TI-99/Sim is quite good ... however ...

[Biokemyst]

Ok. Fiddled around a bit with this. Exited to terminal. Looked through some directories and got stuck. My Linux is very weak. Any idea why I am getting a command not found error?

[+mizapf]

Your command search path does not (and should never!) include the current directory "." (period). For that reason you must specify it:

 

./mycommand

(example)

 

Second, you seem to try to run the application as root (indicated by the # at the end of the prompt). Don't. There is almost no situation where you have to run something as root. Running as root means to turn off all security barriers.

[Biokemyst]

Thanks for the root warning. I was just seeing if it gave me any different response. But, message received, mizapf.

 

I've gotten closer to getting it to work as now I can run it from the command line and get cartridges to run. But, when I try a game that needs data from a disk, I get an I/O 00 error. I'm wondering if my disk controller file is bad? I used a copy of DISK.BIN from v9t9 and converted it on my windows pc using ti99/sim and the --cru=1100 option to generate a ti-dsk.ctg file which was placed in the roms folder of my retropie. No dice.

 

Incidentally, the ti99sim-sdl file is in the location above, but the roms are in a completely different location. My syntax is as follows:

 

pi@retropie:~/RetroPie/roms/ti99 $ /opt/retropie/emulators/ti99sim/ti99sim-sdl

This gives me the splash screen and a working emulator.

pi@retropie:~/RetroPie/roms/ti99 $ /opt/retropie/emulators/ti99sim/ti99sim-sdl --dsk1="Tunnels of Doom" tunnelsofdoom.ctg

This gives me a working TOD cartridge but cannot get access to the disk.

As I mentioned, the ti-dsk.ctg file is in the /RetroPie/roms/ti99 directory with the rest of the roms (including the TI994A.ctg rom).

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

Bio

[Shift838]

All,

 

I have been able to get the disk controller working in ti99sim with the below process

 

I recompiled the ti-disk.bin file to ti-disk.ctg by copying the ti-disk.bin to a /home/pi/temp directory on the PI (my retro pi)

• logging into the PI via SSH and doing a sudo su
• changing the directory to /opt/ti99sim/bin
• Issuing convert-ctg' --cru=1100 /home/pi/temp/tidisk.bin "Ti Disk Controller"
• log in to the local pi machine and changing the directory to /opt/ti99sim/bin
• issuing a:
• ti99sim-sdl --dsk1=tod.dsk tundoom.ctg

 

From there i can load the QUEST from DSK1 with no issues.

 

Please note you cannot currently change disk images while in the ti99sim.

 

Also I have noticed that I have to be in the /opt/ti99sim/bin directory when executing the ti99sim-sdl command or i cannot see the disk image.

 

Hope this helps people..

 

 

[+mizapf]

Thanks for the root warning. I was just seeing if it gave me any different response. But, message received, mizapf

 

I'm sorry if you already knew about this; I did not want to preach. But you said you are a Linux novice, so I thought I better warn more often than less.

Concerning the ti99sim emulator, I'm afraid I cannot help much, since I don't have any experience with it.

[Biokemyst]

mizapf:

No offense taken! My skin is a lot thicker than that and I appreciate your warning.

[Biokemyst]

I am running retropie 4.0 on a pi zero. Under the experimental packages, there is an option to run sim99 ver. 0.13.0. I installed that and got the cartridges to work. But, couldn't get the emulator to see disks. In speaking with Shift(who was a great help for a linux noob lime myself), I too was able to get the 0.14.0 version of the simulator to load a cartridge and disk (TOD). But, I now have two additional issues.

 

One item is that I can't use the alt button to simulate FCTN commands (so I'm still stuck at the point in TOD where it gives you the option to press redo or proc'd).

 

Also, my retropie emulationstation doesn't recognize the ti99 emulator so I have to access these games from the command line. Is there a way I can integrate this emulator back into emulationstation? I actually expected this and it isn't a deal breaker. Just an inconvenience. Is it just a matter of moving the ti99 directory into the original ti99 folder that the older version was installed in?

