On Sat, Sep 22, 2001 at 05:38:12PM -0400, Scott A Crosby wrote:

> How do I compile a new VM?

You are using Unix?

(Warning: this is for hacking. So everything uses the latest and not well
 tested stuff. (e.g. unix-vm 3.1pre1 instead of 3.0). Do not build
 a production VM with this versions if you don´t know what you are
 doing...)

Stage I: Recompiling the Unix-Source-Distribution
-------

1. go to http://www-sor.inria.fr/~piumarta/squeak/ and download
            Squeak-3.1a-4164pre1-src.tar.gz
2. unpack it with 
              tar xvzf Squeak-3.1a-4164pre1-src.tar.gz
3. cd Squeak-3.1a-4164
4. read BUILD.UnixSqueak
5. to compile the vm do
               mkdir build
               cd build
               ../src/unix/configure
               make
   and you will have a brand new vm in your build-dir. 
6. get http://sumeru.stanford.edu/tim/pooters/SqueakVMBuilderCertificate.pdf  
   and look at it. (only *look*. You can try to find
   someone to sign it after you completed at least StageII ;-) )


Stage II: regeneration the code from the Image
---------

1. get the latest image (or the one that´s suppost to go
   with you version of the unix-source-tree). 
2. start squeak: 
3. go to the class "Interpreter", look at the class-methods.
4. in the Method translate:doInlinig there is a comment, select
        Interpreter translate: 'interp.c' doInlining: true.
   and doIt! (this will take some time...)
5. do "InterpreterSupportCode writeSupportFiles" (to be save)
6. copy all the generated .c and .h files to the the "src/generated" directory.
   (don´t copy platform.exports... or delete the "#ifdef UNIX" stuff. This 
    should be fixed...)
7. go to your build dir and say "make". 
8. Print
   http://sumeru.stanford.edu/tim/pooters/SqueakVMBuilderCertificate.pdf 

(Or: Look at VMmaker. I should really have written this tutorial using
VMmaker...)

Stage III: testing a VM inside the image.
----------

Yes, there is really a reason to write a VM in Squeak (or SLANG). 
(Besides not wanting to write C, of course. But writing SLANG is 
like writing C with Smalltalk syntax, so this point is somewhat 
questionable anyway...)
The real reason: You can develop and *DEBUG* the VM inside Squeak!

For more, see the class comment of "InterpreterSimulator". 

Stage IV: Hack.  ;-)
---------

That´s it....

            Marcus