Re: Interesting Emulation/Project idea for Linux.

Mike Meissner (meissner@cygnus.com)
Thu, 10 Apr 1997 14:47:36 -0400

Matthias Urlichs writes:
| "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@transmeta.com> writes:
| > In this particular case I don't think either applies: simulating a
| > foreign architecture is best done completely in user space.
| >
| ... except for the binary loader (just look at binfmt_java ;-).

I just joined the mailing list (after receiving word that the
newsgroup connection to the ML was going away), and I missed the head
of this argument.

I agree in general that you want the simulator in user space, but it
is helpful to have the exec code start the simulator automatically
when it encounters a foreign program file (which is what binfmt_java
and binfmt_script does and also the patches I sent out to allow ELF
binaries from foriegn architectures to invoke the proper simulator).

Note, if you want to run foreign drivers in the kernel, then you might
need the simulator in the kernel (or a recompilation system like Wabi,
FX!32, or shade as part of the program loader).

-- 
Michael Meissner, Cygnus Solutions (East Coast)
4th floor, 955 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
meissner@cygnus.com,	617-354-5416 (office),	617-354-7161 (fax)