipeline` or `instruction`.
mysim spu n display statistics	Displays to the simulator command window, the performance analysis statistics collected on SPEn, where n is a value from 0 to 7. Statistics are only collected when the SPE is executing in pipeline mode.

The simulator prompt is displayed in the command window when the simulation is stopped, or paused. When the simulation is running, the command window, instead, displays a copy of the output to the console window and simulation-cycle information every few seconds, and the prompt is not available.

To stop the simulation and get back the prompt — use the Ctrl-c key sequence. This will stop the simulation, and the prompt will reappear.