Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?)

Folly

For now b-em-allegro4 is, as is.

On some installs I have noticed a permission issue not able to save cmos.bin after quitting.
And I might want to remove using matchbox if I can, however could be that xdotools doesn't work without it.

Something for the future when I want to.

Folly

Happy to announce that my b-em-allegro4.sh module script has had some fixes and changes.
And, that it's still working on the RPI5 and working more fluid then on the RPI4.
Tested OK on RPI5 with 64 bits Raspberrypi OS Bookworm assuming it will still work on older RPI's and older OSes and 32 bits OSes.

Btw :
Sadly b-em-pico-pi.sh doesn't work anymore, at least not on RPI5 with 64 bits Raspberrypi OS Bookworm and doesn't seem to be directly fixable.

duglor

@Folly b-em-allegro4.sh that you updated recently is for the raspberry pi - retropie 4.8 , correct?

Game Compatiblity list and format still mame cassette bbc xml? ssd xml?

just download the b-em-allegro4.sh for beeb-em, nothing more, correct? not the pico, etc.. on that list at
RetroPie-Share/00-scriptmodules-00/emulators?

Also, this new emulator didnt' break any of your previous lr-mess-X builds did it? x1, etc.... or which ones should i check to see if they are still working after installation?

Either way, I'm going to finally try it now, following a reply. You be well!

Folly

@duglor said in Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?):

@Folly b-em-allegro4.sh that you updated recently is for the raspberry pi - retropie 4.8 , correct?

My updates are not retropie 4.8 specific.
It should work on older versions too.

Game Compatiblity list and format still mame cassette bbc xml? ssd xml?

There is no compatibility list for b-em just try them out.
You can use files from mame, however they need to be unzipped as b-em doesn't recognize archived files.
Supported media is .uef (tapes) .ssd (disks)

just download the b-em-allegro4.sh for beeb-em, nothing more, correct? not the pico, etc.. on that list at
RetroPie-Share/00-scriptmodules-00/emulators?

Correct

Also, this new emulator didnt' break any of your previous lr-mess-X builds did it? x1, etc.... or which ones should i check to see if they are still working after installation?

No, it will not break.

Either way, I'm going to finally try it now, following a reply. You be well!

Good luck !
Let me know how it goes.

duglor

@Folly It went great!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful and very very happy to play on this machine i never saw in real life!! Thank you so so much!!

the tidbit questions left, if no to all, that's fine. One can only do so much!!!!!!!!!! thanks again...

Can I get a resolution higher than 800x600 in full screen, if so, how?
There is a slight darkness to my screen in full screen mode. It brightens up nicely in the little window mode. Is there a way to brighten up full screen mode?
Is there a way to enlarge window mode to the size of a full screen ?
Is there a way to use a joypad for native games that don't use joypads? If no, is there an external program for the pie that will do this?
Is there a way to just quit the emulator KER-THWAP!? without f11?
minorly, is there a way to add overlays?

That's it. That's all! Thanks much!!! I also noticed that for BOFFIN 1...the uef....it has trouble, but then i entered *TAPE and then *RUN and it was fine. I think i thought it needed *TAPE and then CHAIN"". For GRANNY'S GARDEN i had to Load"Gran1" or Load"Grand1" first , i cant' recall and then enter RUN to get that one going. the others all autoran fine!

THANKS SO MUCH

Folly

@duglor said in Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?):

@Folly It went great!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful and very very happy to play on this machine i never saw in real life!! Thank you so so much!!

Nice to hear.

the tidbit questions left, if no to all, that's fine. One can only do so much!!!!!!!!!! thanks again...

Can I get a resolution higher than 800x600 in full screen, if so, how?

No, can't find any options to alter the resolution.

There is a slight darkness to my screen in full screen mode. It brightens up nicely in the little window mode. Is there a way to brighten up full screen mode?

No, can't find any options to alter the brightness.
It's likely due to your monitor, see if you can change settings over there.

Is there a way to enlarge window mode to the size of a full screen ?

For me the size is full-screen.
Try changing the video mode at start, perhaps that will do the trick.

Is there a way to use a joypad for native games that don't use joypads? If no, is there an external program for the pie that will do this?

Never tried but there should be programs available for joypads that can simulate key-presses.
Btw. the readme describes joypad emulation but I just tried adding a joystick.
Nothing works except that the cursor keys on the keyboard can be used.
It might be that they call that joypad emulation, though I really don't know.

Is there a way to just quit the emulator KER-THWAP!? without f11?

The source is patched before compiling.
That way it's possible to exit with ALT+ESC.
ESC only was also possible but then you can't use ESC within the emulator so I did't do that.

minorly, is there a way to add overlays?

No

That's it. That's all! Thanks much!!! I also noticed that for BOFFIN 1...the uef....it has trouble, but then i entered *TAPE and then *RUN and it was fine. I think i thought it needed *TAPE and then CHAIN"". For GRANNY'S GARDEN i had to Load"Gran1" or Load"Grand1" first , i cant' recall and then enter RUN to get that one going. the others all autoran fine!

THANKS SO MUCH

Could be that some just don't work, most of them do ;-)

duglor

@Folly
Hello.
I've looked around the b-em sites and I cant' find a defintions or glossary file for what the default settings mean.

