Too hard to set up!

[bongomeno]

Hello, I have been trying to set up Batari Basic on my windows xp computer, but i am a little confused.

I download the version 1.0 put in c:\atari2600\bb\ and moved sed and set environment variables and all that stuff, but it still wont compile even with the ide. i just get a 0kb file. can any1 help me?

 

I think this is a VERY GOOD idea. so far all ive been able to do with my 2600 is make a few games a calculator and other simple things with my 'Basic Programming' cart.

 

I think that you should make an 'installer' program for batari basic. that would make it easier for people like me to get started right away. also maby try including an ide that is already set up with the compiler.

 

thanks

[+Random Terrain]

So far, the closest thing we have to an installer is Visual batari Basic. It will add the bB environment variable and add bB compiler to system path for you:

 

http://www.randomterrain.com/atari-2600-me...-basic-vbb.html

 

 

VbB will run on XP if you use Virtual Vista:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1644186

 

[You only need that if you have Windows 98.]

Edited May 20, 2009 by Random Terrain

[yuppicide]

First off, what the heck is Virtual Vista and why do I need it? VbB runs fine on XP without that. I've been running it for a long time now. Am even using the latest version. What you DO need though is NET Framework 3.0 at least, which is downloadable from Windows Yupdate free.

 

Second, I said they should make an installer as well. I believe some of the programs are not allowed to be redistributed like that, but what's to say someone other than Batari or Jwierer made it, and hosted it somewhere.

 

Eitherway though it's simple to get going if you follow the instructions on Batari's page that Michael wrote.

 

http://www.bataribasic.com/tutorial.html

[+Random Terrain]

First off, what the heck is Virtual Vista and why do I need it? VbB runs fine on XP without that.

Oh yeah, I misread it. If you have Windows 98, you need Virtual Vista.

[bongomeno]

THIS IS ABOUT TO DRIVE ME NUTS!!!!

 

I can not get this to work! I run 2600.bat and all i get is an error '| was unexpected at this time' I have tried everything i can think of and it wont work... im about to just give up on this.

[jwierer]

THIS IS ABOUT TO DRIVE ME NUTS!!!!

 

I can not get this to work! I run 2600.bat and all i get is an error '| was unexpected at this time' I have tried everything i can think of and it wont work... im about to just give up on this.

You installed DASM as well?

 

-Jeff

[SeaGtGruff]

THIS IS ABOUT TO DRIVE ME NUTS!!!!

 

I can not get this to work! I run 2600.bat and all i get is an error '| was unexpected at this time' I have tried everything i can think of and it wont work... im about to just give up on this.

I don't know if that error message is saying "|" (vertical bar) was unexpected, but if so, then you probably have some kind of typo or other bug in the batch file. Note that the original batch file (2600bas.bat) seems to have been written for Unix or Linux or some other OS that uses slashes instead of backslashes in the directory paths. Also, there are a few places in the batch file where some spaces seem to be needed to keep MS-Windows/MS-DOS from getting confused-- namely, around the various redirector symbols (such as ">") and pipes ("|" or the vertical bar). So you might need to edit the batch file a bit to make Windows happy. I've enclosed a copy of my batch file below, so you can compare it with yours to see where there's any differences in the spacing and in the use of backslashes instead of slashes. You might need to alter some of the lines to fit your particular installation-- such as the path in the "set bB" line.

