Re: [Qemu-devel] Plex86 and Qemu

[Jim C. Brown]

On Sun, Feb 13, 2005 at 11:40:21AM -0600, address@hidden wrote:
> From: "Jim C. Brown" <address@hidden>
> 
> >To end this debate once and for all, I'd like to announce that I've begun 
> >work
> >on getting qemu to use the plex86 kernel module. (Lucky for me I use a 2.4
> >kernel.) Anyone who is mad that kqemu is closed source, feel free to email me
> >privately and help me make the necessary changes.
> 
> Question...
> 
> Which version of Plex86 are you talking about?  The original one now at 
> Savannah, or the Plex86 v2 at SourceForge?

v2

> 
> The reason I'm asking is that I use Windows, not Linux. 

I can tell by the length of lines in your email. ;)

> And I'm usually wanting to run OS's other than Linux.  (Dos, Win98, WinXP.)  
> (And I usually get the semi-daily build off FreeOSZoo, since it's easier to 
> do that than to build it myself.)
> 
> Therefor Fabrice's new module is useless to me.  Nice idea etc., but utterly 
> useless to me.

Mine will be too, unless someone ports plex86 to Windows.

> 
> Plex86 v2 is also Linux only, and requires patched guest kernels.

My idea is to use the module in cosimulation. This would not require a patch
guest kernel and would allow for any guest OS to be used, not just linux.

> 
> I think the original version was for any OS, wasn't it?  But it was never 
> stable, was it?  Hence the reason it was abandoned.
> 
> And others, such as CoLinux, are also linux only.  (And require patched 
> kernal or host.)
> 

I use v2 because the original version is not stable enough, and in fact has
extra code that I don't need (to handle virtalization of ring 0, hardware
emulation, and so on).

v2 also has extra code that isn't needed (I/O space, HAL, and so on), so someone
else is writing a replacement kqemu module from scratch.

> 
> Anyway, the point I'm making (and asking about) is that the majority of 
> potential users are either going to run Windows as the guest, or as the 
> host..  (And possibly both.)

Mine will support using Windows as guest, but not as host.

> 
> So for the majority of people, for the majority of cases, it seems like most 
> of these 'fast emulator' projects are useless...  Nice idea and such, but not 
> really helpful.
> 
> So... is your idea going to be helpful to the majority of potential users?
> 

Yes. It will let linux2.4 users run Windows and Windows apps.

> 
> 
> 
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