Thread

1. dagmx · 1789712627 · focus · HN ↗

   For reference , Fex is a translation framework for x86 to ARM much like Apple’s Rosetta2 and Microsoft’s Prism.

   Valve sponsor development as it’s also the way the new Steam Frame supports x86 games. It’s also being used (as a fork) in Crossover Beta to replace the use of Rosetta2.

   1. MiroslavPokorny · 1789717515 · focus · HN ↗

      Why doesnt Stream require their binaries to be compiled to some bytecode and transpiled during the install ?

      THen they wouldnt require any emulator for any new compiles.

      1. rwmj · 1789718513 · focus · HN ↗

         I don't know, but assumed that Valve doesn't require studios to recompile their software or use any special tooling, it's basically just packaging of existing executables. This is also why they do Windows on Linux emulation.

         1. cassianoleal · 1789730504 · focus · HN ↗

            > This is also why they do Windows on Linux emulation.

            They don't. They use WINE, which as the name says, Is Not an Emulator. :D

            (I'll let my pedantic self out now)

            1. mitxela · 1789731387 · focus · HN ↗

               despite the funny backronym, Wine actually IS a WINdows Emulator. Someone apparently told them that it's only called an emulator if it's emulating a CPU architecture, but that's not true.

               1. ekianjo · 1789742931 · focus · HN ↗

                  its closer to a translator than an emulator

                  1. mitxela · 1789771623 · focus · HN ↗

                     What do you think an emulator is?

                     1. rincebrain · 1789810089 · focus · HN ↗

                        I think in common usage, people expect an "emulator" to be a more sandboxed translation layer than Wine, for example, provides.

                        e.g. it's probably a security vuln if loading a Game Boy ROM reads arbitrary paths on your local filesystem determined by the ROM's code, not so much with Wine.

                        Someone made a cute demonstration that I think usefully encapsulates this a while ago. [1]

                        [1] - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;gpfault.net&#x2F;posts&#x2F;drunk-exe.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;gpfault.net&#x2F;posts&#x2F;drunk-exe.html

                        1. mitxela · 1789824684 · focus · HN ↗

                           Mostly because the Gameboy doesn&#x27;t have any IO register to reformat your hard disk. If the emulator interpreted some instruction as reformatting your hard disk, that would be a bug because it&#x27;s not interpreting it as whatever it actually does on a real Gameboy.

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