Altirra 4.00 released

[phaeron]

Version 4.00 of my emulator Altirra is out at the usual place:

https://www.virtualdub.org/altirra.html

 

As usual, thanks to everyone who tried the releases or just chimed in on just about anything during the 4.00-test series. Never thought I'd been working on it this long, but here's the highlights (it's been about a year since 3.90):

 

• Tape: New turbo support, tape editor, and support for loading raw tapes directly from .flac files.
• Disk: Atari 815 emulation, 8" disk geometry support, Disk Explorer can now access files in Indus CP/M images, many full disk drive emulation fixes.
• Display: Palette solver, monochrome mode, HDR display support, ANTIC fixes.
• Sound: Improved audio filtering, automatic output switching when using WASAPI output, POKEY fixes.
• Input: Preset template generator for making input maps, low-latency paddle option, retuned trackball speeds, 5200 fixes.
• Devices: Percom AT88-SPD, SIDE 3, 1090 80-column board, Bit 3, virtual FAT16/FAT32/SDFS hard disk; modem, XEP80 and Rapidus fixes.
• UI: Improved dark mode theme support.
• Debugger: Memory window upgraded with variable width, type, and graphics decoding support; improved speed, more banked cartridge debugging support, improved 65C816 native mode support, more timestamped logging options, and more verifier options.

 

As usual, 4.00 final is essentially the same as 4.00-test43, except for version number changes and using the release check-update channel. (Previous thread for 3.90/4.00-test)

 

Note that starting with 4.00, Altirra requires at least Windows 7. For Windows XP and Vista users, there is also a 3.91 maintenance release at the above link, which contains backported changes from 4.00 of critical bug fixes and the latest version of AltirraOS.

 

And, per tradition, starting off the 4.10-test series:

 

https://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-4.10-test1.zip
https://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-4.10-test1-src.7z

 

• The device tree now better preserves selection when adding or removing devices.
• AltirraOS updated to 3.32 with fixes for a couple of compatibility issues with the math pack, so B-Graph and House of Usher now work.
• Fixes to the docking UI to reduce glitching when switching layouts or toggling full screen mode, due to panes becoming visible too soon and drawing in weird places before being moved to their final location.
• Fixed a few timing bugs in the standard disk emulator. 810s now produce the head bump sound, the timeout was too short for Record Not Found (RNF) errors, and with long retries the idle timeout was sometimes kicking in too soon. Happy 810 and 1050 now have retuned receive rates.
• The standard disk emulator now attempts to emulate track buffering for the Happy 810, 1050, and Speedy 1050 profiles, where the drive will burst transmit sectors from memory after reading in new tracks. This makes timing closer to the default modes for those drives. The Happy 1050 commands for toggling track buffering are now also support.

 

[erichenneke]

Awesome!  We might start to take Altirra for granted, but we should all stop to consider just how fortunate we are in the Atari community to have such a world class (the Gold standard amongst ALL 8bit emulators perhaps?) emulator and debugger at our disposal.  It's amazing to step back and consider that.  

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by erichenneke

[oo7]

5 hours ago, phaeron said:

Version 4.00 of my emulator Altirra is out at the usual place:

https://www.virtualdub.org/altirra.html

 

As usual, thanks to everyone who tried the releases or just chimed in on just about anything during the 4.00-test series. Never thought I'd been working on it this long, but here's the highlights (it's been about a year since 3.90):

 

• Tape: New turbo support, tape editor, and support for loading raw tapes directly from .flac files.
• Disk: Atari 815 emulation, 8" disk geometry support, Disk Explorer can now access files in Indus CP/M images, many full disk drive emulation fixes.
• Display: Palette solver, monochrome mode, HDR display support, ANTIC fixes.
• Sound: Improved audio filtering, automatic output switching when using WASAPI output, POKEY fixes.
• Input: Preset template generator for making input maps, low-latency paddle option, retuned trackball speeds, 5200 fixes.
• Devices: Percom AT88-SPD, SIDE 3, 1090 80-column board, Bit 3, virtual FAT16/FAT32/SDFS hard disk; modem, XEP80 and Rapidus fixes.
• UI: Improved dark mode theme support.
• Debugger: Memory window upgraded with variable width, type, and graphics decoding support; improved speed, more banked cartridge debugging support, improved 65C816 native mode support, more timestamped logging options, and more verifier options.

 

As usual, 4.00 final is essentially the same as 4.00-test43, except for version number changes and using the release check-update channel. (Previous thread for 3.90/4.00-test)

 

Note that starting with 4.00, Altirra requires at least Windows 7. For Windows XP and Vista users, there is also a 3.91 maintenance release at the above link, which contains backported changes from 4.00 of critical bug fixes and the latest version of AltirraOS.

