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Everything Else => Model Specific Forums => Distros, Development, and Model Specific Forums => Archived Forums => Sharp PC-Z1 NetWalker => Topic started by: merlin1 on December 24, 2009, 08:02:12 am

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: merlin1 on December 24, 2009, 08:02:12 am

Hi,

been playing around with Bochs... Screenshots:

Windows 95:
http://omploader.org/vMzJrYw (http://omploader.org/vMzJrYw)

OS/2 Warp 3:
http://omploader.org/vMzJrZQ (http://omploader.org/vMzJrZQ)

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: the_oak on December 24, 2009, 06:01:29 pm

How's speed?

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: merlin1 on December 25, 2009, 05:52:17 am

Speed's okay, much better than on N810 or Z of course. I haven't run any benchmarks yet but subjectively it feels like a 486. The config is not optimized at all though, e.g. Bochs has an IPS setting for the CPU which influences the guest's clock and others. I just left it at the default setting, will fiddle with it over the next days, maybe I can squeeze some more speed out of it.

I'm using an older version (2.3.7) from the Jaunty repo, I'll try to compile the latest (2.4.2) next to see if it makes any difference.

I'd much rather be using Qemu  as it seems a little faster than Bochs (on ARM) and has no IPS setting, the issue is the repo comes with an older version (0.10.2) that has issues running Windows 95 and NT 4. I may give it another try though.

Next to try: Windows 98, OS/2 Warp 4.

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: ArchiMark on December 25, 2009, 01:38:10 pm

Excellent work, merlin1 !

If you can get W98 running that would really be something....as they're some old apps that would be fun to run I think...

 

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: merlin1 on December 25, 2009, 04:57:57 pm

Quote from: ArchiMark

Excellent work, merlin1 !

If you can get W98 running that would really be something....as they're some old apps that would be fun to run I think...

 

You're welcome. I'll be trying Windows 98 soon. The speed is really not that great though. The restriction to 640x480 in 16 colors is a PITA which further limits the usability.

If you need to access Windows apps the most elegant solution would be to either run Windows natively on another box and use RDP or VNC on the Netwalker, or to run it in a VM on a remote box and control this VM using the virtualization software's built-in RDP/VNC server... VirtualBox and VMware can do this.

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: ArchiMark on December 25, 2009, 11:17:43 pm

Thanks for all that info, merlin1....

Actually, really don't need W98, would be more the fun of it and shock value when showing other people....
 

Title: Bochs On Netwalker
Post by: merlin1 on December 26, 2009, 06:06:17 am

Quote from: ArchiMark

Thanks for all that info, merlin1....

Actually, really don't need W98, would be more the fun of it and shock value when showing other people....
 

Hey, it's fine, I'm doing this just for fun and to amaze others as well. When I really need Windows apps, I VNC into a Windows 2000 VM on my main box. Running it and others locally on the Netwalker is just for fun.

(off-topic: Unfortunately Basilisk II doesn't compile out of the box. If it did it would probably be in the repo anyway. It would be great to have Mac OS ≤8.1 running on the Netwalker - I remember having Basilisk II and Mini-vMac running on the Z a long time ago.)