Linux Running in a Javascript Engine

+ - Linux Running in a Javascript Engine-> 0

Submitted by eldavojohn on Wednesday May 18, 2011 @04:05PM

eldavojohn writes "Fabrice Bellard claims to have emulated a PC completely in JavaScript using Typed Arrays (which means you'll need Firefox 4 or Chrome 11 to check out the demo page). His emulation boasts a 32 bit x86 compatible CPU, a 8259 Programmble Interrupt Controller, a 8254 Programmble Interrupt Timer and a 16450 UART. It's running the 2.6.20 Linux kernel with some very basic programs but definitely a neat accomplishment. Even Bellard, of FFMPEG fame, isn't quite sure what it could be useful for but says he did it for fun and suggests its use as a benchmarking for JavaScript engines. It could also be used to do client side x86 emulation of x86 libraries or even eventually running DOS so users could play old PC Games in JavaScript. Despite its painful early years trapped manipulating the DOM, JavaScript is slowly gaining a reputation as a very capable language."
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