Old Computer Appreciation Thread

[Folly]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly So essentially you're putting the commands in the .bat file you'd normally input into DOS?

So if I created a blood.bat file it would be :

cd blood
blood.exe

Right?

Yes that should work.
You can remove .exe

[Zering]

@folly said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

lr-dosbox:
file structure :

RAYMAN.BAT
cd/RAYMAN.bin
cd/RAYMAN.cue
RAYMAN/<harddrive files>(no image file)

RAYMAN.BAT:

@echo off
imgmount D cd/RAYMAN.cue -t iso
C:
cd C:\RAYMAN
rayman.exe save=C:\RAYMAN

So I'm trying to figure out what's going on here.
Imgmount is mounting the CD image.
C: is indicating to DOS where to look for RAYMAN?
I can't tell what echo off and save=C:\RAYMAN are meant to do.

[Folly]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

lr-dosbox:
file structure :

RAYMAN.BAT
cd/RAYMAN.bin
cd/RAYMAN.cue
RAYMAN/<harddrive files>(no image file)

RAYMAN.BAT:

@echo off
imgmount D cd/RAYMAN.cue -t iso
C:
cd C:\RAYMAN
rayman.exe save=C:\RAYMAN

So I'm trying to figure out what's going on here.
Imgmount is mounting the CD image.

Yep

C: is indicating to DOS where to look for RAYMAN?

Yep (EDIT: tip from adambegood -> not necessary in this example)

I can't tell what echo off and save=C:\RAYMAN are meant to do.

"echo off" -> you don't see the commands while loading (not necessary)
"save=" -> game specific, I think

[Folly]

@Zering

I also run Philips P2000 on lr-dosbox :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7271/philips-p2000/3

[Zering]

@folly I did not even know the P2000 existed.
You keep giving me things to tinker with! ^^

[Folly]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly I did not even know the P2000 existed.
You keep giving me things to tinker with! ^^

Cool, isn't it ?

Seems that cas support is now added in lr-mess for Philips P2000.
So I have to try.
But I think display is still monochrome.

[AdamBeGood]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

lr-dosbox:
file structure :

RAYMAN.BAT
cd/RAYMAN.bin
cd/RAYMAN.cue
RAYMAN/<harddrive files>(no image file)

RAYMAN.BAT:

@echo off
imgmount D cd/RAYMAN.cue -t iso
C:
cd C:\RAYMAN
rayman.exe save=C:\RAYMAN

So I'm trying to figure out what's going on here.
Imgmount is mounting the CD image.
C: is indicating to DOS where to look for RAYMAN?
I can't tell what echo off and save=C:\RAYMAN are meant to do.

DOSBOX mounts /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pc as the C:\ drive by default.

[Folly]

Dosbox (standalone):
This is also a nice example on how to run, for example, Philips P2000 with a game :

Lazy-Bugs.sh :

#!/bin/bash
/opt/retropie/emulators/dosbox/bin/dosbox -fullscreen -scaler normal3x -c "@echo off" -c "mount c: ~/RetroPie/roms/EmuOnDos/Philips_P2000T" -c "cls" -c "c:" -c "m2000 -verbose 0 -boot 1 -tape games/Lazy-Bug.cas" -c "exit"

Batch (.bat) commands are integrated in the .sh script with [-c "etc...."].

[AdamBeGood]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly I did not even know the P2000 existed.
You keep giving me things to tinker with! ^^

It's so retro! Proper old school. I've never heard of it before either.

[Folly]

@adambegood said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

lr-dosbox:
file structure :

RAYMAN.BAT
cd/RAYMAN.bin
cd/RAYMAN.cue
RAYMAN/<harddrive files>(no image file)

RAYMAN.BAT:

@echo off
imgmount D cd/RAYMAN.cue -t iso
C:
cd C:\RAYMAN
rayman.exe save=C:\RAYMAN

So I'm trying to figure out what's going on here.
Imgmount is mounting the CD image.
C: is indicating to DOS where to look for RAYMAN?
I can't tell what echo off and save=C:\RAYMAN are meant to do.

DOSBOX mounts /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pc as the C:\ drive by default.

Indeed your right :

C:

Not necessary.

[Folly]

Some P2000 screenshots ;-)

[Zering]

@folly So I think we all agree about covering every manner of old computers on this thread then? ^^

[Folly]

@zering said in Old Japanese Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly So I think we all agree about covering every manner of old computers on this thread then? ^^

Yes, we can.

Are you going to convert the thread name ?

[Zering]

@folly Yes, and more than that. I've got some ideas, I just need time to do it ^^

[Folly]

@AdamBeGood @Zering

Just made a post :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/7271/philips-p2000/4
Got the P2000T working in lr-mess:
Too bad, still no cas file support.

@dmmarti
You've made some valerino scripts too, I read.
Do you have an idea for this problem?

[dmmarti]

@folly Hmm...looks like that system still isn't setup for cassettes yet.

Reading about it over on the progetto mess systems page, it's still not listed as having a -cass option.

I launched my PC stand alone MAME (pretty recent version) and when I launch the P2000 system, pressing TAB to bring up the MAME GUI, I don't see any tape related devices to load a cassette into like I would expect to see.

Not really sure how to load a cassette in it then.

