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4  <table border=0 width=100% bgcolor="#d0d0d0"><tr>  <table border=0 width=100% bgcolor="#d0d0d0"><tr>
5  <td width=100% align=center valign=center><table border=0 width=100%><tr>  <td width=100% align=center valign=center><table border=0 width=100%><tr>
6  <td align="left" valign=center bgcolor="#d0efff"><font color="#6060e0" size="6">  <td align="left" valign=center bgcolor="#d0efff"><font color="#6060e0" size="6">
7  <b>Gavare's eXperimental Emulator:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></font>  <b>Gavare's eXperimental Emulator:</b></font><br>
8  <font color="#000000" size="6"><b>Introduction</b>  <font color="#000000" size="6"><b>Introduction</b>
9  </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p>  </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p>
10    
11  <!--  <!--
12    
13  $Id: intro.html,v 1.61 2005/08/16 05:15:24 debug Exp $  $Id: intro.html,v 1.73 2006/02/18 14:02:19 debug Exp $
14    
15  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Anders Gavare.  All rights reserved.  Copyright (C) 2003-2006  Anders Gavare.  All rights reserved.
16    
17  Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without  Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
18  modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:  modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
# Line 45  SUCH DAMAGE. Line 45  SUCH DAMAGE.
45  <h2>Introduction</h2>  <h2>Introduction</h2>
46    
47  <p>  <p>
48    <table border="0" width="99%"><tr><td valign="top" align="left">
49  <ul>  <ul>
50    <li><a href="#overview">Overview</a>    <li><a href="#overview">Overview</a>
51    <li><a href="#free">Is GXemul Free software?</a>    <li><a href="#free">Is GXemul Free software?</a>
52    <li><a href="#build">How to compile/build the emulator</a>    <li><a href="#build">How to compile/build the emulator</a>
53    <li><a href="#run">How to run the emulator</a>    <li><a href="#run">How to run the emulator</a>
54    <li><a href="#cpus">Which CPU types does GXemul emulate?</a>    <li><a href="#cpus">Which processor architectures does GXemul emulate?</a>
55    <li><a href="#accuracy">Emulation accuracy</a>    <li><a href="#accuracy">Emulation accuracy</a>
56    <li><a href="#emulmodes">Which machines does GXemul emulate?</a>    <li><a href="#emulmodes">Which machines does GXemul emulate?</a>
   <li><a href="#guestos">Which guest OSes are possible to run in GXemul?</a>  
57  </ul>  </ul>
58    </td><td valign="center" align="center">
59    <a href="20050317-example.png"><img src="20050317-example_small.png"></a>
60    <p>NetBSD/pmax 1.6.2 with X11<br>running in GXemul</td></tr></table>
61    
62    
63    
# Line 64  SUCH DAMAGE. Line 66  SUCH DAMAGE.
66  <a name="overview"></a>  <a name="overview"></a>
67  <h3>Overview:</h3>  <h3>Overview:</h3>
68    
69  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be  GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several
70  used to run binary code for MIPS-based machines, regardless of host  emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding
71  platform. Several emulation modes are available. For some modes,  hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
72  processors and surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to  systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.
73  let unmodified operating systems run as if they were running on a real  
74  machine.  <p>The processor architecture best emulated by GXemul is MIPS, but other
75    architectures such as ARM and PowerPC are also partially emulated.
 <p>(Non-MIPS emulation modes are also under development, but so far none  
 of those modes has reached the completeness required to run unmodified  
 operating systems.)  
76    
77  <p>Devices and CPUs are not simulated with 100% accuracy. They are only  <p>Devices and CPUs are not simulated with 100% accuracy. They are only
78  ``faked'' well enough to make operating systems (e.g. NetBSD) run without  ``faked'' well enough to allow guest operating systems run without
79  complaining too much. Still, the emulator could be of interest for  complaining too much. Still, the emulator could be of interest for
80  academic research and experiments, such as when learning how to write  academic research and experiments, such as when learning how to write
81  operating system code.  operating system code.
82    
83  <p>The emulator is written in C, does not depend on external libraries  <p>The emulator is written in C, does not depend on third-party libraries,
84  (except X11, but that is optional), and should compile and run on most  and should compile and run on most 64-bit and 32-bit Unix-like systems.
 Unix-like systems. If it doesn't, then that is a bug.  
85    
86  <p>The emulator contains code which tries to emulate the workings of CPUs  <p>The emulator contains code which tries to emulate the workings of CPUs
87  and surrounding hardware found in real machines, but it does not contain  and surrounding hardware found in real machines, but it does not contain
# Line 136  without source code. You need to check a Line 134  without source code. You need to check a
134  The "easiest way out" if you plan to redistribute code from GXemul is, of  The "easiest way out" if you plan to redistribute code from GXemul is, of
135  course, to let it remain open source and simply supply the source code.  course, to let it remain open source and simply supply the source code.
136    
137  <p>(If a stable release of GXemul is packaged into binary form, and it is  <p>In case you want to reuse parts of GXemul, but you need to do that
138  obvious which version of GXemul was used to build the package, then it can  under a different license (e.g. the GPL), then contact me and I might
139  be argued that the source code is available, just not in that specific  re-license/dual-license files on a case-by-case basis.
 package. Common sense should be used in this case, and not pedanticism.)  
   
