X68000 Beta - Updates and Releases

[jca]

OS-9 68K
In the archive I mentioned previously there is a directory for various OSes including OS-9 68K. There are floppies in D88 format and hard disks in HDF format.
I did not try to convert the D88 floppies and only tried the HDFs with Puu latest release, they do not boot.
I tried with the latest official MISTer release
Problem with the D88 floppies.
HDF in Text mode: the OS boots, a prompt in Japanese appears (Login prompt?) and pressing <Enter> starts the shell where the few commands I tried work.
HDF in Pwin mode: the desktop appears but is bigger that the screen, the bottom and right hand side are missing and the visible part of the desktop is empty and nothing happens. Pressing the Menu button on the controller brings up the MISTer menu but at the same time a shell window appears on the desktop. Similar to the test mode pressing <Enter> at the login? prompt starts the shell and the few commands I know work. The mouse does not work.
Time to learn a few more commands and see if it really works.
As Kitrinx said consolidating the 2 versions and working only on this base code would be a good idea to have a fully working core.
Right now I am working on "converting" the hdm floppies to xdf from the archive. The work consists mainly of unzipping and organizing the hdm files. For the conversion I wrote a batch file to do a recursive renaming of hdm -> xdf. At this time I just finished files starting with D as there is at least a gazillion files.

[jca]

More OS testing
Ko-Window
Renamed hdm to xdf. No luck.

SX-Window V3.1
Renamed hdm to xdf.
Booted nicely into a desktop which fits on the screen and with a working mouse.
Everything is in Japanese which makes it difficult to use.
I managed to start a media player but have no idea on how to load anything in it.
This one has really good potential.

[jca]

More OS Testing
Renamed hdm to xdf.
Shell window fits on the screen and the mouse is working.
This one is not a real OS but a Visual Shell. It has some graphical applets like the Calendar shown on the screen shot. Other applications like BASIC.X switch to full screen text mode and upon exit return to the Visual Shell. Menus are mainly in English.
Intersting and usable.

[akeley]

Thank you for the latest version. Any chance to bring back the "Full Screen" option in the Aspect Ratio tab? In this version the "16:9" doesn't have the same effect when using modelines to display on a CRT - the image is still vertically squished, only a tiny bit less than in "4:3".

Or perhaps somebody managed to sort it out some other way?

[CartoonDonkey]

Where can I download the english version of this os? It looks incredible. Can you launch games directly from it?

[jca]

Everything X68000 is in Japanese. Very few games were developed for SX-Window. With Visual Shell it should be possible to run regular games.

[notFound]

Any release date of the new core?

[jca]

Not anytime soon:
viewtopic.php?p=56123#p56123

[notFound]

OK, thank you.

[jca]

@CartoonDonkey if you are interested watch this video. There is also a link explaining how to make the disks.
So far I found I found a few SX-Window games in the archive I mentioned but so far they are difficult to use if you do not read Japanese. These are simulations: SimAnt and SimEarth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4UZvvswf18
So far I organized and "converted" to XDF all the official games. Now is the time to test what is usable for non Japanese readers but there are tons of RPGs. I also found a few HD images including big ones which are not supported by the core. I hope that at some point they will be supported so we can create a MegaX68K disk.
The archive has also a gazillion Doujin & Homebrew disks which I did not touch yet.

[CartoonDonkey]

Thank you man!

[pgimeno]

I've added a converter from D88 to XDF to the link in my signature, for the benefit of those who can't run VFIC. Like all the others, it's written in Python and works with the MiSTer's Linux.

I'm not writing DIM to XDF, FDI to XDF or FDD to XDF converters. Convert them to D88 and then the D88 to XDF. Maybe I will add support for pipes, so you don't have to generate a temporary file if you want to convert DIM/FDI/FDD to XDF.

[Alkadian]

I've added a converter from D88 to XDF to the link in my signature, for the benefit of those who can't run VFIC. Like all the others, it's written in Python and works with the MiSTer's Linux.

I'm not writing DIM to XDF, FDI to XDF or FDD to XDF converters. Convert them to D88 and then the D88 to XDF. Maybe I will add support for pipes, so you don't have to generate a temporary file if you want to convert DIM/FDI/FDD to XDF.

