src/intro/tooling.md - rust-embedded/book - Git at Google

 # Tooling

 This section contains details about the tools we'll be using.

 ## `cargo-generate` OR `git`

 Bare metal programs are non-standard (`no_std`) Rust programs that require some
 fiddling with the linking process to get the memory layout of the program
 right. All this requires unusual files (like linker scripts) and unusual
 settings  (like linker flags). We have packaged all that for you in a template
 so that you only need to fill in the blanks like the project name and the
 characteristics of your target hardware.

 Our template is compatible with `cargo-generate`, a Cargo subcommand for
 creating new Cargo projects from templates, but you can also download the
 template using `git`, `curl`, `wget` or your web browser

 ## `cargo-binutils`

 `cargo-binutils` is a collection of Cargo subcommands that make it easy to use
 the LLVM tools that are shipped with the Rust toolchain. These tools include the
 LLVM versions of `objdump`, `nm` and `size` and are used for inspecting
 binaries.

 The advantage of using these tools over GNU binutils is that (a) installing the
 LLVM tools is the same one-command installation (`rustup component add
 llvm-tools-preview`) regardless of your OS and (b) tools like `objdump` support
 all the architectures that `rustc` supports -- from ARM to x86_64 -- because
 they both share the same LLVM backend.

 ## `qemu-system-arm`

 QEMU is an emulator. In this case we use the variant that can fully emulate ARM
 systems. We use QEMU to run embedded programs on the host. Thanks to this you
 can follow some parts of this book even if you don't have any hardware with you!

 ## OpenOCD

 > **TODO** What is this, what is it used for, and why are we using this tool?

 ## GDB

 Debugging is very important skill for embedded development as you may not always
 have the luxury to log stuff to the host console. In some cases, you may not
 have LEDs to blink on your hardware!

 In general, LLDB works as well as GDB when it comes to debugging but we haven't
 found an LLDB counterpart to GDB's `load` command, which uploads the program to
 the target hardware, so today we recommend that you use GDB.
	# Tooling

	This section contains details about the tools we'll be using.

	## `cargo-generate` OR `git`

	Bare metal programs are non-standard (`no_std`) Rust programs that require some
	fiddling with the linking process to get the memory layout of the program
	right. All this requires unusual files (like linker scripts) and unusual
	settings (like linker flags). We have packaged all that for you in a template
	so that you only need to fill in the blanks like the project name and the
	characteristics of your target hardware.

	Our template is compatible with `cargo-generate`, a Cargo subcommand for
	creating new Cargo projects from templates, but you can also download the
	template using `git`, `curl`, `wget` or your web browser

	## `cargo-binutils`

	`cargo-binutils` is a collection of Cargo subcommands that make it easy to use
	the LLVM tools that are shipped with the Rust toolchain. These tools include the
	LLVM versions of `objdump`, `nm` and `size` and are used for inspecting
	binaries.

	The advantage of using these tools over GNU binutils is that (a) installing the
	LLVM tools is the same one-command installation (`rustup component add
	llvm-tools-preview`) regardless of your OS and (b) tools like `objdump` support
	all the architectures that `rustc` supports -- from ARM to x86_64 -- because
	they both share the same LLVM backend.

	## `qemu-system-arm`

	QEMU is an emulator. In this case we use the variant that can fully emulate ARM
	systems. We use QEMU to run embedded programs on the host. Thanks to this you
	can follow some parts of this book even if you don't have any hardware with you!

	## OpenOCD

	> TODO What is this, what is it used for, and why are we using this tool?

	## GDB

	Debugging is very important skill for embedded development as you may not always
	have the luxury to log stuff to the host console. In some cases, you may not
	have LEDs to blink on your hardware!

	In general, LLDB works as well as GDB when it comes to debugging but we haven't
	found an LLDB counterpart to GDB's `load` command, which uploads the program to
	the target hardware, so today we recommend that you use GDB.