Altirra 2.80 released

[Mclaneinc]

Confirmed...

[phaeron]

I have trouble with the emulator and obtainable size of the image. Switching from emulator window to full screen (Alt + Enter) and run the emulator directly to the full-screen works very well. The size of the image is always the same. The problem occurs when you enable emulation VBXE. Then the inclusion of the emulator in full screen gives you the big picture normal, but puts it in the box by Alt + Enter, and return to full screen also by Alt + Enter displays the reduced screen. To fix this, you need the full screen mode to close the emulator and run it again.

 

This is a bug, but not in the display sizing. The display shrinking with VBXE enabled is correctly; the display not shrinking when you change the VBXE option is the bug.

 

VBXE causes the display to shrink because it supports twice the resolution of a regular Atari display. That is, rather than producing a 288x224 display on Normal overscan mode, it produces 576x448. This changes the display sizes that you can get when the (integer multiple) sizing modes are selected.

 

I use two monitors, a crt for emulation and my 23" HP for everything else, if I drag Altirra to the small display, its happy and boots up there every time but after reading the above I thought I'd have a play and found that if I set it to FS on the small monitor and exited then it would then startup on the big screen the next time it was ran as FS, if I held ALT + ENTER it then went back to a window as expected but on the small monitor. So I played some more and found that if I made it FS on the small monitor and exited I would see an Altirra on the status at the bottom of the screen as if it was still running and the way to get rid of it was simply to click on it.

 

This happens every time, windowed stays on the monitor it was last started on but FS starts always on the big monitor when restarted..

 

Settings reset and the same...This is in PAL XL mode (no VBXE) but if I set to NTSC it all happens the same but you don't get the strange Altirra box on the status (by strange it shows no settings on it unlike the normal one on the status that shows OS etc..

 

Pretty sure I've had it FS on the small monitor and it staying there so must be a pretty recent change..

 

It's kind of a crapshoot based on your resolutions and which monitor is your primary monitor. The problem is that which monitor Altirra goes full screen on is based on which monitor the window is on, and the window position is saved in desktop coordinates. Well, the desktop coordinates are different when the monitor resolution is changed for full-screen mode, and when restoring the position on launch, that creates a chicken and egg problem: can't establish the correct coordinate system to interpret the coordinates without knowing the monitor, and can't know the monitor without knowing the coordinate system. It might be possible to fix this but it would require a fancier way of saving the last position of the window.

 

Also small item, I exported the Profiles group in the registry before I reset the settings, after tinkering I merged the registry settings back in and although the profiles folder with its various contents are now back in the registry the new profiles do not get picked up in the profiles window and it shows just the defaults despite being in the registry.

 

Me doing something wrong I expect, all I did was highlight the profiles group, go to export on the right click and save them. Reset the settings and then merged back, no profiles found bar the defaults..

That should have worked. Make sure they're in the right spot: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\virtualdub.org\Altirra\Profiles.

 

QUESTION:

 

Is it possible to somehow force Altirra to stay full-screen on Monitor #1 while I do something on Monitor #2? Right now, everytime I click on something on monitor #2, Altirra restores back to a small window.

 

Yes -- you need to enable borderless fullscreen mode in options, display.

[Mclaneinc]

Hi Avery, thanks for the answer, you have given me an alternative re the fusll screen with Keetah's answer of border less window.

 

Re the res swapping on monitors for FS, its obviously not been a major issue so far as I think myself and Keetah are the only posters I've seen so I can't see a huge reason unless you fancy doing a change to work around it and with the borderless window unless that affects Vsync'ing or performance between windowed and FS.

 

Just found the culprit re the registry import, me of course, I'd made Altirra portable while testing at some long ago point and of course had an ini sitting in the directory.....Grrr.....So silly....

 

And what's more annoying, it as the whole point of asking about the separate export for the profiles because I didn't want to play around with ini's and there's me with one sitting there

 

I was born with a whole lot of stupid and still got plenty left!

Edited January 24, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[Keatah]

QUESTION:

Is it possible to somehow force Altirra to stay full-screen on Monitor #1 while I do something on Monitor #2? Right now, everytime I click on something on monitor #2, Altirra restores back to a small window.

Yes -- you need to enable borderless fullscreen mode in options, display.

 

Look! 2 separate monitors on my 1990's legacy rig!

 

 

[Keatah]

Oh yes and by the way thanks for your continued presence and tech support.

[+DrVenkman]

Have you tried resetting the options via Tools / options /settings?

 

Backup any registry / config file first

 

I do this on many releases when it starts to do 'odd' things...

 

Not blaming Avery, just OS behaviour in general...

