etownandy Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I'm running qmc2-sdlmess (Qt v 4.8.7) on a Mac. I've been having a hard time getting disk software to load, and then I noticed...when I go to "Slot Options" to configure my virtual PE Box, there is no available disk controller listed. Has anyone encountered anything like this before? I can use the UI within MESS to load a disk image after emulation starts, but even then I just get I/O Error 00s from XB. Any thoughts or ideas? I have disk.bin in my BIOS zip file. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) I have recently set up qmc2-sdlmess in the same way and also have had some difficulty with disks. I have been assuming it was a lack of understanding on my part, but I begin to wonder. Perhaps its pretty tricky. The only way I have been able to make disks work is to create a device configuration with a disk selected in the device mappings, save that, quit and relaunch the program so that the new configuration shows up as an option in the known software tab, then launch a cartridge. I know there must be a better way, so I will watch this discussion with interest. Oh and also, one thing I learned is that only the last slots can be used for disks... I think. I don't know if you checked them all. Edited March 14, 2016 by MurdockScott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I reserved the last two slots for disk controllers because in the real PEB this is the location where you usually plug in those controllers. I once thought this was a good idea. Also, if you're using MESS on a Mac or on a Linux system, you're by far better off with a suitable script file and not with QMC2. I don't use QMC2 because it seems to me as doubling the trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Also, if you're using MESS on a Mac or on a Linux system, you're by far better off with a suitable script file and not with QMC2. I don't use QMC2 because it seems to me as doubling the trouble. Well, Thats a damming rebuke of what appears to be our only hope of a currently working front end... But I would have to say that although I have it working to some degree, its been a struggle and I see that you may be right. Its too bad really. It is possible to have a love for classic computing and also not want or have the ability to be deeply immersed in the technical aspects of it. On your suggestion, I will look into controlling MESS in the more hands on way as I do love what it is capable of... but, I doubt that will be something I want to spend much time on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etownandy Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Well I'll be...it never occurred to me to consider how a REAL 4A would be configured. And sure enough, that worked like a charm. To be honest, I've never had any trouble with QMC and use it for MAME as well. I run several dozen different emulated systems with the MESS version. I'm not much for scripts, and Win99 crashes a lot (running on a Win10 VM). Thanks for the help! Now, if only they'd add 4A emulation to RetroPie... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 QMC2 is a good front-end when you're switching emulations frequently. You don't have to learn all the options for each emulation, and you can save your configuration easily. However, when you typically use a single emulation like the TI-99/4A only, there is only a marginal saving of efforts. In turn, you have to learn how to use QMC2. For starting the TI emulation, I usually use a script called "ti99" with this content #!/bin/bash ./mess64 ti99_4ae -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -peb:slot3 speech -peb:slot8 hfdc $* ; for the Geneve it's "geneve" with ./mess64 geneve -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -peb:slot5 speech -peb:slot8 hfdc -peb:slot8:hfdc:h1 generic -hard1 /home/michael/mess/disks/hd/scsi2.hd $* I changed these scripts very rarely, just for special tests. If you like, you can bind that script to some icon and launch it on your GUI. There is still some work ongoing for improving the UI of MAME/MESS in the recent version. Me, I'm planning to have a look at the internal Lua interface and see whether we can set up a server socket which allows us to bind any kind of customized interface to it. I believe this is the proper way to get a useful UI for MAME/MESS. QMC2 can only help for startup, but it is away from control once the emulation is running. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) Now, if only they'd add 4A emulation to RetroPie... Seems like it will have to happen at some point... right? I mean they have working emulations of color macs running OS7 on a PI 2 no less. I am hopeful that it will get worked out. By the way, I also have the java version of V9T9 running on my Mac and although its a bit unattractive intrusive, (you can't seem to hide the interface) it works surprisingly well. Edited March 14, 2016 by MurdockScott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Well I'll be...it never occurred to me to consider how a REAL 4A would be configured. And sure enough, that worked like a charm. To be honest, I've never had any trouble with QMC and use it for MAME as well. I run several dozen different emulated systems with the MESS version. I'm not much for scripts, and Win99 crashes a lot (running on a Win10 VM). Thanks for the help! Now, if only they'd add 4A emulation to RetroPie... Isn't it in advmess in there? I am pretty sure I did 4a on that a while back. It's an oldy moldy build of mess but it did work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 There is still some work ongoing for improving the UI of MAME/MESS in the recent version. Me, I'm planning to have a look at the internal Lua interface and see whether we can set up a server socket which allows us to bind any kind of customized interface to it. I believe this is the proper way to get a useful UI for MAME/MESS. QMC2 can only help for startup, but it is away from control once the emulation is running. Thanks for the script info. Any and all effort you put into MAME/MESS is greatly appreciated by me. As you can see from my screen shot above I am interested in emulating many different systems from my past. I "touched" a lot of emerging technology over the years, keeping one foot in the world of computers and the rest of me firmly in the worlds of music and art. So, I am only somewhat technocratic and rely heavily on people like yourself to take on these amazing endeavors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etownandy Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Turns out this is exactly the same problem I was having with emulating the Geneve - the HFDC wasn't in the last slot. Woot! Now I finally have THAT going too. What a great day. Thanks for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Ehm ... would anyone object if I remove that slot option limitation in the upcoming release? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etownandy Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 Well, it would have saved me some time, but I feel REALLY stupid for not having thought about it in the first place. I had the actual hardware at one time, after all. I remember where the controller went! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Ehm ... would anyone object if I remove that slot option limitation in the upcoming release? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Well, it would have saved me some time, but I feel REALLY stupid for not having thought about it in the first place. I had the actual hardware at one time, after all. I remember where the controller went! I never had a PEB back in the day (could not even dream of affording one) It was not a huge deal, but it did take me a bit of time to understand. I think if the restriction doesn't need to be there you may be on to something. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradroyd Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Seems like it will have to happen at some point... right? I mean they have working emulations of color macs running OS7 on a PI 2 no less. I am hopeful that it will get worked out. By the way, I also have the java version of V9T9 running on my Mac and although its a bit unattractive intrusive, (you can't seem to hide the interface) it works surprisingly well. I was able to compile on my ti99sim on my RasPi 2 and manually add it to the Retropie menu quite a while back. I have it running on 3 Pis now, so it is very doable. The end result is that it's just another system in the Retropie menu. Late in this thread is where some of us talked about getting it to compile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I was able to compile on my ti99sim on my RasPi 2 and manually add it to the Retropie menu quite a while back. I have it running on 3 Pis now, so it is very doable. The end result is that it's just another system in the Retropie menu. Late in this thread is where some of us talked about getting it to compile. That is good to hear! I will take a look. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradroyd Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) That is good to hear! I will take a look. Thank you. This is what it looks like in my RetroPie setup... (skip to about the one minute mark to go straight to the TI stuff) I swear I play these games better than this. Just wanted to do a quick video of what the interface looks like. The only annoying thing about it is the mouse pointer, which I'm pretty sure I can get rid of with a little more effort. Edited March 21, 2016 by Paradroyd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurdockScott Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Ahhhh, now if I can't get it running I will have no excuse! ; ) Thanks! very cool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.