/[gxemul]/trunk/RELEASE
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revision 2 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:17:48 2007 UTC revision 18 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:19:11 2007 UTC
# Line 1  Line 1 
1  Release notes for GXemul 0.3.1  Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.6.2
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. 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.
 operating systems run as if they were running on a real machine.  
11    
12  I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run  The processor architecture best emulated by GXemul is MIPS, but other
13  inside the emulator:  architectures are also partially emulated.
14    
15    I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside
16    the emulator:
17    
18      Guest operating system             Emulated machine      Guest operating system             Emulated machine
19      ----------------------             ----------------      ----------------------             ----------------
20      NetBSD/pmax 2.0 (and 1.6.2)        DECstation 5000/200      NetBSD/pmax 2.0.2 (and 1.6.2)      DECstation 5000/200
21      OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA              DECstation 5000/200      OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA              DECstation 5000/200
22      Ultrix 4.2-4.5                     DECstation 5000/200      Ultrix 4.2-4.5                     DECstation 5000/200
23      Sprite demo harddisk image         DECstation 5000/200      Sprite demo harddisk image         DECstation 5000/200
# Line 23  inside the emulator: Line 25  inside the emulator:
25      Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips          DECstation 5000/200      Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips          DECstation 5000/200
26      NetBSD/arc 1.6.2                   Acer PICA-61      NetBSD/arc 1.6.2                   Acer PICA-61
27      OpenBSD/arc 2.3                    Acer PICA-61      OpenBSD/arc 2.3                    Acer PICA-61
28      NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0                 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880      NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0.2               NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880
29        NetBSD/cobalt 2.0.2                Cobalt
30        NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2               Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board
31        NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2               SGI O2 ("IP32")
32        NetBSD/cats 2.0.2                  CATS (ARM)
33        OpenBSD/cats 3.7                   CATS (ARM)
34    
35    (Most of these are MIPS-based machines, except the CATS, which is an
36    ARM-based machine.)
37    
38    Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than
39    others. The best supported mode is the DECstation 5000/200 emulation mode,
40    with NetBSD/pmax as the guest operating system.
41    
42  A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost  A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost
43  working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are  working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are
44  just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.  just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.
45    
46  The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to  The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to run
47  run entire guest operating systems. It is important to remember, though,  entire guest operating systems. (However, GXemul does not simulate things
48  that GXemul does not simulate things smaller than an instruction; this  smaller than an instruction. What this means is that pipe-line stalls,
49  means that pipe-line stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses,  penalties caused by branch-prediction misses or cache misses, and other
50  and other effects are not simulated.  micro-architectural effects are not simulated.)
   
 The two most visible changes from version 0.3 to 0.3.1 are:  
51    
52          x)  Name change (from mips64emul to GXemul).  The most imporant user-visible change between release 0.3.5 and 0.3.6 is:
53    
54          x)  NetBSD/hpcmips can now be installed and run from a harddisk      x)  The experimental ARM emulation mode is now working well enough
55              image on an emulated NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, or 880.          to install NetBSD/cats and OpenBSD/cats onto harddisk images.
56    
57  There have also been many other updates and bugfixes, as usual.  There have also been lots of other small changes, too small to mention here.
58    
59  This release has a number of known bugs, listed in the BUGS file, but feel  The 0.3.6.1 and 0.3.6.2 releases contain bugfixes and some performance
60  free to drop me an email regarding other bugs.  hacks.
61    
62  Files included in this release are:  Files included in this release are:
63    
# Line 55  Files included in this release are: Line 67  Files included in this release are:
67    README                      Quick start instructions, for the impatient.    README                      Quick start instructions, for the impatient.
68    RELEASE                     This file.    RELEASE                     This file.
69    TODO                        TODO notes.    TODO                        TODO notes.
70    configure, Makefile.skel    sh and make scripts for building GXemul    configure, Makefile.skel    sh and make scripts for building GXemul.
71    doc                         Documentation.    doc                         Documentation.
72    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
73    src, devices, and include   Source code.    src                         Source code.
   tests                       Regression tests.  
74    
75  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.
76    
# Line 67  Building the emulator should work on mos Line 78  Building the emulator should work on mos
78  is specifically known to NOT work is Ultrix/RISC inside the emulator; Ultrix  is specifically known to NOT work is Ultrix/RISC inside the emulator; Ultrix
79  chokes on the configure script and the default cc in Ultrix doesn't work.)  chokes on the configure script and the default cc in Ultrix doesn't work.)
80    
81  Regarding files in the include/ directory:  only some of these are written by  Regarding files in the src/include/ directory: only some of these are written
82  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
83  that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"  that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"
84  must display acknowledgements. Even though I do NOT feel I mention features or  must display acknowledgements. Even though I do NOT feel I mention features or
85  use of the header files (the "software") in any advertising materials, I am  use of the header files (the "software") in any advertising materials, I am
# Line 131  them like this is in order: Line 142  them like this is in order:
142    
143      This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.      This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.
144    
145        This product includes software developed by Brini.
146    
147        This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe
148        for the NetBSD Project.
149    
150    Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following:
151    
152        Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University.
153        All rights reserved.
154    
155        Author: Keith Bostic, Chris G. Demetriou
156    
157        Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and
158        its documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright
159        notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
160        software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions
161        thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation.
162    
163  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul
164  or reuse code.  or reuse code.
165    
166  Thanks to everyone who has provided me with feedback.  Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan Romero
167    Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone
168    else who has provided me with feedback.
169    
170  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
171  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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