Difference between revisions of "Run Xbox Games on ReactOS"
Binarymaster (talk | contribs) (→See Also: update link) |
Binarymaster (talk | contribs) (→Related projects: remove questionable "NTOSDrop" project, no documentation found on it, and the source of XBE loader was never published) |
||
(12 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | + | {{Notice|This page is about FOSS implementation of the gaming kernel based on ReactOS for original Xbox. For the full port of ReactOS desktop operating system see [[Xbox Port]].}} | |
+ | ReactOS has an original [[Xbox Port|Xbox port]] but it can run only Windows applications and lacks ability to run actual original Xbox games. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A new non-Desktop ReactOS kernel target must be created for running Xbox games. It would be specificly meant to run on Xbox hardware, and would have to support Xbox kernel functionality. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Specifically, the XBE loading must be implemented but probably also various other tasks related to memory management and more. | ||
==Problems== | ==Problems== | ||
− | * | + | Xbox OS uses a radically different software architecture from Windows: |
− | ** | + | * Xbox Executables (XBE) are used instead of Executable (EXE) files. |
− | + | * XBE run in ring 0 and no ring 3 exists. This may require some changes to ReactOS. | |
− | + | * XBE expect to locate HAL and other kernel API functions in a single statically linked kernel. | |
+ | * XBE are also statically linked. | ||
+ | * XBE access hardware directly, so support can only be provided for ReactOS running on an original Xbox. | ||
+ | * The kernel uses cryptography and stores keys to encrypt various data (network traffic, saved games, etc.), these keys must be dumped, and key derivation must be recreated. | ||
+ | * The kernel only provides some critical hardware support (mostly video Encoder and IDE controller). | ||
+ | |||
+ | These changes mean that a custom desktop-less OS variant of ReactOS, specifically for original Xbox, has to be made. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This variant would be equivalent to the original <code>xboxkrnl.exe</code> by Microsoft. It would be binary-compatible with original Xbox games (but incompatible with non-Xbox hardware and Windows applications). | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Related projects== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===XQEMU=== | ||
+ | XQEMU is an original Xbox emulator that emulates the hardware level, specifically Xbox revision 1.0. XQEMU is targeting computers running Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Because it emulates hardware, it requires ROM images (some of which are hard to obtain) to be able to boot. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The code in XQEMU can be used to understand some of the hardware, which will have to be supported by ReactOS. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Additionally, XQEMU could possibly be used to test ReactOS. However, this might not work correctly, as XQEMU only supports hardware access methods as used by Microsoft's original kernel. Some legacy devices or device access methods might not be supported (PIO vs. DMA, for example). | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Cxbx-Reloaded=== | ||
+ | Cxbx-Reloaded is an original Xbox emulator that emulates the kernel level. It also hooks into the game code (by using a pattern-search) to avoid direct hardware access. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Cxbx-Reloaded is targeting computers running Windows, most of the kernel re-implementation are simple adapters to Windows functions; however, the implemented variants are confirmed to work with some original Xbox games. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Other kernel functionality is implicitly documented in code and might be useful (such as key derivation on XBE load). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since Cxbx-Reloaded uses very specific hardware emulation ways, it can't be used to emulate a virtual Xbox for testing ReactOS. | ||
− | == | + | ==Related articles== |
− | + | * [[Xbox Port|ReactOS Xbox port]] | |
− | *[ | + | * [[Install ReactOS on Xbox]] |
− | + | * [[Run XBox 360 Games on ReactOS]] | |
− | *[ | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | *[ | ||
− | |||
− | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
− | *[ | + | * [https://github.com/mborgerson/reactos/wiki ReactOS on Xbox notes by Matt Borgerson] |
− | * | + | * [https://github.com/mborgerson/reactos/tree/xbox ReactOS Xbox port fixes by Matt Borgerson] |
− | *[ | + | * [https://github.com/XboxDev/XboxDev XboxDev information page (original Xbox related projects and Discord server by hobbyists)] |
− | *[ | + | * [https://xboxdevwiki.net/ XboxDevWiki (original Xbox platform documentation by hobbyists)] |
− | *[ | + | * [https://github.com/Cxbx-Reloaded/Cxbx-Reloaded/tree/develop/src/core/kernel/exports Emulation of original Xbox kernel functions in Cxbx-Reloaded] |
+ | * [https://github.com/xqemu/xqemu/tree/master/hw/xbox Emulation of original Xbox hardware in XQEMU] | ||
+ | * [https://github.com/LukeUsher/Cxbx-Reloaded/blob/nvnet-revisited/src/core/kernel/exports/EmuKrnlPhy.cpp NVNet Phy code for the networking in games] | ||
[[Category:Ideas]] | [[Category:Ideas]] |
Revision as of 07:43, 9 September 2019
Notice: This page is about FOSS implementation of the gaming kernel based on ReactOS for original Xbox. For the full port of ReactOS desktop operating system see Xbox Port. |
ReactOS has an original Xbox port but it can run only Windows applications and lacks ability to run actual original Xbox games.