   
140    
141    
142    
# Line 157  Uncompress the .tar.gz distribution file Line 152  Uncompress the .tar.gz distribution file
152          $ <b>make</b>          $ <b>make</b>
153  </pre>  </pre>
154    
155  <p>This should work on most Unix-like systems. If it doesn't, then  <p>This should work on most Unix-like systems. GXemul does not require any
156  mail me a bug report.  specific libraries to build, however, if you build on a system which does
157    not have X11 libraries installed, some functionality will be lost.
158    
159  <p>The emulator's performance is highly dependent on both runtime settings  <p>The emulator's performance is highly dependent on both runtime settings
160  and on compiler settings, so you might want to experiment with different  and on compiler settings, so you might want to experiment with different
161  CC and CFLAGS environment variable values. For example, on a modern PC,  CC and CFLAGS environment variable values. For example, on an AMD Athlon
162  you could try the following:  host, you might want to try setting <tt>CFLAGS</tt> to <tt>-march=athlon
163  <p><pre>  -O3</tt> before running <tt>configure</tt>.
         $ <b>CFLAGS="-mcpu=pentium4 -O3" ./configure</b>  
         $ <b>make</b>  
 </pre>  
164    
165    
166    
# Line 218  their original meaning in those xterm wi Line 211  their original meaning in those xterm wi
211    
212  <p><br>  <p><br>
213  <a name="cpus"></a>  <a name="cpus"></a>
214  <h3>Which CPU types does GXemul emulate?</h3>  <h3>Which processor architectures does GXemul emulate?</h3>
215    
216  <h4>MIPS:</h4>  <h4>MIPS:</h4>
217    
218  Emulation of R4000, which is a 64-bit CPU, was my initial goal.  Emulation of R4000, which is a 64-bit CPU, was my initial goal.
219  R2000/R3000-like CPUs (32-bit), R1x000, and generic MIPS32/MIPS64-style  R2000/R3000-like CPUs (32-bit), R1x000, and generic MIPS32/MIPS64-style
220  CPUs are also emulated, and are hopefully almost as stable as the R4000  CPUs are also emulated, and are hopefully almost as stable as the R4000
221  emulation.  emulation. Several guest operating systems for MIPS can run inside
222    the emulator.
223    
224    <p>(For MIPS emulation, I have written an experimental dynamic binary
225    translation subsystem, for Alpha and i386 hosts. This gives higher total
226    performance than interpreting one instruction at a time and executing it.
227    If you wish to disable bintrans, add <b>-B</b> to the command line.)
228    
229  <p>I have written an experimental dynamic binary translation subsystem.  <h4>ARM:</h4>
 This gives higher total performance than interpreting one instruction at a  
 time and executing it. (If you wish to disable bintrans, add <b>-B</b> to  
 the command line.)  
230    
231    ARM emulation is good enough to run NetBSD/cats, OpenBSD/cats, and
232    NetBSD/evbarm, but it is not as tested or fine-tuned as the MIPS emulation
233    mode.
234    
235  <h4>Other CPU types:</h4>  <h4>PowerPC:</h4>
236    
237  Some other CPU architectures can also be partially emulated. These are not  PowerPC emulation is still in its beginning stages, but good enough
238  working well enough yet to run guest operating systems.  to run NetBSD/prep 2.1.
239    
240    <p>Non-MIPS emulation modes use dynamic translation, but not recompilation
241    into native code. This makes it possible to run on any host platform.
