xref: /openbmc/libcper/generator/README.md (revision 044afd01)
1# cper-generator
2
3This project allows you to generate pseudo-random CPER records for software
4testing purposes. The records are compliant (to an extent) with the CPER
5definitions present within UEFI Specification Appendix N.
6
7## Usage
8
9An example usage of `cper-generator` is shown below.
10
11```
12cper-generator --out mycper.dump --sections generic dmarvtd ia32x64 arm
13```
14
15This command would generate a CPER log with a processor generic section, VT-d
16DMAr section, IA32x64 section and an ARM section, outputting to the given
17`mycper.dump` file. To see all available names and other command switches, you
18can run `cper-generator --help`.
19
20## Caveats
21
22The generator is not completely random within the bounds of the specification,
23to make testing easier.
24
25- Validation bits are always set to "true" for **optional** fields, to ensure
26  that translating from CPER binary -> JSON -> CPER binary yields the same
27  binary output as started with, rather than changing due to optional fields
28  being left out.
29- Parts of sections which are defined in other external specifications (i.e, not
30  included in UEFI Appendix N) generally do not have their structures to
31  specification, and are simply random bytes.
32