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From: Paul Brook <paul@codesourcery.com>
Subject: Re: [Qemu-devel] qemu for x86_64
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 17:06:50 +0100
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To: qemu-devel@nongnu.org, jmfguy@excite.com

> x86_64 is only an extension, a super-set, of the existing 32 bit
> architecture. This is not some completely different instruction set. Qemu
> already has most of the work finished in the 32 bit x86 version. The GNU
> GCC developers claimed porting GCC to amd64 was "easy", so you can forget
> the car. This should be an easy port for one of the primary maintainers. If
> I knew the code well, I'd do it myself but, I'm still working on Qemu
> networking.

Porting to gcc to amd64 is only "easy" compared to porting to a whole new 
architecture (eg. ia64).

Also, calling x86_64 "only an extension" isn't really accurate. This totally 
ignores the fact that you need to make sure the qemu i386 backend is 64-bit 
safe (I'm fairly sure it isn't), plus implement MMX and SSE.

Compare the cost of an amd64 machine and a car to the list price of vmware or 
VirtualPC, and I think you've got yourself a bargain :-)

Paul