Old Computer Appreciation Thread

[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.

[AdamBeGood]

@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.

It's great work, Zering! I'll have another read through tomorrow but didn't notice any errors going through, until the end where you said "two button keyboard", when you probably mean joypad. :p Also you put a space in "an other" right at the end, but I imagine you were tired by then! Superb stuff.