ROM Set for TI99Sim?

[+mizapf]

On WHTech we already have a collection of RPKs that contain RXB in different versions.

 

If you want to update one of them, just unzip the RPK (maybe you have to rename it to *.zip first), and replace the dumps. The layout.xml defines how these dumps are mounted. Maybe you can keep it as is. Then zip it again and change the suffix to .rpk.

[+mizapf]

I now have TurboForth running in 80 column mode in MAME on my Linux laptop. Runs like a champ. Really smooth. I just wish the bloody keyboard would map to the PC keys!

 

There are two keyboard modes: natural and emulated. Natural means it maps keys from the PC keyboard to TI keystrokes, possibly what you are looking for. However, it does not map raw keycodes from the keyboard, it takes the output of the keyboard driver of the PC. Mind that we have different keyboard layouts, depending on your locale! What suits you on your English keyboard, will not suit for German or French ones. And this is the worst problem: If the keyboard driver cannot map a keystroke to a character, the natural keyboard does not get it, and the emulation will not see a key. In particular, none of the CTRL combinations yield a character, so none will work in the natural keyboard. This makes the natural keyboard unusable for me. (No, I have no clue how to solve that, otherwise I would have given the responsible devs some hints already.)

 

The emulated keyboard is the precise emulation, and it takes the raw keycodes, so it can sense a pressed CTRL key. However, the keys do not match the PC keyboard. I have two ways to cope with this:

 

- I got used to it. Funnily, when I turn to a PC application later, like writing an E-mail, I have to take care not to press AltGr-P to get a quote or to use Alt-S to move the cursor backward. But my false presses have become pretty rare.

 

- I turn a TI console into a USB keyboard. That way, I have a perfect mapping. This project is described in an earlier message on AtariAge and involves an Arduino.

 

- I use the Geneve emulation, whose keyboard is closer to the PC keyboard. Still, it differs at some points because of the other layout on my QWERTZ keyboard.

 

(which were three ways, actually)

 

Some years ago I planned to better emulate the SGCPU keyboard, which is a PC keyboard. At this time, this keyboard is indeed improperly emulated, as it is done in the way of the normal TI console. I have to replace it with a PC keyboard, but this also means I have to create an emulation of the adapter chip on the SGCPU card. It is on my list (for the last 5 years, yes).

[Casey]

Ok how do you create a RPK?

 

And put that batch copy in a text file, do I make it a short cut? (did not work)

 

mame64 ti99_4ev -cart rpk/rxb.rpk -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 samsmem -ioport:peb:slot3 speech -ioport:peb:slot7 evpc -ioport:peb:slot8 hfdc -flop1 disks/somedisk.dsk -flop2 disks/someotherdisk.dsk $*

 

(This is why I hate text stuff)

Start Notepad, paste this line in here, and save it somewhere. You’ll need to change the default extension type in Notepad from “text files” to “all files” and just save it as something like start_mame.bat or whatever you want to call it. The extension just needs to be .bat

 

Once you’ve done that, you can create a shortcut icon on your desktop or anywhere else and point it at the .bat file, or you can start a DOS window and cd into the directory your .bat is and just type start_mame (with no extension) and it’ll run the command in the bat file.

 

The menu one I posted above I just named mame.bat and so when I want to run it, I just click the Start button, click Run, and then type in C:\mame64\mame and it runs my batch file.

[Airshack]

I do have Windows 10, Windows 7, OS X and Linux Ubuntu on my Mac Pro.

 

The only Text Based OS I like is TI99/4A, all the others suck and are to much work.

 

I mean millions of commands to memorize on Linux or Unix vs TI with only like 100 to remember.

 

Currently I am exclusively on my HP Desktop as the Mac Pro can not run any current games as the Video card is topped out and slow.

Hey Rich!

 

Are you booting each from individual drives or using VM. I picked up an older Xeon Quad Core MacPro of Craigslist so I’m interested in your configuration.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[RXB]

On WHTech we already have a collection of RPKs that contain RXB in different versions.

 

If you want to update one of them, just unzip the RPK (maybe you have to rename it to *.zip first), and replace the dumps. The layout.xml defines how these dumps are mounted. Maybe you can keep it as is. Then zip it again and change the suffix to .rpk.

LOL RXB 2012? 6 years ago????

RXB 2015 has been out for 3 years now?

 

No one with a brain can say that MESS is easy to set up or make work with any form of ease.

Never worked with XML so again something to learn just to put up another block.

[RXB]

Hey Rich!