 

@echo off

set bB=C:\Atari2600\bB
set Path=%Path%;%bB%

if X%bB% == X goto nobb
if exist sed.exe goto havesed
if exist %bB%\sed.exe goto havesed
goto nosed

:havesed
preprocess.exe < %1 | 2600basic.exe -i %bB% > bB.asm
if errorlevel 1 goto bBerror
if X%2 == X-O goto optimize
postprocess.exe -i %bB% > %1.asm
goto nooptimize

:optimize
postprocess.exe -i %bB% | optimize.exe > %1.asm

:nooptimize
dasm.exe %1.asm -f3 -I%bB%\Includes -l%1.lst -o%1.bin | sed.exe "/Label mismatch/d" | sed.exe "/shakescreen/d;/rand16/d;/debugscore/d;/pfscore/d;/noscore/d;/vblank_bB_code/d;/PFcolorandheight/d;/pfrowheight/d;/pfres/d;/PFmaskvalue/d;/overscan_time/d;/vblank_time/d;/no_blank_lines/d;/superchip/d;/ROM2k/d;/NO_ILLEGAL_OPCODES/d;/minikernel/d;/debugcycles/d;/mincycles/d;/legacy/d;/PFcolors/d;/playercolors/d;/player1colors/d;/backgroundchange/d;/readpaddle/d;/multisprite/d;/PFheights/d;/bankswitch/d;/Unresolved Symbols/d;/vblk2/d;/repostable/d;/scorepointerset/d;/game/d" | sed.exe "2,/-->/!{ /-->/,/-->/d; }" | sed.exe "s/--> 0./Possible duplicate label: /"
rem yes, I know :) This is the first attempt to make DASM's output more useful!
goto end

:nosed
echo sed.exe not found.  Continuing without it.
pause
preprocess.exe < %1 | 2600basic.exe -i %bB% > bB.asm
if errorlevel 1 goto bBerror
if X%2 == X-O goto optimize2
postprocess.exe -i %bB% > %1.asm
goto nooptimize2

:optimize2
postprocess.exe -i %bB% | optimize.exe > %1.asm

:nooptimize2
dasm.exe %1.asm -f3 -I%bB%\Includes -l%1.lst -o%1.bin
goto end

:nobb
echo bB environment variable not set.

:bBerror
echo Compilation failed.

:end

By the way, all of that stuff after the ":nooptimize" line should be on one line-- meaning no carriage return until you get to the "rem" line. Obviously, the really long line will probably wrap around in your editor, but that's okay as long as there's no carriage return in it. I've attached the batch as well, inside a ZIP file.

 

But the most likely culprit is the need for a space on both sides of the pipe or "|" character, since your error message seems to indicate that the "|" was encountered unexpectedly.

 

Michael

 

PS-- Oh, and I also added some blank lines to help separate the various sections from each other. Plus, I use a command switch with DASM that generates an assembly listing.

2600bas.zip

[bongomeno]

THANK YOU! I will try this out.

[+batari]

There have been some issues with some versions of XP Pro that I don't think were ever resolved. These problems aren't present with XP Home or any other versions of Windows. What OS are you using?

 

As for an installer, If I knew how to build one (or had the desire to learn how), I would. I'm not a Windows programmer so you just get CLI stuff from me

[SeaGtGruff]

As for an installer, If I knew how to build one (or had the desire to learn how), I would.

Would it be okay for someone else to put together an installer, then? I mean, are there any known issues about including DASM, or Stella, or Visual batari Basic, all in one installation package? Or maybe the installation package wouldn't actually include Stella, or Visual batari Basic, but would prompt the user to select, download, and install an emulator and editor as part of the overall batari Basic installation process, and then configure everything to work together.

 

Michael

[jwierer]

As for an installer, If I knew how to build one (or had the desire to learn how), I would.

Would it be okay for someone else to put together an installer, then? I mean, are there any known issues about including DASM, or Stella, or Visual batari Basic, all in one installation package? Or maybe the installation package wouldn't actually include Stella, or Visual batari Basic, but would prompt the user to select, download, and install an emulator and editor as part of the overall batari Basic installation process, and then configure everything to work together.

 

Michael

Redistributing VisualbB in a setup package would be fine with me. I just ask that if somebody does it, the thread gets pinned so it's easy for everybody to find.

 

-Jeff

[+batari]

As for an installer, If I knew how to build one (or had the desire to learn how), I would.

