Bochs
Bochs is an open source IA-32 emulator that can run operating systems like Windows, Linux, BSD, and others. It allows you to run x86 software on non-x86 hardware without virtualization support.
emulator
virtual-machine
x86
ia32
open-source
Bochs: Open Source IA-32 Emulator for Running X86 Software
Run Windows, Linux, BSD, and other operating systems on non-x86 hardware without virtualization support with Bochs, an open source IA-32 emulator.
What is Bochs?
Bochs is an open source emulator for the x86 architecture, allowing you to run operating systems like Windows, Linux, BSD and others on your computer without needing virtualization support from the CPU. It emulates common x86 hardware, including the CPU, memory, disks, network cards, graphics and more.
Some key features of Bochs include:
- Emulation of IA-32 (x86) Intel processors up to Pentium 4, AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Phenom
- Support for running 32-bit and 64-bit x86 operating systems
- Emulated hard drives, optical drives, floppy drives, network adapters and sound cards
- Integrated debugging tools for tracing instruction execution and examining CPU registers/memory
- Graphical interface allowing you to inspect running operating systems
- Portable codebase that runs on Linux, Windows, OS X and other platforms
Bochs is useful for testing new operating system designs, running software not compatible with your native hardware, prototyping device drivers or running malware samples safely. It can run software written decades ago as well modern operating systems, all without virtualization. The downside is performance - being an emulator, it is much slower than native hardware speeds.
Bochs Features
Features
- Full system emulation of x86-compatible systems
- Emulation of IA-32 (x86) Intel architecture
- Support for CPU simulation including protected mode
- Emulated peripherals like VGA, network, disk drives
- Debugging and disassembly tools
- Ability to save and restore state of emulation
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Open source and free
Runs on many platforms
Good for testing software in different environments
Allows running x86 software on non-x86 systems
Cons
Slower performance compared to virtualization
Limited hardware support compared to real systems
Not all x86 features are fully emulated
Official Links
The Best Bochs Alternatives
Top System & Hardware and Emulators and other similar apps like Bochs
Here are some alternatives to Bochs:
Suggest an alternative ❐
VirtualBox
Oracle VM VirtualBox, commonly referred to as VirtualBox, is a powerful and open-source virtualization platform developed by Oracle. It allows users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on a host machine, enabling the simultaneous execution of multiple operating systems on a single physical system. Key Features: Cross-Platform Support: VirtualBox...
QEMU
QEMU is a free and open source hypervisor and machine emulator. It emulates a complete computer system, including the processor, memory, storage, network interfaces and peripherals. This allows you to run software and operating systems written for one machine on a different machine.Some key features of QEMU include:Full system emulation...
VMware Workstation Pro
VMware Workstation Pro is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization on x64 versions of Windows and Linux. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine and run different operating systems and applications in each VM without rebooting.Key features include:Ability to...
Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop is a popular virtualization solution specifically designed for macOS, enabling users to run multiple operating systems on their Mac computers. It is known for its user-friendly interface, performance optimizations, and seamless integration of virtual machines with the macOS environment. Key Features: Cross-Platform Virtualization: Parallels Desktop supports a wide...
VMware vSphere Hypervisor
VMware vSphere Hypervisor is a free bare-metal hypervisor that enables server virtualization, allowing multiple operating systems to run on the same physical server. It provides a robust, production-grade hypervisor layer that allows for greater hardware consolidation, improved availability and simplified management.Some key features of vSphere Hypervisor include:Workload optimization and compatibility...
Windows Sandbox
Windows Sandbox is a virtualized desktop environment included in recent versions of the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. It allows users to run untrusted or unreliable software applications in an isolated environment without risking damage to the host device or operating system.Sandbox provides a lightweight virtual machine that...
Portable Virtualbox
Portable Virtualbox is a free, open-source virtualization software that allows you to run multiple guest operating systems on your Windows host computer without needing to go through a lengthy install process. It runs directly off a USB thumb drive, making it easy to take your virtual machines with you wherever...
