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	dpavlin	22	Gavare's eXperimental Emulator -- GXemul 0.3.8
2	dpavlin	20	==================================================
3	dpavlin	2
4	dpavlin	22	Copyright (C) 2003-2006 Anders Gavare.
5	dpavlin	2
6
7			Overview
8			--------
9
10	dpavlin	14	GXemul is an experimental instruction-level machine emulator. Several
11			emulation modes are available. In some modes, processors and surrounding
12	dpavlin	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	dpavlin	2
15	dpavlin	20	MIPS processors are emulated using either a simple binary translation
16	dpavlin	22	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	dpavlin	2
20	dpavlin	22	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	dpavlin	12
27	dpavlin	20
28	dpavlin	2	Quick start
29			-----------
30
31	dpavlin	4	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	dpavlin	2
34	dpavlin	10	If you are impatient, and want to try out running a guest operating system
35	dpavlin	22	inside GXemul, read this: doc/guestoses.html#netbsdcatsinstall
36	dpavlin	2
37	dpavlin	10	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	dpavlin	2
41	dpavlin	10	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	dpavlin	2	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