[LispM-Hackers] Interrupts work (mostly), and Yet Another Question

[ford@objs.com]

Tim Moore wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Mar 2002 jm@mak.com wrote:
>
> > I know this is kind of, er, twisted, but...
> >
> > If we get the Linux version running, can't we just put the code in the
> > band (probably as the contents of an editor buffer?), and then save the
> > band, and then boot that band on the emulator, and then compile the
> > buffer contents?
> >
> > I realize this presupposes having a fully functional Linux version, and
> > enough of the bare iron stuff to fire up the compiler.
>
> If you get the Linux emulator version fully running, you shouldn't need to
> go through such contortions, although you would go through minor
> contortions.  I think the procedure would be:
>
> * Tweak the compiler, if needed, for the new target architecture i.e., the
> bare iron emulator.  The fasl files produced by this compiler might
> not be loadable into the running image;
>
> * Write Lisp device drivers to your heart's content, and compile them;
>
> * Write out fake load band that is intended to be booted by the bare iron
> system.  This is not a memory dump of the running system, but is
> synthesized from the target system fasl files.  In the CMUCL world this
> process is called "genesis"; in the TI world I think it's spelled
> "GENASYS".  There are some references to it in the SSDN2, but I haven't
> seen the source code for it in the selection on line.
>
> Moving between different versions of the Lisp Machine and Explorer must
> have involved something like this, no?
>
> Tim

Yes, but, sadly, I don't think GENASYS, or most of the other internal tools, have survived.

I suppose its possible I have some of this stuff on some of these tapes I can no longer read,
but that's another story.

Steve