VMware Workstation Player
VMware Workstation Player is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for desktop virtualization. It allows users to set up multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine and run them simultaneously.Key features of VMware Workstation Player include:Ability to run production environments and test software on different operating systems...
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is an open-source virtualization technology built into Linux. It allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs) on any Linux server or desktop with hardware virtualization capabilities.KVM is implemented as a kernel module that leverages the virtualization extensions of modern CPUs like Intel VT or...
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is a Type 2 hypervisor developed by VMware for Mac users. It allows you to create and run virtual machines that emulate other operating systems on your Mac hardware. Fusion provides a simple user interface to set up, manage, and use virtual machines.Some key features and capabilities of...
VMWare Disk Mount
VMWare Disk Mount is a free, standalone utility from VMWare that allows you to mount virtual disks on a Windows machine without needing to run VMware or Hyper-V hypervisors. It supports mounting VMDK and VHD format virtual disks and provides read-only access to files and folders stored on those disks.Once...
Mojopac
Mojopac is a portable application suite developed by Emurasoft that allows you to carry various software, files, settings, and even an entire operating system on a USB flash drive. It creates a self-contained virtual computer on any Windows PC without needing installation or administrative rights.When launched from the USB drive,...
JPCSIM
JPCSIM is an open-source, Java-based, discrete event simulation software designed specifically for modeling manufacturing systems like production lines, assembly operations, supply chains, and more. It provides a graphical modeling interface that allows users to quickly build simulations by adding and connecting functional blocks that represent individual processes or operations.Some key...
VMLite Workstation
VMLite Workstation is a powerful, free system virtualization platform for desktop computers. It allows you to simultaneously run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single physical host system. VMLite Workstation works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X host operating systems.Some key features of VMLite Workstation include:Ability to...
VMLite VBoot
VMLite VBoot is a fast and lightweight virtual machine manager for Windows designed for simplicity and ease-of-use. It allows you to easily create, run, and manage virtual machines on your Windows desktop or laptop without slowdowns or bloat.Some key features of VMLite VBoot include:Intuitive and straightforward user interface to create,...
Box86
box86 is an open source compatibility layer program developed by PT Software that allows 32-bit x86 Linux binaries to execute on 64-bit x86_64 Linux systems. It works by dynamically translating or emulating x86 instructions to x86_64 at run time, enabling legacy 32-bit applications and games that only have a 32-bit...
VMLite MyOldPCs
VMLite MyOldPCs is a user-friendly virtual machine program designed to emulate older Windows operating systems on modern computers. It allows you to easily install and run Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and other legacy OSes in a virtual environment within your current system.MyOldPCs creates a separate, sandboxed virtual machine...
PearPC
PearPC is an open-source emulator that allows Intel x86 personal computers to run PowerPC platform operating systems, applications, and games. It emulates a PowerPC processor, memory, devices, and peripherals to provide a compatible environment for PowerPC software.Some key features of PearPC include:Emulation of PowerPC G3 and G4 processors for compatibility...
MokaFive Player
MokaFive Player is a virtual desktop application that delivers Windows or Linux virtual machines to any device, while keeping sensitive data securely stored in the cloud. It provides a seamless desktop experience across devices.Key features include:Separates the end user desktop environment from the underlying operating system for enhanced securityCentralizes and...
VMX Builder
VMX Builder is a Windows desktop application designed to simplify the creation and configuration of VMware virtual machine definition files with the .vmx extension. Instead of manually editing the text-based .vmx files, VMX Builder provides a graphical user interface to set up and configure all aspects of a VM.Key features...
USBFastBoot
USBFastBoot is a lightweight and portable Windows application that provides a quick way to reboot your computer directly into the BIOS or boot menu screen. It works by temporarily emulating a USB device being plugged in, which triggers most PCs to open the boot options menu on the next restart.This...