/[gxemul]/trunk/RELEASE
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revision 2 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:17:48 2007 UTC revision 12 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:18:38 2007 UTC
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1  Release notes for GXemul 0.3.1  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. Several  run binary code for MIPS-based machines, regardless of host platform. Several
9  emulation modes are available. For some emulation modes, processors and  emulation modes are available. For some modes, processors and surrounding
10  surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
11  operating systems run as if they were running on a real machine.  systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.
12    
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      ----------------------             ----------------      ----------------------             ----------------
22      NetBSD/pmax 2.0 (and 1.6.2)        DECstation 5000/200      NetBSD/pmax 2.0.2 (and 1.6.2)      DECstation 5000/200
23      OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA              DECstation 5000/200      OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA              DECstation 5000/200
24      Ultrix 4.2-4.5                     DECstation 5000/200      Ultrix 4.2-4.5                     DECstation 5000/200
25      Sprite demo harddisk image         DECstation 5000/200      Sprite demo harddisk image         DECstation 5000/200
# Line 23  inside the emulator: Line 27  inside the emulator:
27      Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips          DECstation 5000/200      Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips          DECstation 5000/200
28      NetBSD/arc 1.6.2                   Acer PICA-61      NetBSD/arc 1.6.2                   Acer PICA-61
29      OpenBSD/arc 2.3                    Acer PICA-61      OpenBSD/arc 2.3                    Acer PICA-61
30      NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0                 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880      NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0.2               NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880
31        NetBSD/cobalt 2.0.2                Cobalt
32        NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2               Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board
33        NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2               SGI O2 ("IP32")
34    
35    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, with
37    NetBSD/pmax as the guest operating system.
38    
39    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  A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost          o)  64-bit MIPS dmult/dmultu has been fixed.
 working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are  
 just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.  
56    
57  The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to          o)  slt* instructions for 64-bit MIPS were incorrectly implemented
58  run entire guest operating systems. It is important to remember, though,              in the i386 backend. This has been fixed.
 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.  
59    
60  The two most visible changes from version 0.3 to 0.3.1 are:  There have been many other bug fixes and updates, most of which are not
61    visible.
         x)  Name change (from mips64emul to GXemul).  
   
         x)  NetBSD/hpcmips can now be installed and run from a harddisk  
             image on an emulated NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, or 880.  
   
 There have also been many other updates and bugfixes, as usual.  
   
 This release has a number of known bugs, listed in the BUGS file, but feel  
 free to drop me an email regarding other bugs.  
62    
63  Files included in this release are:  Files included in this release are:
64    
# Line 55  Files included in this release are: Line 68  Files included in this release are:
68    README                      Quick start instructions, for the impatient.    README                      Quick start instructions, for the impatient.
69    RELEASE                     This file.    RELEASE                     This file.
70    TODO                        TODO notes.    TODO                        TODO notes.
71    configure, Makefile.skel    sh and make scripts for building GXemul    configure, Makefile.skel    sh and make scripts for building GXemul.
72    doc                         Documentation.    doc                         Documentation.
73    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
74    src, devices, and include   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 67  Building the emulator should work on mos Line 79  Building the emulator should work on mos
79  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
80  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.)
81    
82  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
83  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
84  that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"  that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"
85  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
86  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 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 everyone who has provided me with feedback.  Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan RP, Alec
164    Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone else who has
165    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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