A new non-Desktop ReactOS kernel target must be created for running Xbox games. It would be specificly meant to run on Xbox hardware, and would have to support Xbox kernel functionality.
Specifically, the XBE loading must be implemented but probably also various other tasks related to memory management and more.
Problems
Xbox OS uses a radically different software architecture from Windows:
- Xbox Executables (XBE) are used instead of Executable (EXE) files.
- XBE run in ring 0 and no ring 3 exists. This may require some changes to ReactOS.
- XBE expect to locate HAL and other kernel API functions in a single statically linked kernel.
- XBE are also statically linked.
- XBE access hardware directly, so support can only be provided for ReactOS running on an original Xbox.
- The kernel uses cryptography and stores keys to encrypt various data (network traffic, saved games, etc.), these keys must be dumped, and key derivation must be recreated.
- The kernel only provides some critical hardware support (mostly video Encoder and IDE controller).
These changes mean that a custom desktop-less OS variant of ReactOS, specifically for original Xbox, has to be made.
This variant would be equivalent to the original xboxkrnl.exe
by Microsoft. It would be binary-compatible with original Xbox games (but incompatible with non-Xbox hardware and Windows applications).
Related projects
XQEMU
XQEMU is an original Xbox emulator that emulates the hardware level, specifically Xbox revision 1.0. XQEMU is targeting computers running Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.
Because it emulates hardware, it requires ROM images (some of which are hard to obtain) to be able to boot.
The code in XQEMU can be used to understand some of the hardware, which will have to be supported by ReactOS.
Additionally, XQEMU could possibly be used to test ReactOS. However, this might not work correctly, as XQEMU only supports hardware access methods as used by Microsoft's original kernel. Some legacy devices or device access methods might not be supported (PIO vs. DMA, for example).
Cxbx-Reloaded
Cxbx-Reloaded is an original Xbox emulator that emulates the kernel level. It also hooks into the game code (by using a pattern-search) to avoid direct hardware access.
As Cxbx-Reloaded is targeting computers running Windows, most of the kernel re-implementation are simple adapters to Windows functions; however, the implemented variants are confirmed to work with some original Xbox games.
Other kernel functionality is implicitly documented in code and might be useful (such as key derivation on XBE load).
Since Cxbx-Reloaded uses very specific hardware emulation ways, it can't be used to emulate a virtual Xbox for testing ReactOS.
Related articles
See Also
- ReactOS on Xbox notes by Matt Borgerson
- ReactOS Xbox port fixes by Matt Borgerson
- XboxDev information page (original Xbox related projects and Discord server by hobbyists)
- XboxDevWiki (original Xbox platform documentation by hobbyists)
- Emulation of original Xbox kernel functions in Cxbx-Reloaded
- Emulation of original Xbox hardware in XQEMU
- NVNet Phy code for the networking in games