BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?

jamesbeat

I have a Retropie console set up with my tv, but I came to realize that a TV/controller setup isn't ideal for many of the machines I like to emulate.
Computer based emulators just don't work all that well with a big display and a controller, and using a keyboard and mouse on your lap is not much fun either.

I decided that I should make myself an additional setup just for my computer emulators.

I bought a Pi Zero, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to have quite enough grunt to emulate the Atari ST properly, so I'm going to get a Pi3.

One of the machines I want to emulate is the BBC Micro.
It isn't in Retropie by default, nor is it in any of the optional or even experimental packages.

I found this guide and managed to install it:
http://haprpi.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-bbc-lives.html?m=1

This worked great on my x86 based TV console.

On the Pi Zero however, it runs extremely poorly, like one frame every two seconds or something.

I was a bit taken aback by this. It worked so smoothly on my x86 console that it didn't even occur to me that it might be a slow emulator.
Considering the Pi Zero runs ScummVM games without hiccups, I was actually surprised that it couldn't do Atari ST, but surely a BBC Micro should be no problem!

Anyway, I'm worried that even a Pi3 might not be able to cope with the lowly Beeb, in which case I really should be looking into another x86 based machine.

Has anyone tried this on a Pi3 (or would be willing to try it out)?

mediamogul

@jamesbeat

I'm worried that even a Pi3 might not be able to cope with the lowly Beeb

There are several people at the link you provided claiming that it works well for them on the Pi2. The situation should only improve with the Pi3. If you read through the comments, it seems that the audio driver needs to be changed to "alsa" in order to get sound.

caver01

@jamesbeat You should be able to get it working with AdvanceMESS.

mediamogul

@caver01

It might even be preferable. Apparently Beeb has an issue that prevents discs from being changed without crashing.

caver01

@mediamogul said in BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?:

@caver01

It might even be preferable. Apparently Beeb has an issue that prevents discs from being changed without crashing.

Ouch. I am not experienced with BBC Micro growing up in the USA, but I expect that behavior isn't accurate emulation!

mediamogul

@caver01

Ha! I would hope not.

backstander

@caver01
I also have not heard of the BBC Micro until here very recently.

@jamesbeat
What games would you recommend on this system?

caver01

@backstander I have certainly heard of it over the years, just no hands-on experience--something that is perhaps long overdue.

@jamesbeat I too am interested in suggestions about disk images worth exploring to properly represent this system.

I think I could do a parallel configuration to my Apple II MESS setup without much trouble.

jamesbeat

@backstander
I didn't actually have that many games for my BBC (I got a Spectrum soon after) but here's a list of the ones I enjoyed:

The Hacker (note that this is not the same game as "Hacker" - it's a platformer a bit like Manic Miner)
Manic Miner
Jet Set Willy
Repton
Elite

That's about it before I got my Spectrum (the BBC was my Dad's really).

The BBC Micro was intended as the companion machine for a series of computer education TV programmes by the BBC.
The BBC commissioned the machines from Acorn.
A lot of the TV programmes are on YouTube.
I think they are called:
The Computer Programme
Making The Most Of The Micro
Micro Live

The BBC Micro was apparently the original inspiration for the Raspberry Pi project, so it's quite the travesty that it is not available through Retropie (I'm sure there must be a good reason).

There is actually a BBC Micro template in the Carbon theme, so someone must have been planning to include it at some point.

BuZz

Looking at a BBC port has been on my todo list for way too long. I'm a big fan of the machines and should definitely prioritise it (maybe I should spend less time on the forum, replying to retropie emails, and more time coding).

mediamogul

@jamesbeat

The BBC Micro was apparently the original inspiration for the Raspberry Pi project

Really? I've never heard that before. Very keen!

There is actually a BBC Micro template in the Carbon theme, so someone must have been planning to include it at some point.

This is also the case for the Fairchild Channel F and soon to be true of the Bally Astrocade as well. I believe the idea is that once these systems are implemented, the graphics will be there waiting.

jamesbeat

@mediamogul said in BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?:

@jamesbeat

The BBC Micro was apparently the original inspiration for the Raspberry Pi project

Really? I've never heard that before. Very keen!

Yep, that's why the original models were called the Model A and the Model B.

Just like with the Pi, the BBC Model B had a higher spec than the Model A, and was much more popular.

backstander

@BuZz

(maybe I should spend less time on the forum, replying to retropie emails, and more time coding)

You should probably just clone yourself and have one of you do the forum and the other one do the programming and then (so you don't get bored) after a while you and your clone can switch!

jamesbeat

@BuZz said in BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?:

Looking at a BBC port has been on my todo list for way too long. I'm a big fan of the machines and should definitely prioritise it (maybe I should spend less time on the forum, replying to retropie emails, and more time coding).

It does stand to reason that there should be a BBC emulator in Retropie.

Not trying to give you extra work (the Retropie team has already done so much for this community) butI think it would be really popular.

While it wasn't the most widely sold of the 80's home micros, something like 85% of all schools in the UK had at least one.
There are a LOT of people in the UK who were exposed to these machines as children.

jamesbeat

@backstander said in BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?:

@BuZz

(maybe I should spend less time on the forum, replying to retropie emails, and more time coding)

You should probably just clone yourself and have one of you do the forum and the other one do the programming and then (so you don't get bored) after a while you and your clone can switch!

This seems reasonable.

mediamogul

@backstander

You should probably just clone yourself and have one of you do the forum and the other one do the programming

That never plays out well. Ultimately you'll discover that the clone is evil, which will lead to a frantic situation where both are pointing to each other as being the imposter. Take it from me, it just ruins your day when you find out that you shot the wrong one.

caver01

@mediamogul said in BBC Micro on Retropie & Pi3?:

@backstander

You should probably just clone yourself and have one of you do the forum and the other one do the programming

That never plays out well. Ultimately you'll discover that the clone is evil, which will lead to a frantic situation where both are pointing to each other as being the imposter. Take it from me, it just ruins your day when you find out that you shot the wrong one.

Symbolic link then? Wait. That won't get any extra work done.

mediamogul

@caver01

Symbolic link then? Wait. That won't get any extra work done.

Come on now. That's just an offensive stereotype against symbolics.

BuZz

Trust me - you don't want a clone of me :-) Poor @herb_fargus would have two people calling him up drunk!

mediamogul

@BuZz

I can only imagine the blackmail material you two must have on each other.