[Info-vax] Alpha emulator for OSX

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2016-02-08 13:10, johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> On Monday, 8 February 2016 10:20:06 UTC, li... at openmailbox.org  wrote:
>> On Mon, 8 Feb 2016 00:10:48 -0800 (PST)
>> Arie de Groot via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Op donderdag 4 februari 2016 07:50:15 UTC+1 schreef li... at openmailbox.org:
>>>> On Wed, 3 Feb 2016 21:32:52 -0600
>>>> "Craig A. Berry via Info-vax"
>>>>
>>>> What commercial Alpha emulators run on anything but Windows and 64-bit
>>>> Linux?
>>>>
>>>
>>> vtAlpha runs on X86 without the need for an extra OS like Windows or
>>> Linux. Or OSX for that matter. Everything you need is included in the
>>> product. Install it on an X86 host (or a virtual equivalent in any of the
>>> popular VM products) and you are set. If you like to know more:
>>> vtalpha.com.
>>>
>>> For the record: we are the makers of vtAlpha. This is not a shameless
>>> plug but I felt all alternatives should be mentioned.
>>>
>>> Arie de Groot
>>> AVTware
>>
>> Hi, thanks for the info. I didn't respond to Vaxman's post earlier because
>> I didn't want to get involved when I have no money to spend on this (no
>> commercial need).
>>
>> I am a VMS hobbyist (barely) and not looking for a commercial solution but
>> I was interested in this issue for two reasons. One as a hobbyist I would
>> like to be able to run VMS Alpha which I currently cannot because I don't
>> have Windows or 64 bit Linux. The second is I think being able to host an
>> emulator on non-Intel hardware would be very useful. And sometimes that
>> trickles down into a non-commercial freebie for hobbyists.
>>
>> For example, I have been advocating VMS should be moved to POWER hardware
>> instead of Intel. A platform independent Alpha emulator would make that
>> more possible. SPARC is also a good platform. I think more choices are
>> better and running a premium OS (VMS) on premium hardware is better than
>> running it on fast/cheap/bad hardware (Intel).
>>
>> I understand the value of running bare metal and that is also obviously a
>> very smart and good option. More choices are almost always better! Thanks
>> for the info.
>>
>> --
>> RSA 4096 fingerprint 7940 3F02 16D3 AFEE F2F8  ACAA 557C 4B36 98E4 4D49
>
>
> You mention bare metal. Arie says "vtAlpha runs on X86 without the
> need for an extra OS like Windows or Linux." He doesn't say "bare
> metal" here, but the term is used on their website.
>
> Unless something has changed since the last significant discussions
> I remember on this topic (several years ago), vtAlpha runs on top of
> a cut down Linux (it'd be unrealistic to expect it to run on random
> x86 systems *without* an underlying OS, or at least a HYPErvisor).

I know of a PDP-11 emulator that can do just that. Runs on the bare 
metal x86. Really. No OS at all involved.

> So it may not fit everyone's definition of "bare metal". Others may be
> perfectly happy with a setup like that. Take your pick.

Agreed. Running under Linux does not fit my definition of "bare metal".

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol