QNX Momentics IDE Fails to Connect QEMU Virtual Target (Linux Host)

QNX Momentics IDE Fails to Connect to QEMU Virtual Target (Linux Host)

In this article, we will discuss the issue of setting up a development environment using QNX SDP 8.0 on a Linux host, with a particular focus on the problem of getting the virtual target to work.

Background

QNX Momentics Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a powerful tool for building embedded systems using the QNX Neutrino Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). One of the ways to develop and test applications using QNX Momentics IDE is to use QEMU, a popular open-source machine emulator and virtualizer, to create a virtual target.

However, some users have reported issues with connecting to the QEMU virtual target using QNX Momentics IDE on a Linux host. The source of the problem is often a script called check-net.sh that is executed when the QNX environment is sourced.

Understanding the Problem

The check-net.sh script is responsible for configuring the network settings for the QNX environment. It checks for the presence of certain network interfaces and sets up the default route accordingly. However, in some cases, this script may fail to detect the correct network interface, causing the QNX Momentics IDE to fail to connect to the QEMU virtual target.

The error message that users typically see when this happens is:

Error: Failed to connect to target <QEMU Virtual Target>.

Solution

To solve this problem, you can manually configure the network settings for the QNX environment by modifying the check-net.sh script. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the check-net.sh script in a text editor.
2. Find the following lines of code:

   if [ -n "$QNX_HOST" ]; then
   if [ -x "$QNX_HOST/usr/bin/qconn" ]; then
   QNX_QCONN="$QNX_HOST/usr/bin/qconn"
   fi
   fi
   

   Replace them with the following lines:

   if [ -n "$QNX_HOST" ]; then
   if [ -x "$QNX_HOST/usr/bin/qconn" ]; then
   QNX_QCONN="$QNX_HOST/usr/bin/qconn"
   fi
   
   # Add the following lines
   if [ -z "$QNX_NETWORK" ]; then
   QNX_NETWORK=192.168.0
   fi
   
   if [ -z "$QNX_HOSTNAME" ]; then
   QNX_HOSTNAME=qnxhost
   fi
   
   if [ -z "$QNX_TARGET" ]; then
   QNX_TARGET=192.168.0.1
   fi
   

   These lines of code set the default network interface to 192.168.0, the hostname to qnxhost, and the target IP address to 192.168.0.1.

3. Save the check-net.sh script and exit the text editor.
4. Source the QNX environment by running the following command:

   . /usr/qnx//bin/qnxenv
   

   Replace <version> with the version of QNX that you are using.

5. Launch QNX Momentics IDE and connect to the QEMU virtual target. The IDE should now be able to connect to the target without any issues.

• The problem of getting the QEMU virtual target to work in QNX Momentics IDE on a Linux host is often caused by the check-net.sh script failing to detect the correct network interface.
• To solve this problem, you can manually configure the network settings for the QNX environment by modifying the check-net.sh script as described above.
• After modifying the check-net.sh script, source the QNX environment and launch QNX Momentics IDE to connect to the QEMU virtual target.

References

• QNX qconn Utility
• QNX Networking Architecture
• QNX IP Networking