BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu

AdamBeGood

@folly Nice, thank you! I'll try that tonight.

Folly

Because this thread is only for BBC Micro I also add this new module-script here.

I have made the emulator module-script for the b-em fork,
so we can run the discs from the bbcmicro rom directory !
Read the package help for some extra information.

Get it with this command :

wget -nv -O /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/emulators/b-em-pico-pi.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/main/00-scriptmodules-00/emulators/b-em-pico-pi.sh

Then install from the RetroPie-Setup.

AdamBeGood

@folly This all seems to work - I needed to change my es_systems from bbcb to bbcmicro in order to use that.

Any idea if there is a better way of doing that...? Or do I need two BBC Micro systems?

Also, I was looking at trying to get Stunt Car Racer and Prince of Persia by BitShifters (the guys who do all those demos) working. Stunt Car Racer says it "needs master", so I thought that might work on the new b-em emulator that I've added. But where does that look for discs (I feel like you've told me or linked me this before but I can't find it yet)? I am still seeing Twisted Brain, etc when I go to the disk select.

Folly

@adambegood said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@folly This all seems to work - I needed to change my es_systems from bbcb to bbcmicro in order to use that.

Any idea if there is a better way of doing that...? Or do I need two BBC Micro systems?

Well the bbcmicro name should be an improvement so the the names match the themes in emulationstation.
For example bbcb is a mame/lr-mess name and for these names there are no themes.
That's why a whole bunch of mame/lr-mess system names are converted to RetroPie names to match with RetroPie.

Also, I was looking at trying to get Stunt Car Racer and Prince of Persia by BitShifters (the guys who do all those demos) working. Stunt Car Racer says it "needs master", so I thought that might work on the new b-em emulator that I've added. But where does that look for discs (I feel like you've told me or linked me this before but I can't find it yet)? I am still seeing Twisted Brain, etc when I go to the disk select.

You have to install from this post :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/29402/bbc-micro-acorn-electron-emu/20

When you boot the disc in emulationstation from bbcmicro, you have to press a key and select xmaster if you want to run it with b-em. Only .ssd are supported for that emulator.

If it loads you will see this in the gui. <cmd-line>

Hope it helps.

Folly

@AdamBeGood

You can install more BBC Micro types just alter the last name in the curl line.:
Driver bbca (BBC Micro Model A):
Driver bbcb (BBC Micro Model B):
Driver bbcb_de (BBC Micro Model B (German)):
Driver bbcb_us (BBC Micro Model B (US)):
Driver bbcbp (BBC Micro Model B+ 64K):
Driver bbcbp128 (BBC Micro Model B+ 128K):
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listdevices | grep Driver | grep "BBC Master"
Driver bbcm (BBC Master 128):
Driver bbcm512 (BBC Master 512):
Driver bbcmaiv (BBC Master AIV):
Driver bbcmarm (BBC Master (ARM Evaluation)):
Driver bbcmc (BBC Master Compact):
Driver bbcmc_ar (BBC Master Compact (Arabic)):
Driver bbcmet (BBC Master ET):
Driver bbcmt (BBC Master Turbo):

You have to use the appropriate BIOS files though.

AdamBeGood

@folly It's weird. I've tried both the Bitshifters games and neither of them have the <cmd line> option, despite being ssd files. I haven't been able to get either of them to work. They are available at removed.
I shouldn't be bothered but those demos were so cool that I am interested what their game conversions are like.

The games are conversions of Prince of Persia and Stunt Car Racer.

Folly

@adambegood said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@folly It's weird. I've tried both the Bitshifters games and neither of them have the <cmd line> option, despite being ssd files. I haven't been able to get either of them to work. They are available at bbcmicro

I shouldn't be bothered but those demos were so cool that I am interested what their game conversions are like.

The games are conversions of Prince of Persia and Stunt Car Racer.

Ok, that's weird.
When I am at home I will try them too with b-em-xmaster.
Can't do this because this doesn't work on my x86 laptop.

I tried it now with lr-mess and system bbcm (works) :

Folly

@AdamBeGood

Are you aware of the magic scraper line ?
Goto your directory where the files have to go then (creates with subdirectory's) :

wget -c -r https://<the website> -A ssd

Or

Goto your directory where the files have to go then (creates without subdirectory's) :

wget -c -r https://<the website> -A ssd -nd

AdamBeGood

@folly So the scraper just takes the first game it finds of that name does it?

I'll try bbcm for those games, thank you!

Folly

@adambegood said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@folly So the scraper just takes the first game it finds of that name does it?

I'll try bbcm for those games, thank you!

You don' have to click anymore.
It will get all the ssd files it finds from a website and places them in the directory you are in.

Real magic, just try.

AdamBeGood

@folly said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@adambegood said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@folly So the scraper just takes the first game it finds of that name does it?

I'll try bbcm for those games, thank you!

You don' have to click anymore.
I will get all the ssd files it finds from a website and places them in the directory you are in.

Real magic, just try.

Hahaha that is madness! Not sure I want all the files but I will try it...

Do I need a BIOS for the Master? If I run lr-mess-system-bbcm-flop1 then I just get an Initialising screen and have to turn my Pi off. I guess that is the core you are using?

Folly

@adambegood

yep, the bbcm.zip and the saa5050.zip I think.

AdamBeGood

@folly said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@adambegood

yep, the bbcm.zip and the saa5050.zip I think.

Yes, Fol! You are quite right, those games work now. I am enjoying exploring the BBC! I definitely had Citadel as a kid, I played that yesterday.

Edit: Stunt Car Racer glitches for me when I get into the actual racing sections. Prince of Persia is fine.

AdamBeGood

@folly said in BBC Micro / Acorn Electron Emu:

@AdamBeGood

Are you aware of the magic scraper line ?
Goto your directory where the files have to go then (creates with subdirectory's) :
wget -c -r https://<the website> -A ssd
Or

Goto your directory where the files have to go then (creates without subdirectory's) :
wget -c -r https://<the website> -A ssd -nd

I am running this on a site now, very clever!

mitu

@adambegood What the status of the ROM distributed via the above site ? Do they have a free/shareware license atttached ? If unsure, then please remove the link to the site.

AdamBeGood

@mitu I think it is okay, but for safety I have removed.

Folly

@adambegood

Works with b-em-xmaster :

AdamBeGood

@folly Is that xmaster as a core name or not?

I don't get the option to select the disk for this game when I select "xmaster". Is there something else I should have installed for this? Arggg

Folly

@adambegood

You don't have to select within xmaster.
Just boot the game from emulationstation.
Then press a key, so you can change the emulator and choose xmaster.
Then launch.
If you don't see this, then you haven't installed the correct module-script.

AdamBeGood

@folly I know this sounds mad, but I can’t select <cmd line> or whatever that option was called with that game. I can with other games on the core, but not this game.

I am using xmaster, yep.

I don’t understand!

Edit: And if I press Ctrl-F12 without altering anything it runs “Twisted”.