Would it be okay for someone else to put together an installer, then? I mean, are there any known issues about including DASM, or Stella, or Visual batari Basic, all in one installation package? Or maybe the installation package wouldn't actually include Stella, or Visual batari Basic, but would prompt the user to select, download, and install an emulator and editor as part of the overall batari Basic installation process, and then configure everything to work together.

 

Michael

There is nothing preventing one from redistributing DASM or Stella as they are GPL'ed. The problem is when you package it with bB and Visual bB. bB is open-source but not GPL'ed. Visual bB is not open source, so that is even more incompatible with the GPL.

 

Therefore, you'd need at least two different packages. Stella and DASM could probably go together, as could bB and Visual bB (as bB's license isn't viral like the GPL.)

[+stephena]

As for an installer, If I knew how to build one (or had the desire to learn how), I would.

Would it be okay for someone else to put together an installer, then? I mean, are there any known issues about including DASM, or Stella, or Visual batari Basic, all in one installation package? Or maybe the installation package wouldn't actually include Stella, or Visual batari Basic, but would prompt the user to select, download, and install an emulator and editor as part of the overall batari Basic installation process, and then configure everything to work together.

 

Michael

There is nothing preventing one from redistributing DASM or Stella as they are GPL'ed. The problem is when you package it with bB and Visual bB. bB is open-source but not GPL'ed. Visual bB is not open source, so that is even more incompatible with the GPL.

 

Therefore, you'd need at least two different packages. Stella and DASM could probably go together, as could bB and Visual bB (as bB's license isn't viral like the GPL.)

I've looked into the licensing issues for Stella in the past, and I don't think simple redistribution is a problem, even though it is under the GPL. If all you're doing is putting all the packages in one release for the purpose of making them easier to install, then there's no problem. Now, if you're writing custom code to 'hook' the programs together at the source code level, then there is a problem. For example, if you modify the Stella source code directly, then those changes must be released. But if the programs are simply 'talking' to each other as they would when an ordinary end-user installs separately, then there's no problem.

 

The last point is most important, and basically makes it much easier to understand the GPL; any package you release must be able to be re-created by the end user. That's why a distribution that simply includes all packages in an easier to install fashion is fine. Basically, to sum this entire thing up, there can't be any 'secret sauce' that only you, the distributor, can use to create the package. It must be totally transparent, so everyone else can do the same. Put another way, the GPL doesn't care what you do with packages, as long as you release the source to those packages. And if you're not modifying the source (and someone asks for it), you can simply point them to the respective applications' webpage.

 

So, Stella and DASM are fine. bB is open source, and although not GPL, probably falls under a similar restriction. The only possible issue is Visual bB, but if the author allows its redistribution (which he seems to here in this thread), then I don't see a problem with putting all the packages together.

 

EDIT: Just to further illustrate this point, I refer you to ancient releases of Stella (aka, around 1.1 or so) where the sound code was in a 'server program' external to Stella. This was because at that time, Stella was *NOT* under the GPL, whereas the TIASound code from Ron Fries was. So two separate programs had to be created, and they 'talked' to each other using a client-server approach. This was fine, and redistribution was fine, since the GPL code was not part of the non-GPL code. The only time a GPL issue ever arises is when you want to integrate or code at the source level. In that case, it's always allowed, as long as the changes are released under the GPL as well.

Edited May 22, 2009 by stephena

[bongomeno]

Well, im happy to have stimulated this conversation. lol.

All this needs at least would be a batch file that copies everything and sets everything up.

Or a program that does the same thing.

 

Maby if the Visual bB doest not work for inclusion, you can use the other ide on the website.

 

In the end, I think batari Basic should be downloaded, installed, and run right out of the box. No assembly required.

[SeaGtGruff]

Well, im happy to have stimulated this conversation. lol.

Did you get it working yet? Was it the spacing around the pipes in the batch file?

 

Michael

[bongomeno]

no lol. i have no clue what the problem is. =] but im pretty sure its the batch files, cuz i get the same error/errors.