MESS 150

[OX.]

Trying to setup MESS 150 for TI99/4a emulation and have hit a problem - when I mount a disk image (dsk1) the emulation can't see the contents (CALL DIR(1) returns "SUBPROGRAM NOT FOUND"), any ideas (MIZAPF)?

[Willsy]

That sounds like you haven't fitted a disk controller.

[OX.]

That sounds like you haven't fitted a disk controller.

How do I do that then?

[RobertLM78]

On your launch - that's OS dependent, AFAIK. For example in Linux I type:

~/mess/mess64 ti99_4a -peb:slot8 hfdc -flop1 ~/mess/disks/TEXTLOADER.dsk -flop2 ~/Desktop/TEMP.dsk  -cart ~/mess/ti_carts/extended_basic.rpk

at the command line while in the mess directory. The segment -peb:slot8 hfdc -flop1 fits the disk controller in the 8th peb slot.

[+mizapf]

In Windows you can also create such a command line and store it in a batch file. Or you can install the QMC2 frontend, create a configuration with the appropriate cards plugged in and start the emulation from there.

 

OX., I have another question: I noticed that Gamebase relies on the old BIN format for cartridges in MESS. This format was dropped quite some time ago in favor of the RPK format because the RPKs are much easier to handle (and I could throw out hundreds of lines that were merely there to support both formats). Could you include the RPKs in Gamebase so that people are able to update their MESS version without losing Gamebase support? It should not be too hard to achieve because all RPKs are available at Whtech and it would only mean to reference a single new file instead of the bin files.

[OX.]

In Windows you can also create such a command line and store it in a batch file. Or you can install the QMC2 frontend, create a configuration with the appropriate cards plugged in and start the emulation from there.

 

OX., I have another question: I noticed that Gamebase relies on the old BIN format for cartridges in MESS. This format was dropped quite some time ago in favor of the RPK format because the RPKs are much easier to handle (and I could throw out hundreds of lines that were merely there to support both formats). Could you include the RPKs in Gamebase so that people are able to update their MESS version without losing Gamebase support? It should not be too hard to achieve because all RPKs are available at Whtech and it would only mean to reference a single new file instead of the bin files.

Unless Classic99 now supports rpk then it's a no I'm afraid as the files have to support both emulators, I'll be implementing MESS 150 support for everything else though, who knows - the latest Classic99 may support rpk i've not tried it yet.

[+mizapf]

Unless Classic99 now supports rpk then it's a no I'm afraid as the files have to support both emulators, I'll be implementing MESS 150 support for everything else though

Hmmm, I think there should be some feasible way. I don't know how your database looks like, but maybe there is a simple way to say, for instance, that TI Invaders consists of the c.bin file, the g.bin file, and the rpk file, and for Classic99 you can deliver the first two options, while MESS gets the third one. Anyway, you have specific parameter settings for each emulator.

 

The problem is that the bin format is long deprecated in whole MAME and MESS (not only in the TI branch) because of being too cumbersome and error-prone for using. Actually, with all subsequent changes in the MESS code since that time I included RPK support, it has by now become virtually impossible to restore the bin support (apart from being undesirable).

 

In fact, in particular after I saw its presentation this weekend, I believe the Gamebase is really a great tool for all TI emulation users, but it makes me worried to see that we get an either-or here. There have been so many fixes, improvements, and new features in MESS since 0.140 (notably speech, new cartridge types, serial connection, fixed HSGPL and SAMS, GKracker, Multicolor mode...) that it would be a pity if users were locked to an old version.

[OX.]

Well we can ask Tursi very nicely if he would'nt mind implementing .rpk support in Classic99 sooner rather than later then I can simply update the Classic99 Gamebase script and drop in the rpk files to work in both systems.

 

Got the 150 emulation working now, been playing around with Rasmus' Scramble and noticed the sound corruption is this MESS or the game? Also some annoying thing that I can't use joystick up (even with that caps-lock option turned off)

[+mizapf]

You mean sound corruption in terms of "sticky" sounds? This is a known issue, and I already have some theories on that.

 

Concerning joystick up: First try to put Alpha Lock on another key (like the Windows key if your keyboard has one); there is a strange thing about the caps-lock in MAME/MESS - it seems as if its state gets out of sync sometimes. If this does not have the desired effect you should try the system configuration setting ("Alpha Lock block joystick up") - unless that was the option that you referred to.

 

Finally try a BASIC program like CALL JOYST(1,A,B), PRINT A;B, GOTO first line.

[OX.]

You mean sound corruption in terms of "sticky" sounds? This is a known issue, and I already have some theories on that.

 

Concerning joystick up: First try to put Alpha Lock on another key (like the Windows key if your keyboard has one); there is a strange thing about the caps-lock in MAME/MESS - it seems as if its state gets out of sync sometimes. If this does not have the desired effect you should try the system configuration setting ("Alpha Lock block joystick up") - unless that was the option that you referred to.

 

Finally try a BASIC program like CALL JOYST(1,A,B), PRINT A;B, GOTO first line.

Yes the sticky sound effects. Sorted the jostick issue by deleting the cfg file and setup my joystick again in the UI. Got all the disk based stuff working now.

[kl99]

Hi OX.

