Anyone using EmuTOS in ROM? Impressions?

[Lynxpro]

Just curious. Anyone using EmuTOS on EPROM on real hardware? Sounds like quite a project. I watched some videos of it in action on YouTube. The only concern I could see was that DRI's GEM icons are not exactly attractive compared to the Atari's versions we're all familiar with.

[Zogging Hell]

I don't use it myself but would be surprised if the icon set cannot be replaced like in TOS 2.06 with a suitable *.RSC file.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

EmuTOS is nice project, done in manner of open source, free SW. And that means too, that it is most interesting for developers and contributors. It would be much better if they did GEMDOS filesystem more flexible - for instance to support DOS type BigDOS partitions - like it is in Magic. Game compatibility is not too good, what is big flaw. I observed too slower work with floppies and hard disks in earlier versions. Don't know is it better now.

Conclusion is that doing some OS is hard job, even if it is for very old computer. If it would be more usable, and significantly better in some areas than regular TOS would be choice. As is, I really don't see why I should burn EPROMs with it.

[Lynxpro]

EmuTOS is nice project, done in manner of open source, free SW. And that means too, that it is most interesting for developers and contributors. It would be much better if they did GEMDOS filesystem more flexible - for instance to support DOS type BigDOS partitions - like it is in Magic. Game compatibility is not too good, what is big flaw. I observed too slower work with floppies and hard disks in earlier versions. Don't know is it better now.

Conclusion is that doing some OS is hard job, even if it is for very old computer. If it would be more usable, and significantly better in some areas than regular TOS would be choice. As is, I really don't see why I should burn EPROMs with it.

 

I think it might be cool to test it out on a spare system, if one had a spare system. It also seems like with the nature of it being an open-source project, depending upon the people and number participating, it probably has the potential to add new features to the OS so long as they don't restrict themselves to the original TOS ROM sizes. I find it to be interesting that subsequent DRI enhancements can now be added without the legal straightjacket that basically prevented Atari Corp from even considering that back-in-the-day although the [f]ugly icons do give me some pause. C'mon, people, make the desktop blue! That's not capitulating to the Amigans; I know, I did that with my Falcon back then.

[Zap!]

Is there anyone who sells EmuTOS roms? No way will I attempt to build my own like seen here:

 

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Anyone with EPROM programmer can sell EmuTOS ROMs. I doubt that it will be legal - maybe only to charge burning service, EPROMs and shipping.

But prices of EPROMs vary a lot. So, not easy to say is someone doing it to help people or to make money.

I will zip my mouth now.

[Zap!]

Anyone with EPROM programmer can sell EmuTOS ROMs. I doubt that it will be legal - maybe only to charge burning service, EPROMs and shipping.

But prices of EPROMs vary a lot. So, not easy to say is someone doing it to help people or to make money.

I will zip my mouth now.

 

I have no idea what the EPROM's cost, but I'm not talking about anything illegal, just like you said for the cost of the EPROM, service fee, and shipping. I checked and they don't sell them on the EmuTOS home page.

[Christos]

Hi,

 

First thing first, noone needs to burn Emutos in ROM. You can just start it from disk and check out if it meets your requirements. Also since it's in constant development with new features, bug fixes and improvements on every release, if you have to buy the EPROMS everytime is going to be less efficient.

The recent release, if I am not mistaken, has support for loadable icons as well.

As far as I've used it performance is better than TOS in some bits and worse in others. I think the coders recently fixed some issue with slowdowns on hard disk access, so we should get better than TOS performance.

A good selling point for EmuTOS in ROM is that it supports byteswapped, pc compatible, partitions. That means that your disk can be read by any PC, so file transfer is much easier.

Game (and demo)) compatibility is similar to what TOS 2.06 had in the beginning. Unfortunately, and from my tests, many of the D-Bug patches don't work with Emutos. Some do. I am not really sure why.

 

As for the rest, Emutos is released under the GPL which, as far as I can tell, means that it isn't illegal for it to be sold. What would be illegal, would be to make changes to the code, or use parts of it in your own code and not make that code available.

I like using Emutos.

 

*Disclaimer. I do the Greek translation for EmuTOS, so I am kind of biased and I consider myself part of the project.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Making profit with selling open source SW is if not illegal immoral. Making changes in it is legal. With some conditions, well known for those who can read.

And if some compare it with TOS, TOS 2.06 I will now unzip my mouth and say: much much less compatible with Atari SW, games than TOS 2.06 .

"TOS 2.06 in the beginning" - oh, so we have different versions of TOS 2.06 ? How's that we, mortals don't know about later versions of some TOS version ?

Why D-Bug patches work not ? Because some 60% of games work not. Even Spectrum 512 works not, because it is "not properly coded". Gimme a break.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

 

I have no idea what the EPROM's cost, but I'm not talking about anything illegal, just like you said for the cost of the EPROM, service fee, and shipping. I checked and they don't sell them on the EmuTOS home page.

Of course you not talking about something illegal. Sellers who would charge for it more than what I already said - so EPROM + shipping price and little compensation for burning service would do something basically illegal: making profit from someone others work (EmuTOS team).

And yes, I can do that for you. Just need your exact HW, and what EmuTOS version you want. Will give you price without shipping.

And something important: switchable TOS !