[Info-vax] HPE Integrity emulator

[Hans Bachner]

Arne Vajhøj schrieb am 28.02.2024 um 20:20:
> On 2/28/2024 1:03 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2024-02-27, John Dallman <jgd at cix.co.uk> wrote:
>>> If the documentation is correct, then making an IA64 VMS emulator for
>>> x96-64 VMS would require, at least:
>>>
>>> * Extending the ELF library to cope with dynamically linked executables
>>>    and libraries.
>>> * Creating a system call translation layer for VMS. This would be a lot
>>>    easier with the VMS source available.
>>> * Fixing bugs that doubtless exist in the libraries.
>>> * Getting the instruction set library to run at a reasonable speed.
> 
>> So direct execution of some standalone Itanium VMS user-mode executables
>> might be possible with enough effort, but no running Itanium VMS as an
>> entity in its own right.
>>
>> It really does speak to how complex the Itanium architecture is that
>> nobody has ever done an Itanium full-system emulator. :-)
> 
> That and lack of demand (demand = businesses willing to
> pay for such an emulator not hobbyists that think it could
> be fun with such an emulator).
> 
> Maybe it will change. HP-UX is not being ported to x86-64
> as far as I know, so *if* some businesses do not want to
> migrate from HP-UX/Itanium to Linux/x86-64, then demand
> for an Itanium emulator may rise.
> 
> (note the *if* - I don't know any HP-UX people)

Well... I know VMS customers who stepped back from Itanium to Alpha 
because an Alpha emulator was available (they used a specific PCI(e) 
card for their application).

HP-UX customers could step back to PA-RISC instead of porting to Linux. 
Stromasys offers a PA-RISC emulator.

Hans.