Box86 - Linux Userspace x86 Emulator

[ptitSeb]

Box86 is a Linux Userspace x86 Emulator with a twist: unlike other solution, this one doesn't need a full chroot environnement to works.

The software is very young, so it's still full of bugs and incomplete (or missing) features.
What you do with for now:

• Launch a few Linux games (including Airline Tycoon Deluxe, Undertale, Not-A-Hero, Risk of Rain, HumandRessourcesMachine, WorldOfGoo,...)
• Launch some other stuffs (like Pico8...)
• Develop your patience

The current version is already able to correctly load most linux files, including de dependant libraries. Some will be "wrapped" and the native ARM version used (for libs like libc, libm, SDL, X11, etc...). Librairies that are C++ (like libstdc++) are not wrapped and need to be the i386 version.
What the current version doesn't implement is: a debug, and a JIT.

Airline Tycoon Delux on the Pandora

The Lack of JIT makes most games too slow to be playable for now, at least on Pandora. On some more powerfull device (like an ODroid XU4), the situation is better with some games already playable.

Bit.Trip.Runner on the ODroid XU4

I attach also a few screenshot I have done. All the screenshot came from Box86 on the Pandora, but of course, must stuff here are unplayable for now (FTL is playable, but sound is corrupted and HumanRessourceMachine has no music but quite playable)

Read more about Box86 on GiantPockets: https://www.giantpockets.com/box86-run-x86-code-and-games-on-arm/

Box86 is opensource, so contributions are welcome!

The home of box86 is here: https://github.com/ptitSeb/box86

Spread the word, contribute!

 

[levi]

Nice. Presumably this is emulating a 32-bit x86 environment, so we'd need both 32-bit built games and any emulated libraries we decided to include?

 

[ptitSeb]

Nice. Presumably this is emulating a 32-bit x86 environment, so we'd need both 32-bit built games and any emulated libraries we decided to include?

Yes, 32bits only.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

ptitSeb, this is amazing! Thank you so much.

 

[TeDaDeS]

A new environment to develop patience, ptitSeb

 

[Askarus]

Is it ready yet!?

 

[ptitSeb]

Is it ready yet!?

Ready for what?

 

[Askarus]

Ready for what?

Just ready.
Like "are we there yet"

 

[ptitSeb]

Just ready.
Like "are we there yet"

Yes and No.
That's more of a starting point. Box86 runs, and is able to launch things. But it's not finished (hey, I only really started coding it 3 months ago, in the beginning of Decembre)

 

[Askarus]

Yes and No.
That's more of a starting point. Box86 runs, and is able to launch things. But it's not finished (hey, I only really started coding it 3 months ago, in the beginning of Decembre)

I see.
And I like a lot what I see

 

[___]

Wow... @ptitSeb we need to build a shrine for you so we can worship you properly.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Wow... @ptitSeb we need to build a shrine for you so we can worship you properly.

Not sure a shrine would be a good idea. Wouldn't he need to be deceased first?

Safer just to say "thank you" methinks

 

[___]

I was thinking more along the lines of a shinto shrine... like ptitSeb being an all powerful spirit responsible for coding amazing stuff and being the patron of mass porters everywhere.

 

[ElPoco]

Yay! Thanks ptitSeb!
So how does that work? I compile it, put the executable and libs in a folder (or executables in bin and libs in lib if I understand correctly) and run
'box86 [name of the executable]'?

Is the JIT in the roadmap? (and how far down the road?)

 

[Askarus]

Does/will it work with WINE?

 

[ptitSeb]

Yay! Thanks ptitSeb!
So how does that work? I compile it, put the executable and libs in a folder (or executables in bin and libs in lib if I understand correctly) and run
'box86 [name of the executable]'?

Yeah. Check the "USAGE.md" file in the source for more detail on env var...

Is the JIT in the roadmap? (and how far down the road?)

Yes, but I would like to be sure everything runs reasonably well with the interpreter before going for a JIT (but of course, if someone make a Pull Request of a JIT, I'll accept it).

Does/will it work with WINE?

Wine is not in the scope of Box86. (I had another project in mind for Wine, but it's similar to Hangover, so not sure I'll do it one day).

 

[TheOldOne]

Now to load it up on my le potato.

 

[ptitSeb]

Now to load it up on my le potato.

Oh, you have a Potato? Nice! I have notice they now distribute gl4es as part of the official distribution for OpenGL compatibility

 

[TheOldOne]

I was a Kickstarter backer. I've yet to get it working in 4k but that's not really a viable option for using it for anything more than kodi anyway

 

[ptitSeb]

I was a Kickstarter backer. I've yet to get it working in 4k but that's not really a viable option for using it for anything more than kodi anyway

Still, I'm currious if you are able to try a few simple games on this.