--- trunk/RELEASE 2007/10/08 16:18:00 4 +++ trunk/RELEASE 2007/10/08 16:19:01 16 @@ -1,21 +1,23 @@ -Release notes for GXemul 0.3.2 -============================== +Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.6.1 +================================================================== 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. +GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several +emulation modes are available. In 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: +The processor architecture best emulated by GXemul is MIPS, but other +architectures are also partially emulated. + +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 @@ -23,26 +25,45 @@ 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") + 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 +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. +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: + + x) The experimental ARM emulation mode is now working well enough + to install NetBSD/cats and OpenBSD/cats onto harddisk images. -The most important/visible changes from 0.3.1 to 0.3.2 are: +There have also been lots of other small changes, too small to mention here. - x) NetBSD/cobalt can run from a harddisk image. (Installation - must be done using another OS though, for example NetBSD/pmax.) +The 0.3.6.1 release fixes some issues related to ARM emulation: - x) Some minor fixes to make the binary translation system a bit - more stable. + x) The emulator can now be compiled inside NetBSD/cats or OpenBSD/cats, + inside the emulator itself. (In 0.3.6, some bugs prevented this.) + + x) Performance increase: A non-scientific but realistic test, measuring + the real-world time it takes to do a full NetBSD/cats installation, + seems to indicate that 0.3.6.1 can be twice as fast as 0.3.6 was. Files included in this release are: @@ -56,7 +77,6 @@ doc Documentation. experiments Experimental code. (Usually not needed.) src Source code. - tests Regression tests. To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make. @@ -128,10 +148,30 @@ This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz. + This product includes software developed by Brini. + + This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe + for the NetBSD Project. + +Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following: + + Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University. + All rights reserved. + + Author: Keith Bostic, Chris G. Demetriou + + Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and + its documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright + notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the + software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions + thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation. + 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) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan Romero +Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, 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.