box64/docs/CHANGELOG.md

v0.3.0

• AVX and AVX2 implemented, along with BMI1, BMI2, ADX, FMA, F16C and RDANDR extension!
• Introduced BOX64_AVX env. var. to enable/disable AVX extension: => BOX64_AVX=1 enable AVX, BMI1, F16C and VAES extension => BOX64_AVX=2 also enable AVX2, BMI2, FMA, ADX,VPCLMULQDQ and RDRAND
• Dynarec: Implemented most AVX/AVX2 and friends in ARM64 Dynarec (using only NEON, so available on all ARM64 CPU) => ARM64 Dynarec build have all AVX/AVX2 extensions enabled by default
• Improved CPUID opcodes, adding a few leaf, fixing same. Returnning an Haswell type of CPU now (was Pentium IV before)
• Dynarec: Small optim in the emit_pf helper, on all 3 backends
• Dynarec: ARM64 some fixes to a few opcodes
• Dynarec: LA64 many new opcodes added, and fixes.
• Dynarec: RV64 some new opcodes added, many fixes.
• Dynarec: RV64 Adding some infrastructure to use RVV (if available) for SIMD emulation.
• Dynarec: Many small changes and fixes around handling of x87, registers and internal jump.
• WRAPPING: Added a workaround on SDL_GetThreadID to fix a race condition that was happening mostly on LA64 and broke many SDL games
• WRAPPING: More libs and functions wrapped. Some wrapping fixes too (including a nasty error on some rare libGL functions)
• WRAPPING: Wayland is now supported. Wine-wayland at least works now
• Dynarec: LA64 improved LOCK CMPXCHG handling, and better 16Byte LOCK handling too (fixes many Unity3D games)
• Dynarec: RV64 improved LOCK CMPXCHG handling
• COSIM: Many fixes and improvment, to make BOX64_DYNAREC_TEST more usable
• Detect when a Wine program use UnityPlayer.dll to atumaticaly use BOX64_DYNAREC_STRONGMEM=1 (unless it's already set), so more games just work
• ElfLoader: Added a new type of relocation

v0.2.8

• Wrapping: More libs and function wrapping (gtk3, vulkan...)
• Reworked X11 Callback handling, for better stability
• Reworked exit and the load/unload of libs and symbol resolution
• Some more profiles in box64rc
• Better way to rename executable (including wine ones) so driver like mesa can apply the correct profile
• Reworked memory managment in the Dynarec, limiting amount of dynamic allocation
• Improved memory tracking and managment. Also introduce BOX64_MMAP32 to force 32bits compatible mmap for external libs (like mesa) => Allow Vulkan drvier on Wine/WOW64 games to allocate 32bits compatible memory, allowing dxvk on 32bits.
• Reworked memory managment in the Dynarec, limiting amount of dynamic allocation
• Lots of improvments in x87 handling (virtual stack, rounding, ffree, etc.) => should improve games stability
• Dynarec: ARM64 some opcodes optimisation, especialy shift and rotation ones
• Dynarec: RV64 lots of opcoded added. => Some games on linux now have a good speed. Game on Wine are still a bit slow, and dxvk still have issues
• Dynarec: Added Loogarch backend! Note that Loongarch are 16K pagesize platform by default. => Linux games are running, and with good speed, especialy on 3A6000 platforms. Games on Wine are not working yet due to 16k pagesize limitation
• Dynarec: Better handling of large block in the dynarec
• Dynarec: Lots of improvments and fixes to BOX86_DYNAREC_CALLRET optimisation. => It can be used on more software now, and combine with BOX64_DYNAREC_BOGBLOCKS 2 or 3 can gives some good speed boosts.

v0.2.6

• X64Libs: Updated libstdc++ & libgcc_s
• X64Libs: Use x86_64 vrsion of libunwind (it's needed by wine)
• Dynarec: More opcodes on ARM64 & RV64
• Dynarec: Fixed some flags propagation issues inside blocks
• Dynarec: Improved Strong Memory Model emulation, introducing a 3rd level
• Dynarec: ARM64: reworked shift and bit opcodes flags handling
• Dynarec: RV64: Many fixes, making Wow64 apps running
• Dynarec: ARM64: Added support for SSE4.2 (with CRC32 if supported by CPU)
• Dynarec: ARM64: Added support for SHA (with hardware support if CPU allows it)
• Dynarec: ARM64: The CALLRET optimisation has been improved and is now default
• CPU: Remoworked how INT, priviliged opcodes and teh Trace flags works
• CPU: Added full support for SSE4.2
• CPU: Added full support for SHA extension
• ElfLoader: rework how elf memory is handled
• Emulation: Added some more syscalls
• Emulation: Better handling of Signal (also handling SIGMAX correctly)
• Emulation: Better support for POKEUSER/PEEKUSER (helps Windows Unity games)
• Wrapping: More libs and some fixes in function wrapping (gtk3, vulkan...)
• Wrapping: Removed faked libunwind wrapping
• Hardware: Added more profile, with support ADLink Ampere Altra, Qualcomm 8Gen3, and Pi5 machines
• OS: Added profile to build for Android and Termux.
• OS: New option to use mold for a high speed link => More hadware support, more functions wrapped for an improve compatibity => More CPU extension, with ARM64 hardware support when possible, and improved CALLRET optimisation for an improved speed of emulation => Some work also to reduce the memory footprint

