upstream/0.3.8/README

Gavare's eXperimental Emulator   --   GXemul 0.3.8
==================================================

Copyright (C) 2003-2006  Anders Gavare.


Overview
--------

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.

MIPS processors are emulated using either a simple binary translation 
layer (recompilation into native code), which is used on Alpha and i386 
hosts, or by traditional interpretation (very very slow, but works on any 
host platform).

ARM and PowerPC processors are emulated using a newer dynamic translation 
system. Performance is somewhere between traditional interpretation and 
recompilation into native code. However, the dynamic translation system 
used in GXemul does NOT generate native code, and thus doesn't require 
platform-specific back-ends. In plain English, this means that the 
dyntrans system works on any host platform.


Quick start
-----------

To compile, type './configure' and then 'make'. This should work on most
Unix-like systems. If not, then please mail me a bug report.

If you are impatient, and want to try out running a guest operating system 
inside GXemul, read this:  doc/guestoses.html#netbsdcatsinstall

If you want to use GXemul for experimenting with code of your own, 
then I suggest you compile a Hello World program according to the tips 
listed here:  doc/experiments.html#hello

Please read the rest of the documentation in the doc/ sub-directory for
more detailed information on how to use the emulator.


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	Gavare's eXperimental Emulator -- GXemul 0.3.8
2	==================================================
3
4	Copyright (C) 2003-2006 Anders Gavare.
5
6
7	Overview
8	--------
9
10	GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several
11	emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding
12	hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating
13	systems (e.g. NetBSD) run as if they were running on a real machine.
14
15	MIPS processors are emulated using either a simple binary translation
16	layer (recompilation into native code), which is used on Alpha and i386
17	hosts, or by traditional interpretation (very very slow, but works on any
18	host platform).
19
20	ARM and PowerPC processors are emulated using a newer dynamic translation
21	system. Performance is somewhere between traditional interpretation and
22	recompilation into native code. However, the dynamic translation system
23	used in GXemul does NOT generate native code, and thus doesn't require
24	platform-specific back-ends. In plain English, this means that the
25	dyntrans system works on any host platform.
26
27
28	Quick start
29	-----------
30
31	To compile, type './configure' and then 'make'. This should work on most
32	Unix-like systems. If not, then please mail me a bug report.
33
34	If you are impatient, and want to try out running a guest operating system
35	inside GXemul, read this: doc/guestoses.html#netbsdcatsinstall
36
37	If you want to use GXemul for experimenting with code of your own,
38	then I suggest you compile a Hello World program according to the tips
39	listed here: doc/experiments.html#hello
40
41	Please read the rest of the documentation in the doc/ sub-directory for
42	more detailed information on how to use the emulator.
43
44
45	Feedback
46	--------
47
48	If you have found GXemul useful in some way, or feel like sending me
49	comments or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se.
50