 

Are you booting each from individual drives or using VM. I picked up an older Xeon Quad Core MacPro of Craigslist so I’m interested in your configuration.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yea my MacPro Tower has 4 drives each with own OS on each dirve bay.

1. Mac OS x

2. Windows 7 Pro

3. Windows 10 Pro

4. Ubuntu Linux

5. Documents.

 

If you open up the side of the Mac Pro tower you will see the back of the Blu Ray DVD R/W Drive has a single plug, but a spare plug is there for another DVD drive.

I just plugged a 750 Gig SATA Laptop drive into that and that is where I keep all my backup documents.

 

Note: you have to pull the DVD Drive out sideways a bit to see the spare cable for power and SATA.

 

I did have a SATA card with 4 more drives coming out the back of the Mac Pro but it was taxing the Power supply badly and had to dump the idea.

Edited August 9, 2018 by RXB

[RXB]

Start Notepad, paste this line in here, and save it somewhere. You’ll need to change the default extension type in Notepad from “text files” to “all files” and just save it as something like start_mame.bat or whatever you want to call it. The extension just needs to be .bat

 

Once you’ve done that, you can create a shortcut icon on your desktop or anywhere else and point it at the .bat file, or you can start a DOS window and cd into the directory your .bat is and just type start_mame (with no extension) and it’ll run the command in the bat file.

 

The menu one I posted above I just named mame.bat and so when I want to run it, I just click the Start button, click Run, and then type in C:\mame64\mame and it runs my batch file.

OMG aggravation!!!!

Windows 10 keep popping up this window asking for program to edit that file, that will not let me change the file extension from .txt to all file or even save it that way.

 

No matter what I do when I attempt to save this line in Text if will NEVER SAVE AS "ALL FILES" only TXT???

 

This is the entire problem, you guys do this all the time and are used to it so looks really simple.

 

F*** now every Text file Icon is MESS ICON!

Edited August 9, 2018 by RXB

[+mizapf]

Rich, it took me 3 minutes to create a RXB 2015 RPK, attached below. I suppose this is a fraction of the time you needed to write your rant. It took me half of the time to find your zip file in the forum.

 

1. If there was no RXB past 2012, then maybe no one asked for it, and I did not need it. It is not my job to prepare RPKs for everyone who writes software.

2. I said you may likely keep the XML file as is. The only thing I changed was the year. Yes, not all XML-formatted files are self-explaining; the layout.xml largely is.

3. I'm not really sure what you messed up in your Windows, but this was clearly a layer 8 error.

rxb2015.rpk

[RXB]

Rich, it took me 3 minutes to create a RXB 2015 RPK, attached below. I suppose this is a fraction of the time you needed to write your rant. It took me half of the time to find your zip file in the forum.

 

1. If there was no RXB past 2012, then maybe no one asked for it, and I did not need it. It is not my job to prepare RPKs for everyone who writes software.

2. I said you may likely keep the XML file as is. The only thing I changed was the year. Yes, not all XML-formatted files are self-explaining; the layout.xml largely is.

3. I'm not really sure what you messed up in your Windows, but this was clearly a layer 8 error.

Ok is .rpk just a extension changed to .zip? Or visa versa?

Are they the same?

I have never worked or know a thing about XML so excuse me for not knowing what a "layer 8 error" is?

 

Just pretend I have not used XML or Linux Scripts or spend much time using any OS Scripts of any type.

The only time I used scripts was Apple Talk and DOS 3.1 at one time, so more then out of date with what you are doing.

 

You are taking a crap load of things for granted when helping me.

My wife complains about the same thing when I help her on the computer, so now I know how she feels.

[Airshack]

Seriously, I love Rich’s rants! Keep it up buddy. I feel your pain. Those rants are classic and AtariAge wouldn’t be as much fun without them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[senior_falcon]

Ok is .rpk just a extension changed to .zip? Or visa versa?

Are they the same?

I have never worked or know a thing about XML so excuse me for not knowing what a "layer 8 error" is?

 

Just pretend I have not used XML or Linux Scripts or spend much time using any OS Scripts of any type.

The only time I used scripts was Apple Talk and DOS 3.1 at one time, so more then out of date with what you are doing.

 

You are taking a crap load of things for granted when helping me.

My wife complains about the same thing when I help her on the computer, so now I know how she feels.

I feel your pain. Everything is simple and obvious, once you know how. One of the students once asked me "Did you compile that from source?" I have no clue what he meant. (Nor do I wish to, just in case someone wants to try to enlighten me!)