v0.2.4

• Added Dynarec for RISC-V
• Added partial 32 bits support (WoW64 works)
• Changed cpuid to display box64
• Fixed steam, again
• Improved hacked version for overridden malloc/free functions
• More wrapped libs
• More wrapped functions and syscalls
• Reduced memory footprint
• Added support for the BIND_NOW flags in ELF files
• Added RTLD_NOLOAD support
• Fixed some typos and general cleanup, again
• Added a cosimulation mode (to compare the behaviour of the dynarec with the interpreter)
• Added FASTNAN/FASTROUND handling for more opcodes
• Better float/double/long double handling
• Better dlopen/dlclose handling
• More games in the rc file
• Added BOX64_DYNAREC_MISSING to show only missing opcode, independantly of the log level
• Added BOX64_RESERVE_HIGH to reserve addresses above 47bits
• Improved multitreading support
• Ukrainian translation of the README => Dynarec now support RISC-V, large speedup on RISC-V 64, were games are now playable (like Stardew Valley on a Vision Five 2) => Improved compatibility with more fixes in elf handling, more wrapped libs and functiond, more fixed opcodes and refined profile

v0.2.2

• Added a hacked version for overridden malloc/free functions, enabling libcef (and derivative) to work. => Steam Large mode and new BigPicture are working => Heroic Launcher is working
• Added rcfile handling: box64 now read /etc/box64.box64rc and ~/.box64rc and apply per process parameters => Every program can be finetuned, for speed or just to make them work
• Added BOX64_DYNAREC_CALLRET to optimized CALL/RET opcode using semi-direct native CALL/RET (get more than 10% speedup)
• Added BOX64_DYNAREC_FORWARD to allow bigger Dynarec block to be build (can get more then 30% of Speedup!)
• Improved memory protection tracking and signal handling, again
• Box64 now return a custom name for the CPU instal of P4, build with Box64 and the cpu name it's running on
• Simplified mutex handling (faster, cleaner)
• Reduce memory used by the memory tracking (memory almost divide by 4 is some critical use case)
• Added d3dadapter9 wrapping => gallium nine is now supported on box64 too
• More wrapped libs (especially on the gtk familly)
• Improved/fixed some Syscall handling
• Refactored Strong Memory Model emulation (faster and more accurate)
• Added some more opcode to ARM64 Dynarec, and fixed some other
• Some fixes to flags handling in the Dynarec on some special cases
• Refactor library loading/unloading, with refcount.
• Some special cases fixes for dlopen (fixes deadcells, maybe others too)
• Improved mmap mapping, espcially with MAP_32BITS flag
• More wrapped functions and syscalls
• Lots of improvment in the Rounding of float & double (Dynarec and Interpreter), and proper handling of denormals when converting to/from 80 bits long double
• Added specific suppport for RK3588 board (needed some hack in signal handling, probably due to the use of a non mainlined kernel)
• More support on the RV64 port
• More support to build under musl environment

v0.2.0

• Wrapped more vulkan function, dxvk 2.0 now works
• Added support for overridden malloc/free functions
• Refactor Dynarec memory management, reducing memory footprint (from 20% to 40% of Dynarec size)
• Improved elf loader
• Improved dlsym handling with RTLD_NEXT
• Added BOX64_DYNAREC_SAFEFLAGS to allow finetuning Dynarec generated code handling of flags accross function calls and returns.
• Added BOX64_BASH to setup x86_64 bash binary, so shell script can be run in x86_64 world
• Added BOX64_ROLLING_LOG to have details log only on crash
• Work on alignment for some of pthread structures
• More wrapped libraries in the gtk family
• Some fixes on the Dynarec x87 code (fixing a bunch of games like ut2004 or Piczle Puzzle)
• Improved TLS Size handling (Unity3D games now works)
• More PageSize Compile options
• Improved execv family of function to have better box64 integration
• Added support for wrapped libfuse so AppImage works
• Adjusted the binfmt integration so AppImage are automaticaly picked
• Improved FAudio, SDL2, GL (and more) wrapping
• More wrapped libs, like libEGL.so, to helps emulated Qt4/5 libs to load
• Improved Signal Handling and memory protection traking
• Some signature fixes to some wrapped functions (in libc)
• Added more syscalls
• Added a lot of new opcodes to the ARM64 Dynarec => Lot's of new games stat working, to name a few: Surviving Mars, Piczle Cross Adventure (using Proton experimental), UT2004, Obduction, Machinarium, Silicon Zero, Hacknet, Absolute Drift, Art of Rally, Dota2 => Some apps also runs now, like TeamSpeak 3 Client and Server or Discord => The bash integration is usefull for device with no binfmt integration or for script that check the machine it's running on