[Zering]

Guys, I've began editing my first post to record all the info we've discussed in this thread. It's going to take me a while so bear with me. I might also write up a list of recommended games on each system based on everybody's input.

[Folly]

@dmmarti said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Hmm...looks like that system still isn't setup for cassettes yet.

Reading about it over on the progetto mess systems page, it's still not listed as having a -cass option.

I launched my PC stand alone MAME (pretty recent version) and when I launch the P2000 system, pressing TAB to bring up the MAME GUI, I don't see any tape related devices to load a cassette into like I would expect to see.

Not really sure how to load a cassette in it then.

Thank you for trying.
Will look into into it later on.
One day the solution will come for sure, I think ;-)

[Folly]

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

Guys, I've began editing my first post to record all the info we've discussed in this thread. It's going to take me a while so bear with me. I might also write up a list of recommended games on each system based on everybody's input.

Good idea to summarize everything in the first post.
Look quite good altready :-)

[Zering]

@folly Thanks. It's going to take a while. And I'll need to find some games to recommend for some of those more obscure systems ^^

Edit : Tried running X1 through MESS again. Got unexpected results.

I used Xanadu as an example as I'm mostly keen to try and get some multi-disk games started. The core starts but the game doesn't. I'm booted back to ES after a few seconds.

The log is strange :

log

Here is the part I think is at the source of the issue :

[libretro INFO] Starting game from command line:/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/x1/xanadu.zip
[libretro INFO] ARGUV[0]=/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/x1/xanadu.zip
[libretro WARN] Driver xanadu not found -1
[libretro WARN] Game not found: xanadu
[libretro INFO] Game name: x1, Game description: X1 (CZ-800C)
[libretro INFO] Game name: x1, Game description: X1 (CZ-800C)
[libretro INFO] System found: x1

"xanadu" approximately matches the following
supported software items (best match first):

It's like lr-mess isn't finding the software at all. Yet when I look at my x1_flop hash :

<software name="xanadu">
		<description>Xanadu</description>
		<year>1985</year>
		<publisher>日本ファルコム (Nihon Falcom)</publisher>
		<info name="release" value="198511xx"/>
		<info name="alt_title" value="ザナドゥ"/>
		<part name="flop1" interface="floppy_5_25">
			<dataarea name="flop" size="415840">
				<rom name="xanadu_a.d88" size="415840" crc="89ff1612" sha1="a1e9abfde29f169841a6e77267cf85f1a69475cd" offset="0" />
			</dataarea>
		</part>
		<part name="flop2" interface="floppy_5_25">
			<dataarea name="flop" size="415840">
				<rom name="xanadu_b.d88" size="415840" crc="40bf59ac" sha1="3586dee49739d72ffe827435bf8fa3211d0b5cca" offset="0" />
			</dataarea>
		</part>
		<part name="flop3" interface="floppy_5_25">
			<dataarea name="flop" size="416384">
				<rom name="xanadu_c(user).d88" size="416384" crc="e3d2cff7" sha1="bc2bb8b7a145462b5233e353f500d9be1f5397f8" offset="0" />
			</dataarea>
		</part>
	</software>

There are some notes at the beginning of the hash file concerning compatibility, but nothing about Xanadu.

Games I haven't managed to start (possibly due to my mistakes):
* zeliard: at the end of the intro it prints "read EMM address [00]" while waiting for something
* suikoden, sangoku2, sangoku2a, nobuseng: sits to a jpn message waiting for who knows what
* revolty2: waits for something to happen
* reviver: waits for something to happen
* mule, mulea: waits for something to happen
* mugen2: waits for something to happen
* lastarma: sits forever at the first intro screen
* lagrange, dside: incomplete dump, needs system disc?
* hajafuin: waits for something to happen
* gatlabyr: how to start a game?
* gambler2: how to pass the first menu?
* crimson, crimsona: which disk combination is expected?
* blassty: stuck at no animation menu

Games with possible issues (either in emulation or in dump):
* wizardry->4: can't add character name. also how to create a duplicate disk (in pc8801 they were in the disk set)?
* profmj: true 400 lines mode not implemented?
* mightmag: corrupted chars
* lizard: waits for something to happen
* hydlide2b has no saved data, while hydlide2 & hydlide2a have characters in them
* hydlide3b: fails to see the user disk + the set contains at least 1 hydlide disk (check crc16)
* gruppe: starts loading then errors out as if the disk is not recognized
* gradiusk: is this supposed to do something?
* frontlin: input issue?
* dione: does not display text correctly
* blckonyx: is it missing a data disk?
* bastard: does not start. input issue?
* arcus: black screen after wolfteam logo
* aokiooka: glitches (chars cut in half)
* alpha: is the title screen correct or is it glitched (I'd bet the latter)?
* advfant: glitches
* ys: character sprite is glitched until you enter a new area

Games which start loading but never reach the program:
* vipc
* vipd
* turbobas (but not the clone turbobasa)
* turbzbas
* scruiser
* psyoblad
* powermj
* kingkngt
* jesus
* jesusd
* hydlide3, hydlide3a (invalid disks 2?)
* aztec
* ys3

Games which are completely not recognized (maybe not for x1?)
* unk_fl1
* srdemo
* robowres
* punchbal
* manilove
* fmdata

This thing has me stumped. Maybe one of you computer whizzes can figure it out.