The most useful Simics commands are grouped into categories. To list these categories, just type help at the command prompt. The list should look like this:
simics> help [...] To get you started, here is a list of command categories: Breakpoints Files and Directories Python CD-ROM GUI Real Network Changing Simulated State Haps Registers Command Line Interface Help Reverse Execution Components Inspecting Simulated State Simics Search Path Configuration Logging Speed Debugging Memory Symbolic Debugging Disk Modules Test Distributed Simulation Networking Tracing Ethernet Output Execution Profiling [...]
Note that since Simics's configuration can change between sessions and even dynamically through the loading of modules, the list of commands and command categories may look different.
Type help category for a list of commands, e.g., help "Changing Simulated State" will list all commands belonging to that category:
simics> help "Changing Simulated State" Commands available in the "Changing Simulated State" category: <image>.set set bytes in image to specified value <int_register>.write-reg write to register <memory-space>.load-binary load binary (executable) file into memory <memory-space>.load-file load file into memory <memory-space>.set set physical address to specified value without side-effects <memory_space>.write set physical address to specified value <port_space>.set set physical address to specified value without side-effects <port_space>.write set physical address to specified value <processor_info>.disable switch processor off <processor_info>.enable switch processor on <processor_info>.load-binary load binary (executable) file into memory <processor_info>.set-pc set the program counter load-binary load binary (executable) file into memory load-file load file into memory pdisable switch processor off penable switch processor on set set physical address to specified value set-pc set the current processor's program counter write-reg write to register
Type help command to print the documentation for a specific command.
The help command can do much more than printing command documentation: it gives you access to nearly all Simics documentation about commands, classes, modules, interfaces, API types and functions, haps and more according to the configuration loaded in the simulator. All documentation is also available in the reference manuals.
Here are some more examples of usage of the help command:
simics> help print-time [... print-time command documentation ...] simics> help board.mb.cpu0.core[0][0].disassemble [... <processor_info>.disassemble command documentation ...] simics> help <processor_info>.disassemble [... <processor_info>.disassemble command documentation ...] simics> help board.mb.cpu0.core[0][0] [... <x86QSP1> class documentation ...] simics> help x86QSP1 [... <x86QSP1> class documentation ...] simics> help processor_info [... <processor_info> interface documentation ...] simics> help board.mb.cpu0.core[0][0].freq_mhz [... <x86QSP1>.freq_mhz attribute documentation ...] simics> help x86QSP1.freq_mhz [... <x86QSP1>.freq_mhz attribute documentation ...] simics> help Core_Exception [... Core_Exception hap documentation ...] simics> help SIM_get_mem_op_type [... SIM_get_mem_op_type() function declaration ...] simics> help x86-intel64-turbo [... x86-intel64-turbo module documentation ...]
When a name matches several help topics (for example, a command and an attribute, or a module and a class), help will print out the first topic coming in this order: command categories, commands, classes, interfaces, haps, modules, attributes, API functions and symbols. It will also inform you at the end of the documentation output that other topics were matching your search:
simics> load-module NS16450_c
simics> help NS16450_c
[... NS16450_c class documentation ...]
Note that your request also matched other topics:
module:NS16450_c
If you type help module:NS16450_c, the module documentation will be printed instead:
simics> help module:NS16450_c [... NS16450_c module documentation ...]
You can use specifiers like module: or class: at any time. It
will also allow the help command to provide you with better
tab-completion, since only items in the selected category of documentation will
be proposed. The following specifiers are available: object:,
class:, command:, attribute:, interface:,
module:, api:, hap: and category:.
module: or api: in
front of what you are looking for.
simics> help-search step The text 'step' appears in the documentation for the following items: Command <cycle>.cycle-break Command <cycle>.cycle-break-absolute Command <cycle>.print-time Command <cycle>.wait-for-cycle Command <cycle>.wait-for-time [...] Interface step_info simics> apropos step [... yields the same output ...]