242    
243    
244    
# Line 266  taking place, and that clock speeds are Line 267  taking place, and that clock speeds are
267  option. (Deterministic in this case does <i>not</i> mean that the  option. (Deterministic in this case does <i>not</i> mean that the
268  emulation will be identical to some actual real-world machine.)  emulation will be identical to some actual real-world machine.)
269    
270    <p><font color="#ff0000">(Oops/TODO: User interaction means <i>both</i>
271    input to the emulated program/OS, and interacting with the emulator
272    itself. Breaking into the debugger and then continuing execution may
273    affect when/how interrupts occur.)</font>
274    
275    
276    
277    
278    
# Line 279  are emulated well enough to run at least Line 286  are emulated well enough to run at least
286    
287  <p>  <p>
288  <ul>  <ul>
289    <li><b>DECstation 5000/200</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;("3max")    <li><b><u>MIPS</u></b>
290          <br>Serial controller (including keyboard and mouse), ethernet,    <ul>
291          SCSI, and graphical framebuffers.      <li><b>DECstation 5000/200</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;("3max")
292    <p>      <li><b>Acer Pica-61</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;(an ARC machine)
293    <li><b>Acer Pica-61</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;(an ARC machine)      <li><b>NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, and 880</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;(HPCmips machines)
294          <br>Serial controller, "VGA" text console, and SCSI.      <li><b>Cobalt</b>
295        <li><b>Malta</b> (evbmips)
296        <li><b>SGI O2 ("IP32")</b> <font color="#0000e0">(<super>*</super>)</font>
297      </ul>
298    <p>    <p>
299    <li><b>NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, and 880</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;(HPCmips machines)    <li><b><u>ARM</u></b>
300          <br>Framebuffer, keyboard, and a PCMCIA IDE controller.    <ul>
301        <li><b>CATS</b>
302        <li><b>IQ80321</b> (evbarm)
303      </ul>
304    <p>    <p>
305    <li><b>Cobalt</b>    <li><b><u>PowerPC</u></b>
306          <br>Serial controller and PCI IDE.    <ul>
307    <p>      <li><b>PReP (PowerPC Reference Platform)</b>
308    <li><b>Malta (evbmips)</b>    </ul>
         <br>Serial controller and PCI IDE.  
   <p>  
   <li><b>SGI O2 ("IP32")</b>  
         <br>Serial controller and ethernet.&nbsp;&nbsp;<small>(Enough for  
         root-on-nfs, but not for disk boot.)</small>  
309  </ul>  </ul>
310    
311    <p><small><font color="#0000e0">(<super>*</super>)</font> =
312    Enough for root-on-nfs, but not for disk boot.)</small>
313    
314  <p>There is code in GXemul for emulation of many other machine types; the  <p>There is code in GXemul for emulation of many other machine types; the
315  degree to which these work range from almost being able to run a complete  degree to which these work range from almost being able to run a complete
316  OS, to almost completely unsupported (perhaps just enough support to  OS, to almost completely unsupported (perhaps just enough support to
# Line 330  href="experiments.html#expdevices">here< Line 341  href="experiments.html#expdevices">here<
341    
342    
343    
   