[globeron]

Hi Biokemyst,

 

I am not using the RetroPie with the disk system (because I use the other emulators, I use the RetroPie mainly for games without disks)

>> http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/

>> http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/README.html

 

RE: also, my retropie emulationstation doesn't recognize the ti99 emulator so I have to access these games from the command line. Is there a way I can integrate this emulator back into emulationstation?

 

 

Yes it works from the RetroPi menu (similar like options like Atari, Nintendo, Sega MAster System, etc.)

5 min. ago I just upgraded to RetroPi v4.1 all works.

 

> See the other Atari Age thread for more details:

 

> http://atariage.com/forums/topic/250767-how-to-install-ti-994a-ti-99sim-on-retropie-v36-raspberry-pi2-or-pi3/

 

> Youtube video

 

 

 

 

 

[globeron]

Biokemyst

RE: "One item is that I can't use the alt button to simulate FCTN commands (so I'm still stuck at the point in TOD where it gives you the

option to press redo or proc'd). "

 

I need to test it on the RetroPie if this still works (or if it can be programmed in the config file)

 

But I remember that when running TI99/Sim on the Sony PSP, that the person mentioned that FCNT-8 and FCTN-9 were not implemented

(cannot remember exactly the answer), but here it is running (love this mobile TI solution, e.g. when sitting in airplanes):

[Shift838]

Biokemyst

RE: "One item is that I can't use the alt button to simulate FCTN commands (so I'm still stuck at the point in TOD where it gives you the

option to press redo or proc'd). "

 

I need to test it on the RetroPie if this still works (or if it can be programmed in the config file)

 

But I remember that when running TI99/Sim on the Sony PSP, that the person mentioned that FCNT-8 and FCTN-9 were not implemented

(cannot remember exactly the answer), but here it is running (love this mobile TI solution, e.g. when sitting in airplanes):

 

Yes a few of us are looking to get the function keys mapped for ti99sim.

[globeron]

Yes a few of us are looking to get the function keys mapped for ti99sim.

Normally I use only a PSP type of controller with the RetroPie and ESC

On the keyboard, but according this website it seems that the FCTN keys like a REDO and BACK are implemented by using the ALT keys. See under heading 0.1 ttisim-sdl

http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/README.html or maybe contact the author via ti99sim@mrousseau.org

 

Maybe it works in a Linux environment like Ubuntu or Debian. Maybe there is a keyboard mapping conflict with RetroPie image. Will try when I am back next week (also the disk access).

 

 

I think only the Sony PSP version did not implement it of what I can recall as it has a pop-up onscreen keyboard, bit inconvenient when playing Parsec to select numbers 1,2,3

 

 

For windows emulators I use Joy2Key to map keys to buttons on my Older PSP type of controller (like REDO and BACK) then I can control everything from the wireless controller and do not have to switch back to the keyboard when playing a game. I have not looked for something similar in Linux.

[Shift838]

Normally I use only a PSP type of controller with the RetroPie and ESC

On the keyboard, but according this website it seems that the FCTN keys like a REDO and BACK are implemented by using the ALT keys. See under heading 0.1 ttisim-sdl

http://www.mrousseau.org/programs/ti99sim/README.html or maybe contact the author via ti99sim@mrousseau.org

 

Maybe it works in a Linux environment like Ubuntu or Debian. Maybe there is a keyboard mapping conflict with RetroPie image. Will try when I am back next week (also the disk access).

 

 

I think only the Sony PSP version did not implement it of what I can recall as it has a pop-up onscreen keyboard, bit inconvenient when playing Parsec to select numbers 1,2,3

 

 

For windows emulators I use Joy2Key to map keys to buttons on my Older PSP type of controller (like REDO and BACK) then I can control everything from the wireless controller and do not have to switch back to the keyboard when playing a game. I have not looked for something similar in Linux.

