Re: [Qemu-devel] Funny Bash Script ...

[Grzegorz Kulewski]

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Herbert Poetzl wrote:
> there is a funny bash script available at
>
>  http://vserver.13thfloor.at/Stuff/QEMU/rev_01.sh
>
> using this on object files (like the kqemu-mod-i386.o)
> produces interesting output, which will compile nicely
> with gcc to something very similar of the original ..
>
> it's a quick and dirty hack, so naturally far away from
> being perfect (for example it doesn't rebuild non .text
> sections yet) and of course I would not suggest to use
> it on before mentioned object file ...

Hi,

Ok, so you just (re)invented dissassembler that produces compilable 
output. There are of course better ones (that for example are trying to 
make C code out of its output).

Using it may be illegal in some countries. Maybe in some not. But this is 
clearly against the author who gave it to you for free but with no source.

I can bet that any programmer who knows assembler a little can disassemble 
that file (come on its only 36 kilo!) by hand using anything and put the 
result into C code. I know about better challenges. For example try to 
disassemble (and understand) normal PC BIOS. It is really something 
challenging. And some people did this in the past (you think how companies 
other than IBM got the BIOS production technology?). BIOS is a mix of 
awfull hacks (some with historical explanation). Desassembling it is a 
real pain. How can I compare it to that clean 36666 bytes output of gcc 
- even not linked part of Linux module.

The only thing that I do not understand is why such tool can be useful at 
all??? Forgive me, but I really do not. What you can get is more-or-less 
(rather less) correct version of oryginal. It can produce strange bugs or 
not work at all. But this way you do not change its licence or make it any 
more open source. Open source does not mean "you can compile it" but "you 
can get the _real_ source of it and the _author_ does want to give it to 
you"!

Can you clarify your intentions?


Grzegorz Kulewski