v0.1.8

• Added an option to get generated -NAN on SSE2 operation
• Many small fixes and improvement to get SteamPlay (i.e. proton) working (along with box86)
• Added some workaround for program calling uname to mimic x86_64 system
• Added some granularity to mmap, and generic memory protection tracking improvment, to mimic x86 system (for wine stagging and proton)
• Better clone syscall and libc implementation
• Improved wrapping of GTK libs
• More wrapped libs (more gtk libs, like gstreamer-1.0 among other non-gtk libs too)
• More wrapped functions(with some tricky one, like dladdr1)
• Some fixes and improvment to some wrapped functions
• Refactor Dynarec:
  • better handling of SSE/x87 registers
  • optimisation to limit float/double conversion
  • better handling of "internal" jump inside a dynablock
  • make adding new architecture easier, by sharing as much infrastructure as possible
• Improved elfloader
• Improved some tests
• Improved a bit the "Hotpage" handling and messages
• Added more dynarec opcodes
• A few fixes in some Dynarec opcodes
• A bit more optimisation in some Dynarec opcodes
• Don't quit on unsupported syscall, return -1 / ENOSYS error
• Added some more Syscall
• Wrapped Vulkan library. Vulkan and dxvk now supported!
• Support building on PPC64LE (interpreter only)
• Added support for Risc-V (interpreter only)

v0.1.6

• Introduce "HotPage", to temporarily disable Dynarec on a page were writing is also occuring (can help speed up C# code)
• Some work on Dynarec to limit the number of mutex use, and also allow smaller block to be built (for JIT'd programs)
• Introduce BOX64_DYNAREC_STRONGMEM for the (Arm) dynarec to emulate StrngMemory Model (needed by some games, like RimWorld)
• More functions wrapped
• Improve speed of the custom allocator used by dynarec and Hash (speedup loading)
• Added a workaround for streamwebhelper to not load it
• More opcodes added
• More wrapped libraries, including gtk2
• Added a fix for linking box64 on system using glibc 2.34+
• Some residual fixes on thread attribute handling
• Better handling of app that want 32bits jumps, like unity3d/mono (thanks mogery)
• More ARM hardware option in CMake (Phytium, NX...)
• Added loongarch64 support (interpreter only)
• Some fixes to elfloader
• Added a mecanism to cancel a Dynarec block construction if it triggers a segfault (instead of a crash)

v0.1.4

• Reworked README a bit
• Added some more wrapped libs
• Added some SSE4x opcodes
• Preliminary support for VSyscall (still missing VDSO)
• Added support for AES-NI cpu extension, also in Dynarec (and using ARM extension if present)
• Added some syscall
• Added some more wrapped functions
• Improvment to the handling of longjmp inside signal handlers
• Improved wrapper helpers (from rajdakin)
• Some fixes to opcodes (especially C2 flags for some x87 opcodes)
• Handling of some specific opcode as privileged instruction (instead of NOP)
• Fixed ELF signature detection
• Some fixes to a few env. var. handling

v0.1.2

• OpenSource!
• A few more opcode added to the Interpreter and the Dynarec
• Improved Native Function calling
• Added some function to limit allocated memory to 47bits space (for Wine)
• Improved and Fixed the functions to limit allocated memory to 32bits space
• Wine is starting now, but not everything and every version works

v0.1.0

• Improvement to ElfLoader
• More opcode added to the Dynarec
• More lib wrapping
• Some fixes to a few function signature
• Improvement to Signal handling, and internal mutex handling
• A few fixes to some dynarec opcodes
• A few fixes to some interpreter opcodes

v0.0.8

• Improvement to SSE/x87 handling
• More opcode added to the Dynarec
• More lib wrapping

v0.0.6

• Added Dynarec for ARM64
• Many general CPU opcode added to the Dynarec
• Many SSEx opcodes added to the Dynarec
• Added a few more symbols in libc
• A few changes to the "thread once" handling
• New Logo and Icon from @grayduck

v0.0.4

• Added a lot of opcodes
• Added SDL1 and SDL2 wrapping
• OpenGL/GLU wrapping done
• libasound / libpulse wrapping done
• libopenal / libalure / libalut wrapping done
• Many X11 libs wrapped
• Added "install" with binfmt integration
• A few games are actualy starting now (old WorldOfGoo, Into The Breach, VVVVVV and Thimbeweed Park)

v0.0.2

• Using box86 as a base, implemented most planned box64 part except dynarec
• Wrapped a few libs
• ELF loader a bit crude, but seems working
• Signal handling implemented
• MMX and x87 are sharing their registers