Re:Introducing the Google Chrome OS
by pavlov on Wednesday July 08, 2009 @01:50PM
(#694304)
I think Native Client's environment is constrained enough that it would be feasible to implement JIT translation between architectures (i.e. x86 -> ARM).
ISA translation tech is already widespread: a company called Transitive has been quite successful in offering translation products for Unix vendors who have needed to transition their customers to a new architecture (most visibly they provided the PPC->x86 translation engine for Apple's "Rosetta").
With Native Client, the translation ought to be made easier by the structural limitations that are imposed on NaCl modules primarily for security purposes -- to use a natural language analogy, it's easier to translate a text if you know all the words originate from a certain dictionary.
ISA translation tech is already widespread: a company called Transitive has been quite successful in offering translation products for Unix vendors who have needed to transition their customers to a new architecture (most visibly they provided the PPC->x86 translation engine for Apple's "Rosetta").
With Native Client, the translation ought to be made easier by the structural limitations that are imposed on NaCl modules primarily for security purposes -- to use a natural language analogy, it's easier to translate a text if you know all the words originate from a certain dictionary.