 

I can tell you that the ALT+8, 9, etc keys do not map to anything. Nothing happens. I have even ran a small program to monitor the ASCII Codes and nothing happens when those combinations are pressed. I have sent a PM to the developer and hope there is a quick solution.

[Biokemyst]

Globeron,

Thank you for responding. Actually, your video and pdf were the first things I looked at when researching the possibility of running a TI9 emulator on retropie. Those items led me to this forum which I immediately and happily joined! There is so much good info here for an old TI fan like myself. However, upon setting up retrpoie, I saw that 99Sim is an optional install under the experimental emulators. I installed it using that method and it worked fine until I needed to access a disk. So, I started asking around in here and found out that the most recent version of 99Simm (0.14.0) COULD access disks(thanks, Shift). At that point, Shift walked me through how to install the 0.14.0 version as it cannot be done through the retropie "console" as the 0.13.0 version can be installed. I even tried updated the experimental packages and it remained at version 0.13.0. The 0.14.0 version has a different directory structure than that of 0.13.0. Therefore, the retropie/emulationstation config file that points to file locations and roms doesn't see the new installation.

 

I saw in earlier threads that the config file could be modified and that maybe it would recognize the ti99 emulator installation even though it is in a different location with a different set of folders if I dug around in it and changed the parameters of the file. As an even quicker workaround, I believe it would be a simple thing to just install both versions. The emulationstation would see the 0.13.0 version (just fine for cartridges as Globeron stated) and when needed, I could access the newer version at the command line to look at disks. I would have to do that anyway to type in the commands to access disk files regardless of which version I was using. I know it's redundant but with a 32gb memory card and size of the emulator and even duplicating the roms, it is a very small use of space.

 

As for the ALT keys working as function keys, I'm using a windows keyboard. Not sure if that makes much of a difference. I also noticed something else. Depending on what alt key you press (there are two), you get a different response. If I use the left alt, nothing seems to happen as Shift mentioned earlier. But, when I press the right alt and either 8 or 9, I get the low-pitched "error" beep of the TI. I don't have a knowledge of the tracker that Swift uses to see if the keyboard input is actually triggering something, but I thought it was interesting that it does that on the right-alt and 8 or 9 but not upon pressing the left alt. By the way, it doesn't give that error beep on other key presses with the right alt...

[Shift838]

The tracker program as you called it is nothing more than a simple CALL KEY routine to capture the keys ASCII code as it is pressed and displays it:

 

100 CALL CLEAR

110 CALL KEY(0,K,S)

120 PRINT K

130 GOTO 110

[Biokemyst]

Nice. I thought it was something outside of the emulator. Thanks. May give it a try with the two alt keys. Unless you've already looked at it...

[Shift838]

Nice. I thought it was something outside of the emulator. Thanks. May give it a try with the two alt keys. Unless you've already looked at it...

 

I can confirm using the 'RIGHT' ALT key works! I never thought of that... just tested...

[Biokemyst]

Right alt plus 8 or 9 doesn't work for me. :-/ Maybe this is a keyboard-dependent issue?

[Shift838]

Some advice. I have a keyboard that i bought specific for the Raspberry Pi. It has an 'AltGr' key where the right ALT key should be. with a standard keyboard setup the Right ALT key does not work. You must tell the Raspberry Configuration to use the keyboard that has the 'AltGr' key and the location of the key.

 

I went into Raspberry Config > Internationalisation Options > Change Keyboard Layout (takes a few seconds to come up)

 

I selected Generic 101-key PC > Chose English (US) [if not there choose other then you can navigate to choose US]

 

I selected Right AltGr key as that is where mine is (right of the space bar).

 

And it all started working. (left ALT key does not work of course).

[Biokemyst]

Changing the keyboard configuration worked for me as described above. In my case, I received a set of error messages about stop and start processes no longer being supported. Ignore those. Reboot. Configuration should be updated and the right alt should work. Yippee!!