 

 

Just a minor update:

 

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.90-test24.zip

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.90-test24-src.zip

 

(SNIP)

 

Hmm, strange. The simulation was definitely running, but the emulated computer wasn't booting. I'm guessing it was because of a misconfigured device or missing firmware for a device. Well, if you see it again, I'd be interested in the exported contents of the Registry or the INI file if you're running in portable mode.

 

 

So interestingly, I just tried 2.90test24 and it booted right up with the same settings I had been using with test23, no need to reset the settings like I had to last week to get things to boot up.

​I haven't played around with things much yet, but thanks for the regular and constant updates and improvements, Avery.

[atx4us]

Hi Avery, thanks for the answer, you have given me an alternative re the fusll screen with Keetah's answer of border less window.

 

Re the res swapping on monitors for FS, its obviously not been a major issue so far as I think myself and Keetah are the only posters I've seen so I can't see a huge reason unless you fancy doing a change to work around it and with the borderless window unless that affects Vsync'ing or performance between windowed and FS.

 

Just found the culprit re the registry import, me of course, I'd made Altirra portable while testing at some long ago point and of course had an ini sitting in the directory.....Grrr.....So silly....

 

And what's more annoying, it as the whole point of asking about the separate export for the profiles because I didn't want to play around with ini's and there's me with one sitting there

 

I was born with a whole lot of stupid and still got plenty left!

 

Paul,

 

Stupidity is a very relative term. Your "stupidity" has been smarter than a lot of the "smart" things that I've come across You have been a great contributor to this forum and some of your ideas for Altirra have been quite clever! You said that you've "got plenty left". So, keep it coming my good man.

 

Hayden

[fujidude]

I think Paul just uses the (probably wise) tactic of self deprecation. When a person does that, it tends to short circuit anyone Else's potential desire to do so before it even really gets started.

 

And, just to be clear, I am not implying that we should be wise to his "plan" and start letting him have it for how stupid he is in here. I don't think he is stupid at all. In fact, I wonder if he worries too much that other may think so.

 

So Paul... I'm pretty sure no one thinks you as stupid, or your questions/comments. Feel free to stop slapping yourself so much. You don't deserve it!

Edited January 25, 2017 by fujidude

[Mclaneinc]

 

 

 

So interestingly, I just tried 2.90test24 and it booted right up with the same settings I had been using with test23, no need to reset the settings like I had to last week to get things to boot up.

​I haven't played around with things much yet, but thanks for the regular and constant updates and improvements, Avery.

 

Hi DrV,

 

As said there's odd times I've found that things just did odd stuff and a reset cured it, bu that could be things like rom changes, silly things like I did where I had an ini file but normally used the registry so reported a bug about the registry by accident. Just want to confirm that I have had odd moments which Ive said before in the past where a setting reset cured it, not saying it was Avery's writing which has been superb but even the master has left the odd bit of code in or the such.

 

Not saying I have to reset the settings on any regular basic, for me the most times I do is because I'm fiddling about with odd configs to see if I can cause a crash so to report them forward.

[Mclaneinc]

@fuji and Hayden,

 

I think my self depreciation has been taken a bit more than it was ever meant to be, I say I'm stupid as a joke mechanism so threads don't get bogged down in lows, yes I'll always admit where I have got it wrong and call myself a plonker etc but its more a British sense of humour than me hitting depression low or looking some sort of sympathy. I myself feel like a child in a sweet shop in here, so many wonderfully talented folk who truly ARE head and shoulders above my learning level and understanding of the Atari and computing in general but I'm also proud that I went from a kid with poor and few qualifications to teaching special needs children, learning some electronics, running a major branch of a major British retailer for 10yrs after being there for 3yrs previously and picking up the ability to learn stuff at a much better rate than I would have thought. So I'm a happy bunny and for what I don't understand I can ask.

 

The one thing I have which some may not is being there right at the just before it all happened and witnessed the sudden major change in what home entertainment and computing was, when playing Ker-Plunk suddenly went to playing Pong and then the first iterations of consoles and computers, those times were priceless, the change, the difference is something none of these kids today could imagine, it opened the doors to greater and more useful learning at a faster rate, it was IMMENSE, these days it increments of display quality and CPU / GPU power, the youth sees COD in a better res, its not so radical as what I and others have seen and THAT is worth all the brains in the world to me.

 

What I do appreciate are these kind words and worries, it shows just what this wonderful group is all about, support.

 

That is what it should be about and AtariAge should be proud of its standing in those stakes...

 

Paul, just happy to help...

Edited January 25, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[Keatah]

Ker-Plunk, Gnip-Gnop, Verti-Bird, Erector Sets, Fischer Technik, loved all that stuff back in the day. Especially winter days in the warm & cozy basement & family room. With tons of blankets all over and plenty of snacks and cartoons and story-telling inside impromptu forts. Reading astronomy books at night.. Dreaming of telescopes and space travel. Imagining having ALL our videogames in one single box..

