--- trunk/RELEASE 2007/10/08 16:18:19 8 +++ trunk/RELEASE 2007/10/08 16:18:27 10 @@ -1,21 +1,22 @@ -Release notes for GXemul 0.3.3.2 -================================ +Release notes for GXemul 0.3.4 +============================== Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Anders Gavare. GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be -used to run binary code for (among others) MIPS-based machines. Several -emulation modes are available. For some emulation modes, processors and -surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified -operating systems run as if they were running on a real machine. +used to run binary code for (among others) MIPS-based machines, regardless +of host platform. Several emulation modes are available. For some modes, +processors and surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to +let unmodified operating systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running +on a real machine. I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside the emulator: Guest operating system Emulated machine ---------------------- ---------------- - NetBSD/pmax 2.0 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200 + NetBSD/pmax 2.0.2 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200 OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA DECstation 5000/200 Ultrix 4.2-4.5 DECstation 5000/200 Sprite demo harddisk image DECstation 5000/200 @@ -23,31 +24,40 @@ Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips DECstation 5000/200 NetBSD/arc 1.6.2 Acer PICA-61 OpenBSD/arc 2.3 Acer PICA-61 - NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880 - NetBSD/cobalt 2.0 Cobalt + NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0.2 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880 + NetBSD/cobalt 2.0.2 Cobalt + NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2 Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board + NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2 SGI O2 ("IP32") + +Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than +others. The best supported mode is the DECstation 5000/200 emulation mode, +with 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. It is important to remember, though, -that GXemul does not simulate things smaller than an instruction; this -means that pipe-line stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses, -and other effects are not simulated. - -Summary of changes between release 0.3.2 and 0.3.3.2: - - x) When booting from an ISO9660 (CDROM) filesystem image, the kernel - can now in some cases be read directly from the image, so there is - no need any longer to supply an external kernel. (It is a quick, - buggy, and very ugly hack, but it sometimes works.) - - 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.) +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.) - x) Many minor updates and bugfixes. +There have also been various other minor updates and bugfixes. Files included in this release are: @@ -136,7 +146,9 @@ See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul or reuse code. -Thanks to everyone who has provided me with feedback. +Thanks to (in no specific order, that is, this is in alphabetic order :-) +Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan RP, Alec Voropay, Alexander Yurchenko, +and everyone else who has provided me with feedback. If you have found GXemul useful in some way, or feel like sending me comments or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se.