CheerpX is x86 virtualization to run executables and OS client-side

I stumbled upon Leaningetch in the past looking for a way to compile Java to JavaScript. This is a company that found a niche in "modernizing" old software, like, serving customers that still have mission-critical software written as a C++/MFC or even Java Applets and help them keep that software alive.

There's nothing wrong with their niche, but I feel like there's a big disconnect to what could be attractive to the HN crowd. In particular:

> WebVM is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0 [...] free to use for technological exploration, testing and non-commercial uses. [...] If you want to build a product on top of CheerpX/WebVM, please get in touch: sales@leaningtech.com. [0]

Embarcadero is another company that releases great-looking tech but I would personally not want to dig too much into [1], because of the involved costs.

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0: https://github.com/leaningtech/webvm?tab=readme-ov-file#lice...

1: https://www.embarcadero.com/

As discussed on the front page last week emulating Linux syscalls, it took a while to notice it's closed source.

WebVM is a server-less virtual Linux environment running client-side

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40940225

The description is very perplexing. Especially the "entirely client-side" phrase. Isn't that how VMs normally work?

Looking at it further, this has very little to do with "virtualization". It's just another emulator.