Subject: Re: qemu accelerator module, anyone?
To: None <tech-kern@NetBSD.org>
From: Gerhard Sittig <Gerhard.Sittig@gmx.net>
List: tech-kern
Date: 12/19/2005 20:19:08
On Mon, Dec 19, 2005 at 09:33 +0100, Hubert Feyrer wrote:
> 
> I've looked a bit at the qemu accelerator module tonight. It provides a 
> kernel-side interface (via an LKM) to qemu to run with higher emulation 
> speed of 1-2 times instead of 5-6 times. The source is available at [1], 
> apparently it works on Linux and FreeBSD.
> 
> [ ... ]

This is kqemu you are talking about, right?

There is an OpenSource initiative, too.  Although GPLed.
http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/qvm86/
(haven't used it, just learned about its existence)

I understand that these modules run guest code in the native host
environment (with some protection mechanisms applied to still have the
guest supervised).  While qemu _really_ emulates the hardware, including
the CPU.  That's why you can have qemu emulate PowerPC, SPARC and ARM
hardware on an ia32 PC.  I guess the speedup from the above modules only
applies when the guest and host are of the same type.


virtually yours
Gerhard Sittig
-- 
     If you don't understand or are scared by any of the above
             ask your parents or an adult to help you.