Just wanted to inform you that I demonstrated the Gamebase v2.0 TI99 Database at the European TI Treffen 2013 that was held last weekend in Eindhoven.
There was real interest in the people attending the demo and getting it configured afterwards on their laptops.

People were amazed on the number of games for their favorite system.

Since there is a lot of emulation enhancements going on by mizapf into MESS, I also vote for switching cartridge support to RPK, even if that does mean duplicating the cartridge images for the time being.

kl99

[TheMole]

Don't know how flexible the Gamebase environment is, but you can always unzip the rpk file at runtime for classic99 to get at the bare files (or zip the bare files together with a layout file, if you want to do it the other way around... I just thinks it makes more sense to store them zipped).

[OX.]

Hi OX.

 

Just wanted to inform you that I demonstrated the Gamebase v2.0 TI99 Database at the European TI Treffen 2013 that was held last weekend in Eindhoven.

There was real interest in the people attending the demo and getting it configured afterwards on their laptops.

People were amazed on the number of games for their favorite system.

 

Since there is a lot of emulation enhancements going on by mizapf into MESS, I also vote for switching cartridge support to RPK, even if that does mean duplicating the cartridge images for the time being.

 

kl99

Thanks Klaus, always nice to hear it's appreciated! I'm currently working on version 2.1 which has almost an additional 200 entries and MESS .150 support, I'll be looking to complete it before xmas, there is'nt a great amount of work to complete it, it's just that I am so busy with other things right now and I probably will change the carts to .rpk just can't promise due to time constraints.

Edited October 8, 2013 by OX.

[Tursi]

Silly question, what disk controller supports CALL DIR(1)? I think I'm missing out here!

 

Classic99 doesn't support RPK. The main thing that has held me off from implementing it is the requirement to add ZIP support to Classic99. (And time, like all the other features).

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Silly question, what disk controller supports CALL DIR(1)? I think I'm missing out here!

 

Three DSRs that do provide a directory subprogram, used to display the catalog to the screen:

• Myarc floppy controller supports CALL DIR(x) where x=1,2,3, or 4
• Myarc HFDC controller supports CALL DIR(x) or CALL DIR(PATH$). Able to catalog the 4 floppy drives, the emulated floppy drive (which resides on the hard disk device as an image file) and any folder found on the hard drive(s).
• The IDE card has a similar command to catalog the folders on the IDE devices, CALL IDEDIR, IIRC

I seem to recall the Myarc RAMdisk DSR has a similar command but I cannot be certain.

[Tursi]

Very nice!

[RXB]

The problem with the CALL DIR(#) is that it only works on that card.

Say you have a Floppy Controller with 4 drives, a RAMDISK with 4 drives and a SCSI with 3 drives and a IDE card with a couple of drives.

The CALL DIR only works on that one card the IDE card only.

 

I wrote RXB with CALL CAT(path or # or Alpha Letter) or CALL DIR(path or # or Alpha Letter) so any devices would work.

The problem is the ROM of that devices only works for that single device ROM and has no way to work with other devices.

[RobertLM78]

A little off topic, but where can one find the SAMS rom for MESS? I have the Myarc 512 rom, but not "samsmem". Can't seem to find it on whtech nor a basic web search .... .

[+mizapf]

Isn't it contained in ti_family.zip on whtech? I cannot check right now, will do that later this evening.

[RobertLM78]

Oddly, ti_family.zip is on the whtech sitelist, but it's not actually there in the directory.

Edited October 20, 2013 by RobertLM78

[+mizapf]

Are you using the ftp:// address or http://?

 

Everyone please use the ftp access until we found out why the web server ignores some directory entries.

[+mizapf]

No need to check for ti_family.zip, it does not contain a ROM for the emulated SAMS card. Does it have a DSR like the Myarc MEXP-1? At least I don't have it yet.

[RobertLM78]

Are you using the ftp:// address or http://?

 

Everyone please use the ftp access until we found out why the web server ignores some directory entries.

I am indeed using the ftp:// address location .

 

I was going off the sitelist there on the ftp site.

Edited October 21, 2013 by RobertLM78

[RXB]

Why is MESS a nightmare to load?

I mean CLASSIC99, WIN994A and others are so freaking easy to load and use.

 

But MESS is like building the parts to a rocket before you even get anything else done?

Then I have to compile crap to make that work too?

 

Why is there no easy way to just move MESS into Apps and run it? Or a .dmg to just install it?

 

I hate text based loading like DOS or Terminal with a passion. For the TI that is fine it is a 30+ year old computer.

So why am I forced into this with MESS?

[+mizapf]

Number of reasons.

• MESS is not a TI emulator.
• MESS is a comprehensive emulation system which can emulate the TI and Geneve pretty well, beside some hundreds of other systems.
• MESS's primary goal is the preservation of computing history.
• We cannot pack ROMs with it because we cannot afford to license some thousands of ROM dumps. So you have to get your own copy.

And despite your obvious disgust of the command line, the command line is one of the things that strongly keep me working with Linux and feel pity for all those Windows or other system users having to deal without. It's not a limitation, quite the contrary. In my eyes, at least.

 

There are actually some efforts to improve the user interface of MAME/MESS so we can eventually create a specific, easy-to-use, TI-specific user interface, and when we're that far, we can also go for an installer. Just takes some time.