1 |
Release notes for GXemul 0.3.3.2 |
Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.4.2 |
2 |
================================ |
================================================================ |
3 |
|
|
4 |
Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Anders Gavare. |
Copyright (C) 2003-2006 Anders Gavare. |
5 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
7 |
GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be |
GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several |
8 |
used to run binary code for (among others) MIPS-based machines. Several |
emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding |
9 |
emulation modes are available. For some emulation modes, processors and |
hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating |
10 |
surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified |
systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine. |
11 |
operating systems run as if they were running on a real machine. |
|
12 |
|
The documentation lists the machines and guest operating systems that can |
13 |
I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run |
be regarded as "working" in GXemul. The best working guest operating |
14 |
inside the emulator: |
systems are probably NetBSD/pmax, NetBSD/cats, and OpenBSD/cats. |
15 |
|
|
16 |
Guest operating system Emulated machine |
|
17 |
---------------------- ---------------- |
Changes between release 0.4.1 and 0.4.2 include, among other things: |
18 |
NetBSD/pmax 2.0 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200 |
|
19 |
OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA DECstation 5000/200 |
o) The NetWinder emulation mode now works well enough to let |
20 |
Ultrix 4.2-4.5 DECstation 5000/200 |
NetBSD/netwinder run from a disk image. |
21 |
Sprite demo harddisk image DECstation 5000/200 |
|
22 |
Debian GNU/Linux for DECstation DECstation 5000/200 |
(NetBSD/netwinder has to be installed manually, though, because |
23 |
Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips DECstation 5000/200 |
there is no installation ramdisk kernel. The GXemul documentation |
24 |
NetBSD/arc 1.6.2 Acer PICA-61 |
has an example of how to install NetBSD/netwinder using an emulated |
25 |
OpenBSD/arc 2.3 Acer PICA-61 |
NetBSD/pmax machine.) |
26 |
NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880 |
|
27 |
NetBSD/cobalt 2.0 Cobalt |
o) Algorithmics P5064 emulation works well enough to let NetBSD/algor |
28 |
|
run from a disk image. (Similar to NetBSD/netwinder, it has to |
29 |
A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost |
be installed manually, using another emulated machine.) |
30 |
working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are |
|
31 |
just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation. |
o) PCI configuration register writes can now be handled, which allows |
32 |
|
NetBSD/Malta (evbmips) 3.0.1 and NetBSD/cobalt 3.0.1 to run from |
33 |
The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to |
PCI IDE harddisk images. (Previously, only NetBSD 2.1 worked for |
34 |
run entire guest operating systems. It is important to remember, though, |
the Malta and Cobalt emulation modes.) |
35 |
that GXemul does not simulate things smaller than an instruction; this |
|
36 |
means that pipe-line stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses, |
o) Some performance increases: |
37 |
and other effects are not simulated. |
|
38 |
|
The virtual translation table update routine has been simplified |
39 |
Summary of changes between release 0.3.2 and 0.3.3.2: |
to work the same way for 32-bit and 64-bit emulation, and this |
40 |
|
apparently results in a speedup for all 64-bit modes. |
41 |
x) When booting from an ISO9660 (CDROM) filesystem image, the kernel |
|
42 |
can now in some cases be read directly from the image, so there is |
For 32-bit MIPS, some more instruction combinations have been added. |
43 |
no need any longer to supply an external kernel. (It is a quick, |
|
44 |
buggy, and very ugly hack, but it sometimes works.) |
Please read the HISTORY files for more details. |
|
|
|
|
x) Mixing more than one disk image type (SCSI, IDE, PC-style floppy) |
|
|
within one emulated machine is now possible. (There is however no |
|
|
stable emulation mode yet that uses this.) |
|
45 |
|
|
|
x) Many minor updates and bugfixes. |
|
46 |
|
|
47 |
Files included in this release are: |
Files included in this release are: |
48 |
|
|
|
BUGS A list of known bugs. |
|
49 |
HISTORY Detailed revision history / changelog. |
HISTORY Detailed revision history / changelog. |
50 |
LICENSE Copyright message / license. |
LICENSE Copyright message / license. |
51 |
README Quick start instructions, for the impatient. |
README Quick start instructions, for the impatient. |
52 |
RELEASE This file. |
RELEASE This file. |
53 |
TODO TODO notes. |
TODO TODO notes. |
54 |
configure, Makefile.skel sh and make scripts for building GXemul. |
configure, Makefile.skel sh and make scripts for building GXemul. |
55 |
|
demos Tutorial-like demos of testmachine functionality. |
56 |
doc Documentation. |
doc Documentation. |
57 |
experiments Experimental code. (Usually not needed.) |
experiments Experimental code. (Usually not needed.) |
58 |
src Source code. |
src Source code. |
|
tests Regression tests. |
|
59 |
|
|
60 |
To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make. |
To build the emulator, run the configure script, and then run make. This |
61 |
|
should work on most Unix-like systems. |
62 |
|
|
|
Building the emulator should work on most Unix-like systems. (One system which |
|
|
is specifically known to NOT work is Ultrix/RISC inside the emulator; Ultrix |
|
|
chokes on the configure script and the default cc in Ultrix doesn't work.) |
|
63 |
|
|
64 |
Regarding files in the src/include/ directory: only some of these are written |
Regarding files in the src/include/ directory: only some of these are written |
65 |
by me, the rest are from other sources (such as NetBSD). The license text says |
by me, the rest are from other sources (such as NetBSD). The license text says |
125 |
|
|
126 |
This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz. |
This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz. |
127 |
|
|
128 |
|
This product includes software developed by Brini. |
129 |
|
|
130 |
|
This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe |
131 |
|
for the NetBSD Project. |
132 |
|
|
133 |
|
This product includes software developed by TooLs GmbH. |
134 |
|
|
135 |
|
This product includes software developed by Manuel Bouyer. |
136 |
|
|
137 |
|
This product includes software developed by the Alice Group. |
138 |
|
|
139 |
|
This product includes software developed by Ichiro FUKUHARA. |
140 |
|
|
141 |
|
Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following: |
142 |
|
|
143 |
|
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University. |
144 |
|
All rights reserved. |
145 |
|
|
146 |
|
Author: Keith Bostic, Chris G. Demetriou |
147 |
|
|
148 |
|
Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and |
149 |
|
its documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright |
150 |
|
notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the |
151 |
|
software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions |
152 |
|
thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation. |
153 |
|
|
154 |
See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul |
See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul |
155 |
or reuse code. |
or reuse code. |
156 |
|
|
157 |
Thanks to everyone who has provided me with feedback. |
|
158 |
|
Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Olivier Houchard, Juli Mallett, |
159 |
|
Juan Romero Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and |
160 |
|
everyone else who has provided me with feedback. |
161 |
|
|
162 |
If you have found GXemul useful in some way, or feel like sending me comments |
If you have found GXemul useful in some way, or feel like sending me comments |
163 |
or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se. |
or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se. |