 

Emulators on AtariAge. A kid in a candy store. Is there any difference?

Edited January 25, 2017 by Keatah

[w1k]

this game doesnt work in latest altirra

 

on atari800win works fine

OF.zip

[Mclaneinc]

Keatah, could not have put it better myself....I grew up in that sort of childhood, loved ALL those things and the home computers and arcades came along, it was like the Ape man in 2001, those other toys were still wonderful as were the activities but suddenly a whole new futuristic type of fun was here, the difference was simply chalk and cheese to a child, now as a younger adult I had Pac Man etc...Amazing..

 

And yes, I always regard all these emulators as superb, it is indeed a new candy store for us, how lucky are we...

[Mclaneinc]

this game doesnt work in latest altirra

 

on atari800win works fine

 

 

I tried Atari800Win Plus and it crashes every way I look at it, on Altirra it hits a non valid opcode..

 

Is this one of these things that needs booting via a DOS?

[w1k]

 

 

I tried Atari800Win Plus and it crashes every way I look at it, on Altirra it hits a non valid opcode..

 

Is this one of these things that needs booting via a DOS?

 

i dont know.. if works in one emulator, why not in other.. its ok, i dont care

[flashjazzcat]

Works fine in Altirra here (File -> Boot Image) despite the fact the binary loads at $0700 and wipes out many other loaders (U1MB, for example, causing a crash on an illegal opcode).

[Mclaneinc]

Jon, what Altirra and what OS please, crashing here all over the place

 

EDIT: I see its actually a BASIC prog internally, reset it and ran it and it worked but not directly from the XEX

Edited January 26, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[flashjazzcat]

Doesn't seem to matter too much: tried various XL/XE OS revisions, RAM sizes, etc. Perhaps make sure internal BASIC isn't in the way.

[Mclaneinc]

Doesn't seem to matter too much: tried various XL/XE OS revisions, RAM sizes, etc. Perhaps make sure internal BASIC isn't in the way.

 

Only way it works for me is after it crashes, I go to debug where it shows a crash at line 9 and then F8 and type run (no BASIC at load time)

Edited January 26, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[Keatah]

Worked for me with 65XE/130XE or 600XL/800XL or 1200XL, XL/XE/XEGS 4.0 or 2.0 or 1200XL Firmware, PAL.

Presence or absence of BASIC didn't seem to affect anything.

It'll start by simple drag'n'drop..

 

XL firmware seems to be a requirement.

[Mclaneinc]

Looks like i have some duff OS roms again.....

 

Reset to the old initial roms and it works......

 

Thanks guys, time to weed them out...

[phaeron]

Just another badly written program with hardcoded ROM addresses. Requires XL/XE OS and Atari BASIC rev. B or C, won't work with any other configuration. The loader knows to turn on internal BASIC at least, but it jumps directly into both the OS and BASIC ROMs. The OS hardcoded jump could have been done the right way for only six bytes....

[phaeron]

Update:

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.90-test25.zip

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.90-test25-src.zip

• Display size now adjusts when toggling VBXE.
• Implemented the fast/slow switch for Happy 810/1050 and the write protect switch for Happy 1050. Both are under System, Console Switches. You need the rev.7 (6K) firmware for the fast/slow switch to work on the Happy 810; the earlier 3K revision didn't implement track buffering.
• Fixed status register readout from .fdc debugger command.
• Fixed a display issue where sometimes the display would repaint strangely after exiting full screen mode, due to not updating an internal monitor rect.

Note about the Happy Controller: one of the schematics floating around for it has a couple of errors. The logic expected by the firmware is: access to $9800-9FFF toggles Set Overflow if Fast/Slow is set to Slow and resets Write Protect to normal; access to $4000-7FFF toggles Write Protect inversion.

[mr-atari]

Just another badly written program with hardcoded ROM addresses. Requires XL/XE OS and Atari BASIC rev. B or C, won't work with any other configuration. The loader knows to turn on internal BASIC at least, but it jumps directly into both the OS and BASIC ROMs. The OS hardcoded jump could have been done the right way for only six bytes....

 

Seems that MyBIOS / ATARI-basic work nicely too.

Can't play the game, since it is polish.....

 

Any change of adding 115k2 baudrate to the diskdrive options?

This to support the baudrates of SIO2BT

(19k2, 38k4, 57k6, 115k2)

 

Thanks for the new update too. :-)

[wesmond]

Hi all,

 

Phaeron, could I request/suggest a (very low priority) feature - could the "Load cassette tape" feature support a compressed audio type like mp3, as well as wav?

The reason is I'm contemplating trying to make an archive copy of some tapes like the Invitation to Programming series, which will end up with some tiny BAS files, but the low-quality audio speech might run into Gb as WAVs.

 

Thanks for all the work on Altirra as always,

Wes