 <p><br>  
 <a name="guestos"></a>  
 <h3>Which guest OSes are possible to run in GXemul?</h3>  
   
 This table lists the guest OSes that run well enough to be considered  
 working in the emulator. They can boot from a harddisk image and be  
 interacted with similar to a real machine.  
   
 <p>  
 <center><table border="0">  
         <tr>  
           <td width="10"></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20050317-example.png"><img src="20050317-example_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td width="15"></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/pmax/">NetBSD/pmax</a>  
                 <br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
           <td width="30"></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20041024-netbsd-arc-installed.gif"><img src="20041024-netbsd-arc-installed_small.gif"></a></td>  
           <td width="15"></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/arc/">NetBSD/arc</a>  
                 <br>Acer Pica-61</td>  
   
         </tr>  
   
         <tr><td height="10"></td></tr>  
   
         <tr>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="openbsd-pmax-20040710.png"><img src="openbsd-pmax-20040710_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.openbsd.org/pmax.html">OpenBSD/pmax</a>  
                 <br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20041024-openbsd-arc-installed.gif"><img src="20041024-openbsd-arc-installed_small.gif"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.openbsd.org/arc.html">OpenBSD/arc</a>  
                 <br>Acer Pica-61</td>  
         </tr>  
   
         <tr><td height="10"></td></tr>  
   
         <tr>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="ultrix4.5-20040706.png"><img src="ultrix4.5-20040706_small.gif"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td>Ultrix/RISC<br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20041213-debian_4.png"><img src="20041213-debian_4_small.gif"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.debian.org/">Debian&nbsp;GNU/Linux</a>&nbsp;<super>*</super>  
                 <br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
         </tr>  
   
         <tr><td height="10"></td></tr>  
   
         <tr>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="sprite-20040711.png"><img src="sprite-20040711_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/sprite/retrospective.html">Sprite</a>  
                 <br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20041129-redhat_mips.png"><img src="20041129-redhat_mips_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td>Redhat&nbsp;Linux&nbsp;<super>*</super>  
                 <br>DECstation 5000/200</td>  
         </tr>  
   
         <tr><td height="10"></td></tr>  
   
         <tr>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20050427-netbsd-hpcmips-2.png"><img src="20050427-netbsd-hpcmips-2_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/hpcmips/">NetBSD/hpcmips</a>  
                 <br>NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880</td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20050413-netbsd-cobalt.png"><img src="20050413-netbsd-cobalt_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/cobalt/">NetBSD/cobalt</a>  
                 <br>Cobalt</td>  
         </tr>  
   
         <tr><td height="10"></td></tr>  
   
         <tr>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20050626-netbsd-sgimips-netboot.png"><img src="20050626-netbsd-sgimips-netboot_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/sgimips/">NetBSD/sgimips</a>  
                 <br>SGI O2 ("IP32")</td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td align="center"><a href="20050622-netbsd-evbmips-malta.png"><img src="20050622-netbsd-evbmips-malta_small.png"></a></td>  
           <td></td>  
           <td><a href="http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/evbmips/">NetBSD/evbmips</a>  
                 <br>5Kc (and 4Kc) Malta<br>evaluation boards</td>  
           <td></td>  
         </tr>  
   
 </table></center>  
   
   
 <p><br>  
   
 <super>*</super> Although Linux runs under DECstation emulation, the  
 default 2.4.27 kernel in Debian GNU/Linux does not support keyboards on  
 the 5000/200 (the specific DECstation model being emulated), so when the  
 login prompt is reached you cannot interact with the system. Kaj-Michael  
 Lang has compiled and made available a newer kernel from the current  
 mips-linux development tree. You can find it here: <a  
 href="http://home.tal.org/~milang/o2/kernels/">http://home.tal.org/~milang/o2/kernels</a>/<a  
 href="http://home.tal.org/~milang/o2/kernels/vmlinux-2.4.29-rc2-r3k-mipsel-decstation">vmlinux-2.4.29-rc2-r3k-mipsel-decstation</a>  
 This newer kernel supports keyboard input, but it does not have Debian's  
 ethernet patches, so you will not be able to use keyboard/framebuffer  
 <i>and</i> networking at the same time.  
   
   
344  </body>  </body>
345  </html>  </html>
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