Familiarize Yourself with tockloader Commands

The tockloader tool is a useful and versatile tool for managing and installing applications on Tock. It supports a number of commands, and a more complete list can be found in the tockloader repository, located at github.com/tock/tockloader. Below is a list of the more useful and important commands for programming and querying a board.

tockloader install

This is the main tockloader command, used to load Tock applications onto a board. By default, tockloader install adds the new application, but does not erase any others, replacing any already existing application with the same name. Use the --no-replace flag to install multiple copies of the same app. To install an app, either specify the tab file as an argument, or navigate to the app's source directory, build it (probably using make), then issue the install command:

$ tockloader install

Tip: You can add the --make flag to have tockloader automatically run make before installing, i.e. tockloader install --make

Tip: You can add the --erase flag to have tockloader automatically remove other applications when installing a new one.

tockloader uninstall [application name(s)]

Removes one or more applications from the board by name.

tockloader erase-apps

Removes all applications from the board.

tockloader list

Prints basic information about the apps currently loaded onto the board.

tockloader info

Shows all properties of the board, including information about currently loaded applications, their sizes and versions, and any set attributes.

tockloader listen

This command prints output from Tock apps to the terminal. It listens via UART, and will print out anything written to stdout/stderr from a board.

Tip: As a long-running command, listen interacts with other tockloader sessions. You can leave a terminal window open and listening. If another tockloader process needs access to the board (e.g. to install an app update), tockloader will automatically pause and resume listening.

tockloader flash

Loads binaries onto hardware platforms that are running a compatible bootloader. This is used by the Tock Make system when kernel binaries are programmed to the board with make program.