Thanks for your new converter from D88 to XDF. It worked like a charm indeed!

[Alkadian]

@puu,
Many thanks for your latest release of this awesome core.
When you get a chance could you please let me know if you are planning to implement JT51 sound chip available from Jotego?
Reason being I have just tested R-Type (.xdf format) with an almost 2 years old modified version of the core compiled with the JT51 sound implementation and it does sound great!
Thanks again and keep up the good job!

[Madnar]

Thanks for updating the core. Will it be updated on git so that the update_all script can get it?

[kold666]

it seems the new update of the core breaks direct video. All games are fixed to 31khz instead of switching to 15khz when needed

[AlxUnderBase]

Loaded in my New Astro City cabinet through Jamma Expander

[zoopster]

it seems the new update of the core breaks direct video. All games are fixed to 31khz instead of switching to 15khz when needed

My understanding is that latest build from the core developer is missing the video changes made by Kintrix so reverts back to 31khz only. It’s a shame but the solution is to to use an older build.

[AlxUnderBase]

it seems the new update of the core breaks direct video. All games are fixed to 31khz instead of switching to 15khz when needed

it's any way buddy to change from 31khz to 15khz ? how this can be done ?
need to mention , i don't have possibility to attach a keyboard on this setup i run in NAC cab through jamma expander

[_javi_]

Loaded in my New Astro City cabinet through Jamma Expander

TwinBee defaults to 15khz so you have a good image.
Many games start at 30khz and you have to press a key (HELP key in most cases) to show 15khz mode.

https://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:game_notes

Even having a keyboard you have to map the "x68k HELP" key to any of the keyb you are using, which is a difficult taks and i havent been able to do so far...

[kold666]

it seems the new update of the core breaks direct video. All games are fixed to 31khz instead of switching to 15khz when needed

My understanding is that latest build from the core developer is missing the video changes made by Kintrix so reverts back to 31khz only. It’s a shame but the solution is to to use an older build.

it's really a pity. if you have an original Sharp Monitor or an Amiga Multisync monitor like the Microvitec it's really cool but many games are broken.
I will stick with the older build then

[kold666]

it seems the new update of the core breaks direct video. All games are fixed to 31khz instead of switching to 15khz when needed

it's any way buddy to change from 31khz to 15khz ? how this can be done ?
need to mention , i don't have possibility to attach a keyboard on this setup i run in NAC cab through jamma expander

you need to use modelines with direct_video=0
it's already a mess with other cores, with X68000 and so many different resolution it will be a nightmare
I suggest to buy an arcade dual sync monitor ( trisync only if you want to play a couple of games with 24khz)

[CartoonDonkey]

Still waiting for the day this core can play Salamander. :-/

[AlxUnderBase]

Loaded in my New Astro City cabinet through Jamma Expander

TwinBee defaults to 15khz so you have a good image.
Many games start at 30khz and you have to press a key (HELP key in most cases) to show 15khz mode.

https://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:game_notes

Even having a keyboard you have to map the "x68k HELP" key to any of the keyb you are using, which is a difficult taks and i havent been able to do so far...

Yeah , the games in 15khz are nice looking and they working . Actually , im very happy i can play TwinBee, since is a good replacement for arcade pcb !

____

Anyway , ive seen running Cho Ren Sha on MisterAddons setup :

[snakehead]

Still waiting for the day this core can play Salamander. :-/

you don't need to wait !! use the old X68000 core and you can play Salamander today

[CartoonDonkey]

erm @snakehead which one?

[snakehead]

erm @snakehead which one?

The original one that came with Mister setup ( i believe its version 3.13 ) the one that uses a secondary SD card

[jca]

The official version from the repo works very well on the MISTer SD card, no need to use the secondary SD card but it only supports D88 floppies which takes ages to load.

[snakehead]

The official version from the repo works very well on the MISTer SD card, no need to use the secondary SD card but it only supports D88 floppies which takes ages to load.

yes but it does not run Salamander

[CartoonDonkey]

The answer is no it does not.