This directory contains the code for the vmc utility, a command line tool available for end users to send commands to VMs running in ChromeOS.
vmc is built by the chromeos-base/crostini_client package, you can deploy it with the following command:
$ cros deploy $DUT crostini_client
vmc depends on changes made to the system_api package to build protobuf and dbus API definitions. These changes need to be built both at the chroot/system level, and also at the board/device level, where they need to be deployed to the DUT.
If your change does not involve adding a new API or changing the signature of any protobuf/dbus message, you only need to cros_workon on the crostini_client package:
$ cros_sdk cros_workon --board=$BOARD start crostini_client $ cros_sdk FEATURES=test emerge-$BOARD crostini_client
However, if your change is more involved, like if you are adding a new command, you will want to cros_workon on the system_api package for both the dev chroot system where the packages are built, and also on the chromeos package that is being deployed on the DUT. Don't forget to also deploy the system_api changes to the DUT:
$ cros_sdk cros_workon --board=$BOARD start dev-rust/system_api $ cros_sdk cros_workon --board=$BOARD start chromeos-base/system_api $ cros_sdk emerge-$BOARD dev-rust/system_api $ cros_sdk emerge-$BOARD chromeos-base/system_api $ cros_sdk cros deploy $DUT chromeos-base/system_api
If you are adding a new command to the client, there is more piping involved as more changes need to be made at different levels including possibly crosvm and concierge (or similar vm_host_tools like cicerone, etc).
You can use these two example CLs for reference with the explanation below:
If your command interfaces with crosvm, you will need to add an API entry point in the crosvm_control. This will be compiled as a shared library by concierge and other vm_host_tools and be called when the right dbus request comes in from the vmc command.
Then, you will want to add the right bindings in concierge/crosvm_control.cc to call that library.
You will need to generate a new dbus protobuf request and response for concierge in the system_api package at concierge_service.proto.
You also need to add the proper dbus bindings at dbus_bindings/org.chromium.VmConcierge.xml.
The rest of the code at the concierge level (service.cc, vm_base_impl.cc, vm_util.cc) takes care of sanitizing the right inputs, opening files, passing file descriptors around, and eventually interfacing with the running crosvm instance via control requests.
If your command requires opening files by path, we opt to pass around open file descriptors instead of fully qualified paths. You can obtain a unique path accessible by the VM process by opening the equivalent file path at /proc/self/fd/$FD where $FD is the opened file descriptor passed via dbus RPCs.
The RPC flow is something like this:
vmc command --[dbus RPC proto]--> concierge --[crosvm_control]--> crosvm