 

My problem is that I can learn something but when I need it again 6 months later it's gone and I have to relearn it. It's like trying to keep water in a colander.

[senior_falcon]

 

And I would prefer MESS to my current IBM 360 running PC99 instead, but at least it does work without a hitch.

 

Also I could put MESS on my PC and dump the IBM 360 and put it back in storage.

Isn't the IBM 360 a mainframe from the 1970's? And I thought my computer was old....

[RXB]

Isn't the IBM 360 a mainframe from the 1970's? And I thought my computer was old....

Sorry I was wrong and guess age is getting to me.

 

It is a 300PL

 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=IBM+300PL+desktop%3B&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC17_e8uLcAhWjKH0KHd9fA0YQ_AUICigB&biw=1570&bih=876#imgrc=oCRVqPx_4T_pzM:

 

I upgraded it from a 180Mhz processor to a 450 Mhz and a little RAM increased.

 

Still slower than a Turtle on ice.

Edited August 10, 2018 by RXB

[senior_falcon]

 

Hey Willsy,

 

Have you tried Classic99 under WINE? Is WINE still a thing on Linux?

 

B

I cannot "Paste XB" when using Classic99 under wine. Is there some setting that makes that possible? I can LIST "CLIP" just fine.

[+arcadeshopper]

LOL RXB 2012? 6 years ago????

RXB 2015 has been out for 3 years now?

 

No one with a brain can say that MESS is easy to set up or make work with any form of ease.

Never worked with XML so again something to learn just to put up another block.

 

easy no, powerfull and complete yes

michael makes all the files for emu you can just use his, if he is missing something ASK HIM TO ADD IT instead of complaining and being negative

[globeron]

Willsy,

Recently I purchased a Raspberry PI, and I wanted to see how pc99 ran on it. It worked with Dosbox, but was a bit slow. I decided to try TI-99/sim since it had a native ARM implementation.

I took me about three hours to get things up and going or wondering around. I've included my notes to self here. It also includes the links I used to pull carts and roms. So if nothing else, that might be of assistance.

 

Raspberry TI PI Observations.

 

Install Stretch - the lite seems like a good ideal, but you be looking up how to install a lot of stuff by hand.

 

Install DOSBOX

mkdir d/cadd/{dsk, modules, pc99, romgrom}

copy over needful files.

pminfo reports a speed of about 11 - ~the same speed as a 4a.

-- At this point, I'm not really sure, who provides the translator between the arm and 8086 instruction set.

 

 

 

RetroPie:

Setup Manually https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Manual-Installation

Good Docs, but the thing it's missing is

 

1) you don't want to run the install as root.

2) you don't want to run the install with a full qualified path.

3) you want to copy the install files to /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup

4) cd /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup and then ./retropie_setup.sh

manual packages>exp>149 (at this time) ti99sim - it will mark it with ti99sim (Installed) if it's installed.

 

The run able file is located in:

/opt/retropie/emulators/ti99sim/ ti99sim-sdl

 

(Ok, let's take a deep breath. If everything worked, your about 1/3 of the way done)....

Right.. haven't these people heard of a double click, install?

 

Things won't run with out the OS.

Download the OS from here: http://dl.openhandhelds.org/cgi-bin/gp2x.cgi?......%20%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3E%C2%A0%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Cb%3EDate%20d,1,0,0,72,2798

You get: Downloading gp2xti99-v1.1.0-bin.zip (1.16 MB)

Unzip it, correct the case and copy to:

/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/TI-994A.ctg

 

OS is covered, what about modules?

http://zx81.zx81.free.fr/public/wiz/wizti99/cartridges.zip

unzip and copy cartridges to:

/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ti99/

advture.ctg cartridges.zip espial.ctg lasso.ctg othello.ctg slymoid.ctg topper.ctg

alpiner.ctg carwars.ctg et.ctg lobster.ctg pacman.ctg slymoids.ctg treasr.ctg

Amazeing.ctg Carwars.ctg facemkr.ctg mashgam.ctg parsec.ctg sneggit.ctg treasurebeta.ctg

amazing.ctg casi

 

to run a specific module,

/opt/retropie/emulators/ti99sim/ti99sim-sdl /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ti99/moonpat.ctg

easy pezy...

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ok.. the emulator itself is up and running. But.. Wait, you got none of the freaking tools.

Isn't that special.

Go Here: http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/archives/

Copy the latest armhf files and unzip.

It includes prebuilt binaries, which is good, but our old linux friend,

different version of SO lives (see some fixes below).

