# Linux Kernel Module Cheat
The perfect emulation setup to study and develop the <<linux-kernel>> v5.9.2, kernel modules, <<qemu-buildroot-setup,QEMU>>, <<gem5-buildroot-setup,gem5>> and x86_64, ARMv7 and ARMv8 <<userland-assembly,userland>> and <<baremetal-setup,baremetal>> assembly, <<c,ANSI C>>, <<cpp,C++>> and <<posix,POSIX>>. <<gdb>> and <<kgdb>> just work. Powered by <<about-the-qemu-buildroot-setup,Buildroot>> and <<about-the-baremetal-setup,crosstool-NG>>. Highly automated. Thoroughly documented. Automated <<test-this-repo,tests>>.

#### 17.20.1. vmlinux vs bzImage vs zImage vs Image

Between all archs on QEMU and gem5 we touch all of those kernel built output files.

We are trying to maintain a description of each at: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/5518/what-is-the-difference-between-the-following-kernel-makefile-terms-vmlinux-vml/482978#482978

QEMU does not seem able to boot ELF files like `vmlinux`: https://superuser.com/questions/1376944/can-qemu-boot-linux-from-vmlinux-instead-of-bzimage

Converting `arch/*` images to `vmlinux` is possible in theory x86 with `extract-vmlinux` but we didn’t get any gem5 boots working from images generated like that for some reason, see: https://github.com/cirosantilli/linux-kernel-module-cheat/issues/79