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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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8 bit inspired "fantasy" computer virtual machine
Hi folks,
I thought I simply threw in here the "virtual machine", a sort of playground which I started developing back in 1989 (when I was 15 years old). It's called "make" and is inspired by old CBMs, C64, C128, Apple, Atari ... After I had switched to Apple in 1997, it lay idle until 2001, when (out of nostalgia) I bought a 3000 again and restored the old backup. (https://www.instagram.com/p/BtKUWb_nioK/ and https://www.instagram.com/p/BtL29cqnFcO/) Unfortunately I sold the 3000 by the end of 2004, but I kept an image of the hard disk. When the UAE became strong enough around 2010, I was able to bring my Amiga OS installation, which had been continuously maintained since the 1990s, back to life. And since around 2012, I've continued to work on "make" from time to time until the oats bit me at the beginning of 2022 and I gradually worked through all the outstanding issues - until today. Because now it's finished. It sports its own programming language, a "hardware" text mode with "hardware" blinking attribute and redefinable characters, and a monochrome gfx mode. To install, just create a folder "make" anywhere on your harddisk and unpack the .lha archive into it. Then simply start "make". It uses the 640x256x3 Amiga OCS hires mode, but without any problems it can also be promoted to an adequate RTG screenmode. With "help" you get a list of help options. Check out the included demo programs. Have fun! And of course, I'd be eager to get some feedback. Minimum system requirements: 68020 with FPU and 2 MB RAM. Last edited by Oli1974; Yesterday at 09:42. |
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#2 |
Alien Bleed
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 4,955
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I feel we may share certain interests
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Ah, do we?
![]() So did you try it out? What do you think? Does it run well on your machine (which?)? |
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#4 |
Alien Bleed
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 4,955
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I haven't yet, and I only have emulation to hand so I think my results won't be useful. It's more the idea of making up your own virtual computer platforms I was referring to. I've created a 68K assembler inspired 64-bit virtual machine that comes with a basic host providing IO, graphics and what not.
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Wow, sounds nice. About the same approach, but more sophisticated
![]() My virtual machine is 8-bit/VDC inspired ![]() But anyway, please give it a try. Emulation or not. I am interested in people's opinions! Maybe you even gonna write your own program? |
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#6 |
Alien Bleed
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 4,955
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I'll give it a whirl later!
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Check out the provided "Space Invaders" example program (load "spinv.mk") - it is in text mode, the aliens are redefined characters, and it implements a rudimentary time slicing to move the objects at different speeds and detect collisions. The game runs at exact the same speed on any computer, provided, that it is fast enough to handle it in the first place
![]() it is still missing bunkers, the alien attack ship on the top of the screen and the aliens can't shoot. But that is only because I am too lazy ![]() Ah, by the way: to slow down text scrolling hit the "." while text is output, and to pause scrolling, hit the space bar. |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Uploaded final version with some ultimate bug fixes and, more importantly, enhanced help system. With help "<command>" or simply <command> ? you get detailed help to every command now.
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: australia
Posts: 588
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Just note this has a runtime dependency on hbasic2.library ,,,
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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The library should be built into the code. Does it really not run without it? Yes, it is implemented in MaxonBASIC 3.
Anyway, here's the library in the correct version. |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Updated: Dependency should be removed, is a bit faster too
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Anybody who is testing it out: I would really be interested in the benchmark results on your machine. Maybe even somebody with a Vampire could check it out? My results on my old i5 PC are here. The program is called "benchmark.mk" and it's in the main directory.
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom
Posts: 2,189
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This is from an A1200 with PiStorm32lite, CM4 @ 2.2Ghz.
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#14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Thanks Dunny! Very interesting that you get these .9999999 artifacts
![]() Last edited by Oli1974; 24 August 2024 at 15:57. |
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#15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom
Posts: 2,189
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Sure, here you go!
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom
Posts: 2,189
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#18 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Yeah, that's indeed a huge project, even more so in BASIC with all its limitations
![]() I sent you an email already. Hehe and maybe you (or others) feel inspired to write some programs? ![]() |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Age: 49
Posts: 28
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Thanks to dunny, I was able to discover that "make" definitely needs a FPU (or FPU emulation). The crude Amiga OS FPU "simulation" that apparently kicks in when there is none isn't sufficient.
In the original post I updated the "make.lha" archive accordingly, for those who werent able to get it running before. |
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#20 |
Alien Bleed
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 4,955
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I've still not had a chance to try this our but I haven't forgotten.
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