[globeron]

Right alt plus 8 or 9 doesn't work for me. :-/ Maybe this is a keyboard-dependent issue?

 

I just tested the FCTN keys and they worked at my system (using a wireless anitech keyboard), but I need to press several times before they get recognised (was wondering if this has something to do with a key-scan routine). e.g. I tested Blasto (and then REDO and BACK and QUIT), it works, but I need to try it 4-5 times, before it works.

[globeron]

Your command search path does not (and should never!) include the current directory "." (period). For that reason you must specify it:

 

./mycommand

(example)

 

Second, you seem to try to run the application as root (indicated by the # at the end of the prompt). Don't. There is almost no situation where you have to run something as root. Running as root means to turn off all security barriers.

 

 

in addition the command should be ./ti99sim-sdl

 

Probably the reason he was in root is of my instructions (as files had to be copied to the RetroPie and that can only be done in root mode. Operational mode does not allow the FTP.

I just tried to start from operational mode and it seems to be all okay (command prompt is $). I have only tried to start the TI99SIM (and did nothing with disk access, modules, etc.)

as normally I use it from the GUI (Emulstation menu).

[globeron]

Some advice. I have a keyboard that i bought specific for the Raspberry Pi. It has an 'AltGr' key where the right ALT key should be. with a standard keyboard setup the Right ALT key does not work. You must tell the Raspberry Configuration to use the keyboard that has the 'AltGr' key and the location of the key.

 

I went into Raspberry Config > Internationalisation Options > Change Keyboard Layout (takes a few seconds to come up)

 

I selected Generic 101-key PC > Chose English (US) [if not there choose other then you can navigate to choose US]

 

I selected Right AltGr key as that is where mine is (right of the space bar).

 

And it all started working. (left ALT key does not work of course).

 

 

* I just changed it to Generic-104 keys (for my keyboard and all keys match in both the RetroPie as well as in the TI99SIM)

 

Question: do you have the same problems (or is it just me?) I can try other keyboards,

but it looks to me something in the TI99SIM

 

* but still having the following issues:

> CAPS LOCK works in RetroPie command line interface, but not in TI99SIM ("Alpha Lock")

(PS. SHIFT works okay to get uppercase characters)

 

> ALT-4 ( FCTN-4 BREAK) works (but pressing many times to get it to work)

> ALT-8 and ALT-9 also work (pressing many times)

> ALT-= also work (pressing many times)

 

> but ALT-1, ALT-2, ALT-3 does not seem to work

[RXB]

Is it my imagination but Retro Pi does not support much TI99/4A hardware other then Cartridges and 32K?

Also it looks like a very small number of Cartridges?

[Shift838]

 

 

* I just changed it to Generic-104 keys (for my keyboard and all keys match in both the RetroPie as well as in the TI99SIM)

 

Question: do you have the same problems (or is it just me?) I can try other keyboards,

but it looks to me something in the TI99SIM

 

* but still having the following issues:

> CAPS LOCK works in RetroPie command line interface, but not in TI99SIM ("Alpha Lock")

(PS. SHIFT works okay to get uppercase characters)

 

> ALT-4 ( FCTN-4 BREAK) works (but pressing many times to get it to work)

> ALT-8 and ALT-9 also work (pressing many times)

> ALT-= also work (pressing many times)

 

> but ALT-1, ALT-2, ALT-3 does not seem to work

 

All mykeys map with the exception to the LEFT ALT key...

 

I too have an issue with CAPS LOCK not being recognized in ti99sim.

[Shift838]

Is it my imagination but Retro Pi does not support much TI99/4A hardware other then Cartridges and 32K?

Also it looks like a very small number of Cartridges?

 

it supports disk images too. Of course really must launch it from the CLI so you can issue the commands to mount the disk images. There is not an option (currently) to select different cartridges or disk images while ti99sim is running.

 

Also most cartridge .bin files are easy to convert.