Subject: Re: [RFC] Running reverse-endian binaries
To: Martin Husemann <martin@duskware.de>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@netbsd.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 01/02/2003 10:35:37
On Thu, 26 Dec 2002, Martin Husemann wrote:

> On Thu, Dec 26, 2002 at 09:37:08PM +0100, Emmanuel Dreyfus wrote:
>
> > - add a P_REVENDIAN p_flag in struct proc
>
> Isn't it easier to run those binaries under another emulation? (netbsd-re?
> netbsd-le/netbsd-be?) Sounds pretty similar to the netbsd32 emul on sparc64.
>
> You'd need to run a completely different userland anyway for those binaries.

I think a separate emulation would be the best thing, with the hooks to
make sure the CPU endianism is set right. Among other things, that makes
it BLATANTLY OBVIOUS to all parts of the kernel what is going on. Also,
the emulation code would handle endianism-switching of syscall arguments.

Take care,

Bill