upstream/0.3.1/RELEASE

Release notes for GXemul 0.3.1
==============================

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.

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
    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                 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880

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 two most visible changes from version 0.3 to 0.3.1 are:

        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.

Files included in this release are:

  BUGS                        A list of known bugs.
  HISTORY                     Detailed revision history / changelog.
  LICENSE                     Copyright message / license.
  README                      Quick start instructions, for the impatient.
  RELEASE                     This file.
  TODO                        TODO notes.
  configure, Makefile.skel    sh and make scripts for building GXemul
  doc                         Documentation.
  experiments                 Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
  src, devices, and include   Source code.
  tests                       Regression tests.

To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.

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.)

Regarding files in the include/ directory:  only some of these are written by
me, the rest are from other sources (such as NetBSD). The license text says
that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"
must display acknowledgements. Even though I do NOT feel I mention features or
use of the header files (the "software") in any advertising materials, I am
still very grateful for the fact that these people have made their files
available for re-use, so regardless of legal requirements, I guess thanking
them like this is in order:

    This product includes software developed by the University of
    California, Berkeley and its contributors.

    This product includes software developed for the
    NetBSD Project.  See http://www.netbsd.org/ for
    information about NetBSD.

    This product includes software developed by Jonathan Stone for
    the NetBSD Project.

    This product includes software developed for the NetBSD Project
    by Matthias Drochner.

    This product includes software developed by the NetBSD
    Foundation, Inc. and its contributors.

    This product includes software developed by Christopher G. Demetriou.
    [for the NetBSD Project.]

    This product includes software developed by Adam Glass.

    This product includes software developed by the PocketBSD project
    and its contributors.

    This product includes software developed by Peter Galbavy.

    Carnegie Mellon University   (multiple header files,
    no specific advertisement text required)

    This product includes software developed by Charles M. Hannum.

    This product includes software developed under OpenBSD by Per Fogelström.

    This product includes software developed by Per Fogelström.

    This product includes software developed at Ludd, University of
    Luleå, Sweden and its contributors.

    This product includes software developed by Hellmuth Michaelis
    and Joerg Wunsch

    The font(s) in devices/fonts are Copyright (c) 1992, 1993, 1994
    by Hellmuth Michaelis and Joerg Wunsch.  ("This product includes software
    developed by Hellmuth Michaelis and Joerg Wunsch", well, the font
    is maybe not software, but still...)

    impactsr-bsd.h is Copyright (C) 2004 by Stanislaw Skowronek.

    This product includes software developed for the NetBSD Project by
    Wasabi Systems, Inc.  [by Simon Burge]

    arcbios_other.h is Copyright (c) 1996 M. Warner Losh.

    This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.

See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul
or reuse code.

Thanks to everyone 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.

1	Release notes for GXemul 0.3.1
2	==============================
3
4	Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Anders Gavare.
5
6
7	GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be
8	used to run binary code for (among others) MIPS-based machines. Several
9	emulation modes are available. For some emulation modes, processors and
10	surrounding hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified
11	operating systems run as if they were running on a real machine.
12
13	I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run
14	inside the emulator:
15
16	Guest operating system Emulated machine
17	---------------------- ----------------
18	NetBSD/pmax 2.0 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200
19	OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA DECstation 5000/200
20	Ultrix 4.2-4.5 DECstation 5000/200
21	Sprite demo harddisk image DECstation 5000/200
22	Debian GNU/Linux for DECstation DECstation 5000/200
23	Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips DECstation 5000/200
24	NetBSD/arc 1.6.2 Acer PICA-61
25	OpenBSD/arc 2.3 Acer PICA-61
26	NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880
27
28	A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost
29	working well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are
30	just skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation.
31
32	The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to
33	run entire guest operating systems. It is important to remember, though,
34	that GXemul does not simulate things smaller than an instruction; this
35	means that pipe-line stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses,
36	and other effects are not simulated.
37
38	The two most visible changes from version 0.3 to 0.3.1 are:
39
40	x) Name change (from mips64emul to GXemul).
41
42	x) NetBSD/hpcmips can now be installed and run from a harddisk
43	image on an emulated NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, or 880.
44
45	There have also been many other updates and bugfixes, as usual.
46
47	This release has a number of known bugs, listed in the BUGS file, but feel
48	free to drop me an email regarding other bugs.
49
50	Files included in this release are:
51
52	BUGS A list of known bugs.
53	HISTORY Detailed revision history / changelog.
54	LICENSE Copyright message / license.
55	README Quick start instructions, for the impatient.
56	RELEASE This file.
57	TODO TODO notes.
58	configure, Makefile.skel sh and make scripts for building GXemul
59	doc Documentation.
60	experiments Experimental code. (Usually not needed.)
61	src, devices, and include Source code.
62	tests Regression tests.
63
64	To build the emulator, run the ./configure script, and then run make.
65
66	Building the emulator should work on most Unix-like systems. (One system which
67	is specifically known to NOT work is Ultrix/RISC inside the emulator; Ultrix
68	chokes on the configure script and the default cc in Ultrix doesn't work.)
69
70	Regarding files in the include/ directory: only some of these are written by
71	me, the rest are from other sources (such as NetBSD). The license text says
72	that "All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software"
73	must display acknowledgements. Even though I do NOT feel I mention features or
74	use of the header files (the "software") in any advertising materials, I am
75	still very grateful for the fact that these people have made their files
76	available for re-use, so regardless of legal requirements, I guess thanking
77	them like this is in order:
78
79	This product includes software developed by the University of
80	California, Berkeley and its contributors.
81
82	This product includes software developed for the
83	NetBSD Project. See http://www.netbsd.org/ for
84	information about NetBSD.
85
86	This product includes software developed by Jonathan Stone for
87	the NetBSD Project.
88
89	This product includes software developed for the NetBSD Project
90	by Matthias Drochner.
91
92	This product includes software developed by the NetBSD
93	Foundation, Inc. and its contributors.
94
95	This product includes software developed by Christopher G. Demetriou.
96	[for the NetBSD Project.]
97
98	This product includes software developed by Adam Glass.
99
100	This product includes software developed by the PocketBSD project
101	and its contributors.
102
103	This product includes software developed by Peter Galbavy.
104
105	Carnegie Mellon University (multiple header files,
106	no specific advertisement text required)
107
108	This product includes software developed by Charles M. Hannum.
109
110	This product includes software developed under OpenBSD by Per Fogelström.
111
112	This product includes software developed by Per Fogelström.
113
114	This product includes software developed at Ludd, University of
115	Luleå, Sweden and its contributors.
116
117	This product includes software developed by Hellmuth Michaelis
118	and Joerg Wunsch
119
120	The font(s) in devices/fonts are Copyright (c) 1992, 1993, 1994
121	by Hellmuth Michaelis and Joerg Wunsch. ("This product includes software
122	developed by Hellmuth Michaelis and Joerg Wunsch", well, the font
123	is maybe not software, but still...)
124
125	impactsr-bsd.h is Copyright (C) 2004 by Stanislaw Skowronek.
126
127	This product includes software developed for the NetBSD Project by
128	Wasabi Systems, Inc. [by Simon Burge]
129
130	arcbios_other.h is Copyright (c) 1996 M. Warner Losh.
131
132	This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz.
133
134	See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul
135	or reuse code.
136
137	Thanks to everyone who has provided me with feedback.
138
139	If you have found GXemul useful in some way, or feel like sending me comments
140	or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se.
141