Can anyone tell me what the below settings for this emulator mean and what other choices i have as numeric values? or a link to the answer?

key_as = 0
vdfsenable = 0
ideenable = 0
scsienable = 0
displaymode = 3
ddtype = 0
ddvol = 2
cursid = 2
sidmethod = 0
soundwave = 0
soundfilter = 1
sndtape = 0
sndddnoise = 0
snddac = 0
sndmusic5000 = 0
sndbeebsid = 1
sndinternal = 1
tube6502speed = 1
tube = -1
model = 3
defaultwriteprotect = 1
video_resize = 0

Folly

@duglor

These config settings are representatives of the settings that can be selected in the menu when using F11.

duglor

@Folly Is this emulator in a state where it can be "libretro-ized"?

How does that usually occur? Since I got the Retropie, I don't think there has been any new lr-XXX emulators created. They were all done before I joined.

Anyway, it would be nice to be able to change screensize, add key to Joy support as one of the control options aka "keyboard". etc.

-Doug

Folly

@duglor

FYI I am using quite old source code that works very good on the raspberry pi's.
It's not a good idea to libretrolize very old source code.
It would be better to use the latest source for that.
Libretrolizing depends on many decisions that play a part.
Like do they want to do the work and are there enough volunteers to do the job.
Besides the licence must be allowing it and it's nice to ask for permission to do it.
You see there will be many factors playing a part.

I can't really improve the emulator as I am not a real c developer.
The only thing I can and willing to do is make some minor patches to it.

ps.
I read that you are promoting my module-script on stardot.
That's ok but make sure you link to my repository.
Then everyone knows where the module-script originally came from and people can dig in to improve it.

duglor

ok!

@Folly said in Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?):

@duglor
ps.
I read that you are promoting my module-script on stardot.
That's ok but make sure you link to my repository.
Then everyone knows where the module-script originally came > from and people can dig in to improve it.

Evan

I'm an avid BBC Micro fan from my childhood, but the instructions for this seem very vague. My first attempt trashed retropie_setup.sh in that it gave me a 404 error on running, which appeared to be the text contents of a file the process downloaded.
Can someone provide step-by-step instructions please?

Folly

@Evan said in Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?):

My first attempt trashed retropie_setup.sh in that it gave me a 404 error on running, which appeared to be the text contents of a file the process downloaded.

You probably downloaded the module-script, that you want to add, wrongly. check that file with a text editor.
Remove it and then make sure you get the file correctly and try again.

Evan

@Folly
I tried again, same problem....
I'm following instructions from "post 4" above, i.e. downloading the script. Then running the add external repositories option from retropie_setup.sh in Config/Tools.

It seems to download quite a bit of stuff and then at the end it comes up with this: -

/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/packages.sh: line 912: __mod_idx: bad array subscript
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/emulators/runcommand-archypie.sh: line 1: 404:: command not found
Module is missing valid rp_module_id
Module is missing valid rp_module_desc

at this point it has exited to the command line and doesn't return to the retropie_setup.sh menu.

And when I try now to get back into retropie_setup.sh I get this

sudo ./retropie_setup.sh
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/packages.sh: line 912: __mod_idx: bad array subscript
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/emulators/runcommand-archypie.sh: line 1: 404:: command not found
Module is missing valid rp_module_id
Module is missing valid rp_module_desc

It can't run.

Folly

@Evan

Ok, I see.
You have used the external repositories script.
I will edit post 4 not to use that anymore.
Things have changed in how stuff is downloaded from github and for some reason that script doesn't work anymore.

To fix it remove all files in the ext/RetroPie-share folder or the whole folder RetroPie-Share.
See if retropie-setup will run after that.
(If it doesn't then rename your RetroPie-Setup folder to another name and clone it again from, see instructions :
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup)
If it still works then download this file (right-click on raw and save) :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/main/00-scriptmodules-00/emulators/b-em-allegro4.sh
and save it here :
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/emulators/b-em-allegro4.sh
Then run retropie-setup again and look for the script in experimental packages and install it from source.

Edit :
ext-ext-repos.sh has been removed from github :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/18d01c8d5b25a7a4053c0938998f38cb7e48564d

Evan

@Folly

Thanks for that, I'll give it a go and let you know.

Bingo! That worked, thank you for that.

Folly

@Evan

Good for you !

Now you know how it works pasting 3rd party module-scipts inside the ReroPie-Setup.

phoenixdacat

@Folly I have followed the instructions and copied all 7 of the emulators/*.sh files into /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/emulators/ but none of them show under experimental packages or any other package menu in RetroPie_Setup.

Have I missed a step?

I've been able to install and use your mamedev.sh script with no issue.

Folly

@phoenixdacat said in Acorn BBC Micro Emulator (current?):

@Folly I have followed the instructions and copied all 7 of the emulators/*.sh files into /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/emulators/ but none of them show under experimental packages or any other package menu in RetroPie_Setup.

Have I missed a step?

Apparently you have missed a step.
Check again if you have them in the correct folder.

did you make a typo ?
are you using another username ?
open up an sh file, do you have content in them ?
did you check the very last packages in experimental packages below ?

phoenixdacat

@Folly

no typo.
user name is pi.
the .sh files have script content.
I scrolled all the way to the bottom.

The mamedev.sh script works. I did wonder if this was a permissions or ownership issue, but the permissions for the scripts in the emulators folder are identical to mamedev.sh.

Is there anyway that I can run the emulator scripts from the CLI, outside of the retropie_setup.sh, so that I can troubleshoot?