/[gxemul]/trunk/RELEASE
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revision 10 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:18:27 2007 UTC revision 12 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:18:38 2007 UTC
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1  Release notes for GXemul 0.3.4  Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.5
2  ==============================  ================================================================
3    
4  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Anders Gavare.  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Anders Gavare.
5    
6    
7  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be used to
8  used to run binary code for (among others) MIPS-based machines, regardless  run binary code for MIPS-based machines, regardless of host platform. Several
9  of host platform. Several emulation modes are available. For some modes,  emulation modes are available. For some modes, processors and surrounding
10  processors and surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
11  let unmodified operating systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running  systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.
12  on a real machine.  
13    (Non-MIPS emulation modes are also under development, but so far none of those
14    modes has reached the completeness required to run unmodified operating
15    systems.)
16    
17  I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run  I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside
18  inside the emulator:  the emulator:
19    
20      Guest operating system             Emulated machine      Guest operating system             Emulated machine
21      ----------------------             ----------------      ----------------------             ----------------
# Line 29  inside the emulator: Line 32  inside the emulator:
32      NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2               Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board      NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2               Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board
33      NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2               SGI O2 ("IP32")      NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2               SGI O2 ("IP32")
34    
35  Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than  Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than
36  others. The best supported mode is the DECstation 5000/200 emulation mode,  others. The best supported mode is the DECstation 5000/200 emulation mode, with
37  with NetBSD/pmax as the guest operating system.  NetBSD/pmax as the guest operating system.
   
 A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost  
 working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are  
 just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.  
   
 The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to  
 run entire guest operating systems. (However, GXemul does not simulate  
 things smaller than an instruction. What this means is that pipe-line  
 stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses or cache misses, and  
 other micro-architectural effects are not simulated.)  
   
 Summary of changes between release 0.3.3.2 and 0.3.4:  
   
         x)  When emulating a network of multiple machines, the emulated  
             machines can now be placed on different hosts.  
   
         x)  NetBSD/evbmips can now be installed and run from a disk image.  
             (There is no INSTALL kernel for NetBSD/evbmips, so you need to  
             install using another OS, for example emulated NetBSD/pmax.)  
   
         x)  NetBSD/sgimips can now be installed. Not onto a SCSI disk,  
             but the files can be exported via nfs from another emulated  
             machine. The sgimips machine can then netboot. (Read the  
             documentation for details.)  
38    
39  There have also been various other minor updates and bugfixes.  A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost working
40    well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are just
41    skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.
42    
43    The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to run
44    entire guest operating systems. (However, GXemul does not simulate things
45    smaller than an instruction. What this means is that pipe-line stalls,
46    penalties caused by branch-prediction misses or cache misses, and other
47    micro-architectural effects are not simulated.)
48    
49    The user-visible changes between release 0.3.4 and 0.3.5 are minor, and
50    can be summarized as follows:
51    
52            o)  Updates to the (old) binary translation subsystem, resulting
53                in minor speed improvements.
54    
55            o)  64-bit MIPS dmult/dmultu has been fixed.
56    
57            o)  slt* instructions for 64-bit MIPS were incorrectly implemented
58                in the i386 backend. This has been fixed.
59    
60    There have been many other bug fixes and updates, most of which are not
61    visible.
62    
63  Files included in this release are:  Files included in this release are:
64    
# Line 71  Files included in this release are: Line 72  Files included in this release are:
72    doc                         Documentation.    doc                         Documentation.
73    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
74    src                         Source code.    src                         Source code.
   tests                       Regression tests.  
75    
76  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.
77    
# Line 143  them like this is in order: Line 143  them like this is in order:
143    
144      This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.      This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.
145    
146    Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following:
147    
148        Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University.
149        All rights reserved.
150    
151        Author: Keith Bostic, Chris G. Demetriou
152    
153        Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and
154        its documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright
155        notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
156        software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions
157        thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation.
158    
159    
160  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul
161  or reuse code.  or reuse code.
162    
163  Thanks to (in no specific order, that is, this is in alphabetic order :-)  Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan RP, Alec
164  Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan RP, Alec Voropay, Alexander Yurchenko,  Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone else who has
165  and everyone else who has provided me with feedback.  provided me with feedback.
166    
167  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
168  or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se.  or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se.

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