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Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.5 |
Release notes for Gavare's eXperimental Emulator (GXemul), 0.3.7 |
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================================================================ |
================================================================ |
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Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Anders Gavare. |
Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Anders Gavare. |
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GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. It can be used to |
GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several |
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run binary code for MIPS-based machines, regardless of host platform. Several |
emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding |
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emulation modes are available. For some modes, processors and surrounding |
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hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating |
hardware components are emulated well enough to let unmodified operating |
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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. |
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(Non-MIPS emulation modes are also under development, but so far none of those |
MIPS processors are emulated using either a simple binary translation |
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modes has reached the completeness required to run unmodified operating |
layer ("recompilation"), which is used on Alpha and i386 hosts, or by |
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systems.) |
traditional interpretation (very very slow, but works on any host platform). |
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ARM and PowerPC processors are emulated using a newer dynamic translation |
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system. Performance is somewhere between traditional interpretation and |
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dynamic recompilation; however, the dynamic translation system used in |
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GXemul does NOT require platform-specific back-end code. In plain English, |
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this means that the dyntrans system works on any host platform. |
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I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside |
I have verified that the following "guest" operating systems can run inside |
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the emulator: |
the emulator. Instructions on how to install and run these can be found in |
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the documentation. |
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Guest operating system Emulated machine |
Guest operating system Emulated machine |
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---------------------- ---------------- |
---------------------- ---------------- |
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NetBSD/pmax 2.0.2 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200 |
NetBSD/pmax 2.1 (and 1.6.2) DECstation 5000/200 |
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OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA DECstation 5000/200 |
OpenBSD/pmax 2.8-BETA DECstation 5000/200 |
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Ultrix 4.2-4.5 DECstation 5000/200 |
Ultrix 4.2-4.5 DECstation 5000/200 |
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Sprite demo harddisk image DECstation 5000/200 |
Sprite demo harddisk image DECstation 5000/200 |
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Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips DECstation 5000/200 |
Redhat Linux 7.1 for mips DECstation 5000/200 |
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NetBSD/arc 1.6.2 Acer PICA-61 |
NetBSD/arc 1.6.2 Acer PICA-61 |
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OpenBSD/arc 2.3 Acer PICA-61 |
OpenBSD/arc 2.3 Acer PICA-61 |
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NetBSD/hpcmips 2.0.2 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880 |
NetBSD/hpcmips 2.1 NEC MobilePro 770, 780, 800, 880 |
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NetBSD/cobalt 2.0.2 Cobalt |
NetBSD/cobalt 2.1 Cobalt |
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NetBSD/evbmips 2.0.2 Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board |
NetBSD/evbmips 2.1 Malta 5Kc/4Kc evaluation board |
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NetBSD/sgimips 2.0.2 SGI O2 ("IP32") |
NetBSD/sgimips 2.1 SGI O2 ("IP32") |
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NetBSD/cats 2.1 CATS (ARM) |
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OpenBSD/cats 3.8 CATS (ARM) |
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NetBSD/prep 2.1 PReP (PowerPC Reference Platform) |
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Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than |
Some of these guest operating systems are easier to install and run than |
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others. The best supported mode is the DECstation 5000/200 emulation mode, with |
others. The best supported guest operating systems are probably NetBSD/pmax, |
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NetBSD/pmax as the guest operating system. |
NetBSD/cats and OpenBSD/cats. |
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A couple of other emulation modes exist. Some of these modes are almost working |
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well enough to run complete guest operating systems, but most are just |
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skeletons. The modes that work are listed in the documentation. |
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The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to run |
The emulator can also be used in other experiments; it does not have to run |
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entire guest operating systems. (However, GXemul does not simulate things |
entire guest operating systems. However, as GXemul is an instruction-level |
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smaller than an instruction. What this means is that pipe-line stalls, |
emulator, it does not simulate things smaller than an instruction. What this |
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penalties caused by branch-prediction misses or cache misses, and other |
means is that pipe-line stalls, penalties caused by branch-prediction misses |
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micro-architectural effects are not simulated.) |
or cache misses, and other micro-architectural effects are not simulated. |
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The user-visible changes between release 0.3.4 and 0.3.5 are minor, and |
User-visible change between release 0.3.6.2 and 0.3.7 include: |
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can be summarized as follows: |
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o) The experimental PowerPC emulation mode is now working well enough |
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o) Updates to the (old) binary translation subsystem, resulting |
to allow NetBSD/prep 2.1 to be installed and run inside the emulator. |
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in minor speed improvements. |
It is not 100% stable, and it is not optimized for performance yet, |
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but hopefully enough for simple experiments. |
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o) I finally took the time to implement a DEC 21143 NIC; this brings |
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network connectivity to NetBSD/cats. (The userland "NAT"-like |
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networking layer is still a bit buggy, and does not work with |
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everything. However, NetBSD/cats can now be installed via ftp.) |
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o) CD-ROM images can now in some cases be detected as ATAPI CD-ROMs |
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instead of IDE harddisks. It works for at least NetBSD, OpenBSD, |
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and Linux on CATS, and NetBSD on hpcmips. |
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Internal (code related) changes include: |
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o) Cleanup of the PCI and ISA bus frameworks; in practice this means |
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that more code can be shared between different emulated machine |
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models than before, and that adding new machine types will become |
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easier. |
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o) 64-bit MIPS dmult/dmultu has been fixed. |
o) Dyntrans updates; 32-bit PowerPC mostly, but also many performance |
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related updates for ARM. |
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o) slt* instructions for 64-bit MIPS were incorrectly implemented |
There have also been lots of other changes, too many and small to mention here. |
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in the i386 backend. This has been fixed. |
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There have been many other bug fixes and updates, most of which are not |
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visible. |
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Files included in this release are: |
Files included in this release are: |
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This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz. |
This product includes software developed by Marc Horowitz. |
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This product includes software developed by Brini. |
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This product includes software developed by Mark Brinicombe |
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for the NetBSD Project. |
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This product includes software developed by TooLs GmbH. |
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This product includes software developed by Manuel Bouyer. |
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Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following: |
Also, src/include/alpha_rpb.h requires the following: |
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Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University. |
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 Carnegie-Mellon University. |
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software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions |
software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions |
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thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation. |
thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation. |
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See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul |
See individual files for license details, if you plan to redistribute GXemul |
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or reuse code. |
or reuse code. |
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Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan RP, Alec |
Thanks to (in no specific order) Joachim Buss, Juli Mallett, Juan Romero |
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Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone else who has |
Pardines, Alec Voropay, Göran Weinholt, Alexander Yurchenko, and everyone |
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provided me with feedback. |
else who has provided me with feedback. |
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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 |
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or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se. |
or feedback in general, then mail me at anders(at)gavare.se. |