On Wed, 18 Oct 2000, Jeroen Janssen wrote:
> Kevin Lawton wrote:
>
> > On my agenda after getting Linux booting:
> >
> > - Get Windows running in plex86
> > - Get plex86 ported to a Linux 2.4 host
> > - Many performance enhancements
> > - Code clean-ups
> > - Boot other OSes
>
> I was wondering about the (non-cpu) hardware emulation/virtualisation,
> etc.
> This includes:
> * display card
> * disk drive
> * network card
> * sound card
> * etc
>
> Are there any plans on rewriting certain things so it can be more easily
> extended?
>
I also personally was hoping for increasing of performance/compatibility
of hardware emulation, especially when it comes to VGA. Bochs is not bad
emulator at all, just VGA screen updates are way too slow even on fast
PC's. I mean, compare it to emulation of completely different
architectures, such as C64 (Frodo) or Amiga (UAE), both are really fluent
at fast PC's (ok, C64 is a bit underpowered but I believe that a good
emulation of Amiga is somewhat heavy task for x86). On PC it's probably
wise idea to use the advantage of full-screen running with direct access
to VGA hardware (as an performance-enhancement option). I've heard that
Bochs already has SB16 emulation which is pretty good, however haven't
tested it personally (interestingly did they emulate FM synth as well).
> We still need some kind of generic guest <-> host communication system
> for guest os specific (hardware) drivers.
>
> Also, I haven't had the time yet to work on it, but I was thinking about
> a "growable" harddisk (so if you create a new harddisk image with size 2
> Gig, you'll end with an initial harddisk file of a couple of Kb's that
> "grows" as soon as something is written to a sector.)
>
> Maybe, we can make a "TODO" list with stuff that "only" you/people who
> have "deep" knowledge of the virtualisation process can work on and
> things "others" also can work on (I've got the feeling that there a few
> people doing "all" the work, because "others" (like me) sometimes think
> they need to know a lot about the virtualisation process. If we could
> make a list of things that don't require "deep" knowledge of
> virtualisation then it might be easier for people like me to start
> working on parts of plex86). .. hope this makes sence?
> --
> Best regards,
>
> Jeroen Janssen
>
> +++
> On the fabled hidden continent of Xxxx, somewhere near the rim, there is
> a
> lost colony of wizards who wear corks around their pointy hats and live
> on
> nothing but prawns.
> -- (Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man)
> +++
>
>
Uhus/Dmitri
