How to use it

[Juan-ma]

Hello, first of all, thanks for your work. I'm trying to use this extension with an ESP8266 image. I think I have succesfully installed both ghidra-xtensa extension and ghidra-esp8266 but I dont know how to use it. When I load the esp image in my project, there is no option to select ESP8266 in the format field, just 'raw binary'.
I have tried with ghidra 9.1.1, 9.2.1 with gradle 5 and latest ghidra 10.0.2 with gradle 7 and I always obtains the same result. I have installed the ghidra-esp8266 extension following these steps:

git clone the project into the Processors folder
move into GhidraESP8266_2
execute gradle -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=/path_to.../ghidra_10.0.2_PUBLIC/

I am doing anything wrong?
Could you please write a simple guide with a few steps explaining how to use this extension?

Thank you very much!

[hank]

It's been a while since I worked on this, but as I remember you still have to pick Xtensa in the arch, and it should populate the loader and analyzer based on the ESP header. It is not a new processor as far as I remember. I used these posts as a guide:

https://wrongbaud.github.io/posts/writing-a-ghidra-loader/

It looks like they may use some sort of zip structure for extensions now:

https://github.com/Cuyler36/Ghidra-GameCube-Loader

See Installation on that page. I don't have time to set it all up right now, but perhaps this will get you on the right track. Find another plugin that provides a Loader and Analyzer and see what its structure looks like. Good luck!

[Juan-ma]

Thank you very much. I have managed to compile and install the extension following the steps in the links you posted. For those who have the same problem, these are the correct steps:

git clone the project into a new folder
move into GhidraESP8266_2
execute gradle -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=/path_to.../ghidra_10.0.2_PUBLIC/
copy the new created GhidraESP8266_2/dist/ghidra_10.0.2_PUBLIC_20210909_GhidraESP8266_2.zip file into ghidra_10.0.2_PUBLIC/Extensions/Ghidra
Install the extension with the Ghidra 'Install Extensions' manager.
Restart Ghidra

Thanks!

[Chrisch3n]

FYI: Until updated, use this plugin version (from pull request #5) for Ghidra 11: https://github.com/Rojuinex/ghidra-esp8266/tree/master

Additions to @Juan-ma comment when using VS Code:

1. Set GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR as System environment variable with the path to your installation e.g. /path_to.../ghidra_11.3.1_PUBLIC
2. Use the Gradle Extension and select 'buildExtension' under ghidra private: