---
title: "<code class=\"docutils literal notranslate\"><span class=\"pre\">pbl</span> <span class=\"pre\">qemu</span></code>"
canonical_url: https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/qemu/
last_updated: 2026-10-21
sdk_version: 4.33.1
---
# <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">pbl</span> <span class="pre">qemu</span></code>

Source: https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/qemu/

Launch the firmware of a QEMU board build in the emulator.

```
pbl configure --board qemu_emery
pbl build
pbl qemu
```

The flash image is rebuilt on every launch; `--keep-flash-image` keeps it, and with it installed apps, data and Bluetooth bondings.

The launched QEMU exposes:

- An interactive QEMU monitor on the launching terminal (`-monitor stdio`)

- A programmatic socket monitor (`-monitor unix:build/qemu-mon.sock`)

- The serial console over TCP on `localhost:12345`, for [pbl console](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/console.md)

- The Pebble protocol over TCP on `localhost:12344`, for the `pebble` tool and [pbl feed](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/pbl/feed.md)

UART1 output is also captured to `uart1.log` in the repository root. [Emulator](https://developer.repebble.com/pebbleos/docs/development/emulation/emulator.md) covers what the emulator models and how to operate it.

## Options

```
pbl qemu [-h] [-b DIR] [--dry-run] [--keep-flash-image] [--decoration NAME]
         [--bt-hci CHARDEV]
```

`--keep-flash-image`

Keep the SPI flash image, and the apps and data in it, instead of rebuilding it

`--decoration NAME`

SDL decoration to draw around the screen, or ‘none’ (default: the board’s first)

`--bt-hci CHARDEV`

Serial port of an H4 Bluetooth controller, e.g. /dev/cu.usbmodem1101, or any QEMU -serial spec (builds with CONFIG\_BT\_HCI\_UART only)

Generated from PebbleOS [3a7b71785](https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos/commit/3a7b71785fd439666c4a8bc116f561140e8dec01). This page is maintained in the pebbleos repository: [docs/pbl/qemu.md](https://github.com/coredevices/pebbleos/blob/3a7b71785fd439666c4a8bc116f561140e8dec01/docs/pbl/qemu.md).