 

 

 

----

libssl (specific version) needed by catalog.

 

mkdir special_installs - need to make pre-configure utils run.

wget http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/pool/main/o/openssl/libssl1.0.0_1.0.2l-1~bpo8+1_armhf.deb

sudo dpkg -i libssl1.0.0_1.0.2l-1~bpo8+1_armhf.deb

 

libboost_regex needed by mkcart

so... looking for 1.55 - but not handy..

apt install libboost-regex-dev

then root@raspberrypi:/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf# ln -s libboost_regex.so libboost_regex.so.1.55.0

Protip: ldd (binary package)

 

================================================================================

The most helpful setup doc, I found was here:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/250767-how-to-install-ti-994a-ti-99sim-on-retropie-v36-raspberry-pi2-or-pi3/

(It includes links for where to go and download this stuff).

 

The REALDOC for ti99sim can be found here:

http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/README.html

 

 

Dan

I have a post on AtariAge how to install it on a Pie. Also a video on YouTube channel TI99 Videos. Also I have a complete 8gb image for the microsd

 

Sent from my VIE-L29 using Tapatalk

[globeron]

Ok how do you create a RPK?

 

And put that batch copy in a text file, do I make it a short cut? (did not work)

 

mame64 ti99_4ev -cart rpk/rxb.rpk -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 samsmem -ioport:peb:slot3 speech -ioport:peb:slot7 evpc -ioport:peb:slot8 hfdc -flop1 disks/somedisk.dsk -flop2 disks/someotherdisk.dsk $*

 

(This is why I hate text stuff)

I agree on the text stuff, I also cannot keep remembering these things. Especially working with many systems. I liked it when it was + QMC2 to setup systems, see my video: https://youtu.be/ynSJJMxJ3sc but I do not know if that works for Mame?

 

Sent from my VIE-L29 using Tapatalk

[RXB]

NOMENCLATURE is the issue here.

Like Quantum Mechanics or Programming using terms you are familiar with but do not explain to those not educated in these terms.

 

Think of it like you are telling grandma about Quantum Mechanics and you never stop using Nomenclature she has no clue what those names/words mean.

You might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to her.

 

Just because you use XML all the time do not assume EVERYONE HAS.

Just because you do hardware all the time do not assume EVERYONE HAS.

 

This is not really that hard to understand, it happens often and requires thinking outside own box.

 

Not complaining just a simple request that anyone would make when you have a problem.

This is like the guy asking directions and he gets a story of buildings and sites in history on how to get there, that is useless unless you lived there.

[RXB]

 

easy no, powerfull and complete yes

michael makes all the files for emu you can just use his, if he is missing something ASK HIM TO ADD IT instead of complaining and being negative

I am amazed at what he has done, and yes I am impressed.

I asked for a install I CAN DO AND UNDERSTAND this is not a bitch session just a simple request and I am not stupid, just do not know what he knows.

 

Like my work with robots, you can kill someone it you make a mistake so number one rule is....what could go wrong.

Second rule what does the USER need to know or does not know, and what stupid thing could the user do that must be prevented.

Third rule make all documentation so easy to read a child could read and understand it. (So as little Nomenclature as possible)

[+mizapf]

I agree on the text stuff, I also cannot keep remembering these things. Especially working with many systems. I liked it when it was + QMC2 to setup systems, see my video: [...] but I do not know if that works for Mame?

 

You can use QMC2; I don't, actually.

 

a) The text lines may seem long, but they are not cryptic. They are, in contrast, quite self-explaining; you start with the invocation of MAME, add the driver (system), and then configure the pluggable devices. The name space is hierarchical, so you have to spell out the path (like :ioport:peb:slot8:hfdc:f1). If you read slowly from start to end, I'm sure it is much less intimidating. I once thought about proposing a naming scheme that allows you to do a kind of relative addressing so that a subdevice name is searched from the last position in the tree, but after I though a bit longer about it, it is not so helpful after all, as you write those lines only once in most cases.

 

b) It seems to me that people believe we Linux users are always typing those long lines again. At least I don't, this would be much too cumbersome. I have a set of script files (much like batch files) for all typical scenarios that I use MAME with. The default bash script interpreter allows you to add a $* at the end of the line in the script, which tells it to add additional attributes from the command line as they appear.

