/[gxemul]/trunk/README
This is repository of my old source code which isn't updated any more. Go to git.rot13.org for current projects!
ViewVC logotype

Diff of /trunk/README

Parent Directory Parent Directory | Revision Log Revision Log | View Patch Patch

revision 16 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:19:01 2007 UTC revision 34 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:21:17 2007 UTC
# Line 1  Line 1 
1  Gavare's eXperimental Emulator   --   GXemul 0.3.6.1  Gavare's eXperimental Emulator   --   GXemul 0.4.4
2  ====================================================  ==================================================
3    
4  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Anders Gavare.  Copyright (C) 2003-2007  Anders Gavare.
5    
6    
7  Overview  Overview  --  What is GXemul?
8  --------  -----------------------------
9    
10  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several
11  emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding  emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding
12  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
13  systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.  systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.
14    
15  The processor architecture best emulated by GXemul is MIPS, but other  Processors (ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, SuperH) are emulated using dynamic
16  architectures are also partially emulated.  translation. Unlike some other dynamically translating emulators, GXemul
17    does not need to generate native code, only a "runnable intermediate
18    representation", and will thus run on any host architecture.
19    
20    The documentation lists the machines and guest operating systems that can
21    be regarded as "working" in GXemul. The best working guest operating
22    systems are probably NetBSD/pmax and NetBSD/cats.
23    
24    Possible uses of the emulator include:
25    
26     o)  educational purposes, e.g. to learn how to write code for MIPS
27    
28     o)  hobby operating system development; the emulator can be used as a
29         complement to testing your code on real hardware
30    
31     o)  running guest operating systems in a "sandboxed" environment
32    
33     o)  compiling your source code inside a guest operating system which you
34         otherwise would not have access to (e.g. various exotic ports of
35         NetBSD), to make sure that your source code is portable to those
36         platforms
37    
38     o)  simulating (ethernet) networks of computers running various
39         operating systems, to study their interaction with each other
40    
41     o)  debugging code in general
42    
43    Use your imagination :-)
44    
45    
46    GXemul's limitations
47    --------------------
48    
49     o)  GXemul is not (in general) a cycle-accurate simulator, because it does
50         not simulate things smaller than an instruction. Pipe-line stalls,
51         instruction latency effects etc. are more or less completely ignored.
52    
53     o)  Hardware devices have been implemented in an ad-hoc and as-needed
54         manner, usually only enough to fool certain guest operating systems
55         (e.g. NetBSD) that the hardware devices exist and function well
56         enough for those guest operating systems to use them.
57    
58         A consequence of this is that a machine mode may be implemented well
59         enough to run NetBSD for that machine mode, but other guest operating
60         systems may not run at all, or behave strangely.
61    
62    
63  Quick start  Quick start
64  -----------  -----------
65    
66  To compile, type './configure' and then 'make'. This should work on most  To compile, type './configure' and then 'make'. This should work on most
67  Unix-like systems. If not, then please mail me a bug report.  Unix-like systems. If it does not, then please mail me a bug report.
68    
69    You might want to experiment with various CC and CFLAGS environment
70    variable settings, to get optimum performance.
71    
72  If you are impatient, and want to try out running a guest operating system  If you are impatient, and want to try out running a guest operating system
73  inside GXemul, please read this:  doc/guestoses.html#netbsdinstall  inside GXemul, read this:  doc/guestoses.html#netbsdcatsinstall
74    
75  If you want to use GXemul for experimenting with code of your own,  If you want to use GXemul for experimenting with code of your own,
76  then I suggest you compile a Hello World program according to the tips  then I suggest you compile a Hello World program according to the tips

Legend:
Removed from v.16  
changed lines
  Added in v.34

  ViewVC Help
Powered by ViewVC 1.1.26