/[gxemul]/trunk/RELEASE
This is repository of my old source code which isn't updated any more. Go to git.rot13.org for current projects!
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revision 18 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:19:11 2007 UTC revision 22 by dpavlin, Mon Oct 8 16:19:37 2007 UTC
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1  Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.6.2  Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.8
2  ==================================================================  ================================================================
3    
4  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Anders Gavare.  Copyright (C) 2003-2006  Anders Gavare.
5    
6    
7  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several
# Line 9  emulation modes are available. In some m Line 9  emulation modes are available. In some m
9  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
10  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.
11    
12  The processor architecture best emulated by GXemul is MIPS, but other  The documentation lists the machines and guest operating systems that can
13  architectures are also partially emulated.  be regarded as "working" in GXemul. The best supported guest operating
14    systems are probably NetBSD/pmax, NetBSD/cats, and OpenBSD/cats.
15    
16  I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside  The user-visible changes between release 0.3.7 and 0.3.8 include:
 the emulator:  
17    
18      Guest operating system             Emulated machine      o)  The IQ80321 (Xscale) machine mode is now working well enough to
19      ----------------------             ----------------          run NetBSD/evbarm 2.1.
     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  
     Debian GNU/Linux for DECstation    DECstation 5000/200  
     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 2.0.2               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")  
     NetBSD/cats 2.0.2                  CATS (ARM)  
     OpenBSD/cats 3.7                   CATS (ARM)  
   
 (Most of these are MIPS-based machines, except the CATS, which is an  
 ARM-based machine.)  
   
 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. (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.)  
   
 The most imporant user-visible change between release 0.3.5 and 0.3.6 is:  
20    
21      x)  The experimental ARM emulation mode is now working well enough      o)  Faster framebuffer output in some situations.
         to install NetBSD/cats and OpenBSD/cats onto harddisk images.  
22    
23  There have also been lots of other small changes, too small to mention here.  Source code related changes include:
24    
25  The 0.3.6.1 and 0.3.6.2 releases contain bugfixes and some performance      o)  I've finally begun to reimplement the MIPS emulation mode using the
26  hacks.          new dyntrans system. It will be quite some time until it can run
27            anything, but things are moving in the right direction.
28    
29        o)  Some changes to the concepts of input-only, output-only, and
30            input-output consoles.
31    
32        o)  Some more clean-up of PCI bus concepts.
33    
34        o)  Machine definitions have been moved out of src/machines.c, and into
35            individual files in a new sub-directory (src/machines/).
36    
37    There have also been lots of other changes, too many and small to mention here.
38    
39  Files included in this release are:  Files included in this release are:
40    
# Line 72  Files included in this release are: Line 49  Files included in this release are:
49    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)    experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
50    src                         Source code.    src                         Source code.
51    
52  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.  To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make. This
53    should work on most Unix-like systems.
 Building the emulator should work on most Unix-like systems. (One system which  
 is specifically known to NOT work is Ultrix/RISC inside the emulator; Ultrix  
 chokes on the configure script and the default cc in Ultrix doesn't work.)  
54    
55  Regarding files in the src/include/ directory: only some of these are written  Regarding files in the src/include/ directory: only some of these are written
56  by 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
# Line 147  them like this is in order: Line 121  them like this is in order:
121      This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe      This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe
122      for the NetBSD Project.      for the NetBSD Project.
123    
124        This product includes software developed by TooLs GmbH.
125    
126        This product includes software developed by Manuel Bouyer.
127    
128        This product includes software developed by the Alice Group.
129    
130  Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following:  Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following:
131    
132      Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University.      Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University.
# Line 163  Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires t Line 143  Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires t
143  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul  See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul
144  or reuse code.  or reuse code.
145    
146  Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan Romero  Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Olivier Houchard, Juli Mallett,
147  Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone  Juan Romero Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and
148  else who has provided me with feedback.  everyone else who has provided me with feedback.
149    
150  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
151  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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