 

Example:

 

File ti99

#!/bin/bash
./mame64 ti99_4ae -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 32kmem -ioport:peb:slot3 speech -ioport:peb:slot8 hfdc $*

File geneve

#!/bin/bash
./mame64 geneve -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -peb:slot5 speech -peb:slot6 tirs232 -peb:slot8 hfdc -peb:slot8:hfdc:h1 generic -hard1 /home/michael/mame/disks/hd/mainhd.hd $*

After I wrote these two script files, I don't need to think about their contents any longer. For me, working with MAME now means:

 

$ ./ti99

If I want a cartridge inserted, I can simply append it:

 

$ ./ti99 -cart exbasic

Maybe with tdisk01.dsk?

 

$ ./ti99 -cart exbasic -flop1 mydisks/tdisk01.dsk

Or run the Geneve, with log output turned on?

 

$ ./geneve -oslog

There is even less typing that it seems, because the bash interpreter has file name completion (TAB key), and you can easily scroll back through history with CTRL-R. So if I remember that yesterday, I was running MAME with Extended Basic and tdisk01.dsk, I usually do this:

 

<CTRL-R><t><i><9>... (interactively going backwards through matching command lines, maybe repeating CTRL-R) <Return>

The point about QMC2 is that it does not deliver more than a bash script, and in contrast, you have an additional source of complexity in between. I know perfectly what my script files do, and I know how to edit them. Maybe I find out that I'm using Extended Basic and tdisk01.dsk quite often; then I copy my ti99 script to a new ti99ex script, add those parameter, and continue with that one.

 

One of the nice features of Windows 10 is that you can search for programs in the start menu by typing their names. On the other side, this is what I am doing in the bash interpreter all the time (using the completion feature). This is not too far apart from each other.

Edited August 11, 2018 by mizapf

[RXB]

I try the texts but all I get is MAME screen and same thing with no changes?

 

Or sometimes I get a CMD screen and then it goes away like nothing happened.

 

From command mode in Windows 10 I see the same thing.

 

I am missing something but what I have no clue.

[Casey]

I try the texts but all I get is MAME screen and same thing with no changes?

 

Or sometimes I get a CMD screen and then it goes away like nothing happened.

 

From command mode in Windows 10 I see the same thing.

 

I am missing something but what I have no clue.

I'll see if I can record a video with how I've got mine set up and put it up on YouTube. That may help. I'll try to get to that tomorrow. Once you get the initial set up done and set up icons or batch files or whatever you want to run them, you don't have to worry about the command line as much.

[RXB]

Cool!

Thanks will be much appreciated be me and others.

[Casey]

I didn't do any narration in this video, but I will walk through what is in here.

 

First, the assumptions:

1. You've extracted mame to a directory on your C:\ drive. Mine happens to be C:\mame0198 because that's the version I have currently.

2. You've extracted all of the cartridge ROM images from whtech to C:\mame0198\carts. It doesn't have to be there, but the beginning of the video will show how to set mame to look at this directory for cartridges and you won't have to go find them again.

3. When you see a pop up window appear over the top of the emulation, it's when I've hit the key to switch to the "partial keyboard". Doing this allows you to then hit the Tab key within the emulation, and that will bring up a window that lets you mount cartridges, disks or cassettes.

The default key to toggle the keyboard emulation is Scroll Lock. I've modified mine so that I can use Ctrl-Backspace because my laptop doesn't have a Scroll Lock key.

 

So the key sequence to bring up the on screen UI is:

1. Scroll Lock (a message appears about toggling the keyboard.)

2. Tab (to bring up the options to mount cartridges, cassettes, and disks.)

 

Once you have the things mounted the way you like, you do the reverse sequence:

1. Tab (to make the options go away from the screen - they are active now.)

2. Scroll Lock (to toggle the keyboard back to full emulation.

 

I know that sounds complicated, and at first, it may take some practice, but it becomes quite second nature.

 

And with that, here's the link to the video. It starts off by launch mame64.exe and showing how to set the location of the cartridges. The Tab key cycles between sections within the MAME GUI, but you can use the mouse as well.

Then, it runs the batch file I put in earlier in this thread that has my menu for invoking the various emulations. You'll see me mount a cartridge and a disk into the 99/4A, then quit and run something on the 99/8.

 

 

I hope this is helpful. But please ask questions. I tried to go slowly through the various menu selections so it would be easier to figure out what I have chosen at each step.

 

Note - there is a glitch in the sound at one point. That's not the fault of MAME, it's that the video program was processing while I tried to do something else and that caused that to happen.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Casey

[ndp630]

Thanks for posting that Casey! I'll definitely try an installation when I get some spare time this week.