 

And, per tradition, starting off the 4.10-test series:

 

https://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-4.10-test1.zip
https://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-4.10-test1-src.7z

 

• The device tree now better preserves selection when adding or removing devices.
• AltirraOS updated to 3.32 with fixes for a couple of compatibility issues with the math pack, so B-Graph and House of Usher now work.
• Fixes to the docking UI to reduce glitching when switching layouts or toggling full screen mode, due to panes becoming visible too soon and drawing in weird places before being moved to their final location.
• Fixed a few timing bugs in the standard disk emulator. 810s now produce the head bump sound, the timeout was too short for Record Not Found (RNF) errors, and with long retries the idle timeout was sometimes kicking in too soon. Happy 810 and 1050 now have retuned receive rates.
• The standard disk emulator now attempts to emulate track buffering for the Happy 810, 1050, and Speedy 1050 profiles, where the drive will burst transmit sectors from memory after reading in new tracks. This makes timing closer to the default modes for those drives. The Happy 1050 commands for toggling track buffering are now also support.

 

Top left of the altirra site

 

current release still says 3.91, just a heads up

[TGB1718]

Thank you for all your hard work, this is probably the best emulator (not just Atari) I've ever had

the pleasure to use, I use it every day.

 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

 

[Keatah]

Well..well.. This is certainly looking like world-class software.

[oo7]

Top shelf!

[Mclaneinc]

Isn't that where the porn goes?

 

 

 

Whislt I find Altirra very sexy in a software way I'd not go that far

Edited November 14, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[oo7]

Altirra is porn!!!!

[Mclaneinc]

Lol...I suppose so, don't think Avery would like it linked to that   <-- I am fully joking there

 

 

All I know is that it's probably the best emulator I've ever used / tested over the years, and trust me, that's a LOT of emulators. It's got something for all types of users, want to play about with hardware you never had, you can now, want to write games / utils, there's a super rich environment to do it from, just want to play, play any way you like..

 

I wish there was like an emulator awards thing, my vote would be Altirra every time..

 

[oo7]

1 minute ago, Mclaneinc said:

Lol...I suppose so, don't think Avery would like it linked to that   <-- I am fully joking there

 

 

All I know is that it's probably the best emulator I've ever used / tested over the years, and trust me, that's a LOT of emulators. It's got something for all types of users, want to play about with hardware you never had, you can now, want to write games / utils, there's a super rich environment to do it from, just want to play, play any way you like..

 

I wish there was like an emulator awards thing, my vote would be Altirra every time..

 

Ive been using emulators since the late 80s xformer pcditto come to mind, then everything in the 90s. No other emulator i have used feels as right as Altirra.

 

like i mean there are many great emus out there but Altirra you would think was an official atari of back then release meant as the next platform. It works so well. Not saying i want this because i am already happy as possible with altirra but if a version of it came out called altirra os that ran natively on specific hardware and that hardware had an atari logo on it i would consider it a true a8 line system.

 

anyway im rambling. Im so greatful to have access to this and love everything about it!! To me its not just an emulator, it is a platform! And in a category of its own!

 

it is the only way to have a best at ntsc and pal a8 with all the bells and whistles all in one place without 9 million wires lol.

 

i use it in 2 places and almost daily.

 

my wife and i both grew up with a8 and this is a staple for both of us. 

[drpeter]

Not just the best emulator but in the top 5 freeware applications of all time, for me ❤️.

 

Thanks, Avery.

[avanze]

Thank you, phaeron.

[Keatah]

@oo7

All very good points.

5 hours ago, oo7 said:

Ive been using emulators since the late 80s xformer pcditto come to mind, then everything in the 90s. No other emulator i have used feels as right as Altirra.

I remember (and still have) XL-it! 0.2 from Marcus Geitzen done up in 1996/1997. As well as PC Xformer 2.5 from 1994 by Darek Mihocka. Remember playing them on a 486 & Pentium II-266. It was great being there at the beginning of all this. It's really nostalgic to see these and many other emulators grow up from command-line interface to modern polished GUI. Especially with all the accoutrements and conveniences.

 

Quote

like i mean there are many great emus out there but Altirra you would think was an official atari of back then release meant as the next platform.

I've often thought about it in that way as well. It's rather complete and has first-rate documentation. It certainly carries the 8-bit ecosphere into the 21st century in a manner that everyone can enjoy.

 

Quote

It works so well. Not saying i want this because i am already happy as possible with altirra but if a version of it came out called altirra os that ran natively on specific hardware and that hardware had an atari logo on it i would consider it a true a8 line system.

Well you could just get an Intel NUC. You'd be getting fresh hardware with chips hot out of the foundry. Ready for use. Absolutely no fear of aging parts or intermittent operation. New warranty. Feature-rich. Readily available. Ready to plug directly into modern displays.

 

Next you go and purchase an Atari badge from that seller in Poland. Makes a really classy chrome sticker for just a couple of bucks. Or roll your own in GlowForge.

 

Quote

anyway im rambling. Im so greatful to have access to this and love everything about it!! To me its not just an emulator, it is a platform!

Absolutely. A platform indeed. Or a plug-in "module" of sorts if you care word it that way. Makes a modern system into one from yesteryear. Essential software for any vintage enthusiast.

 

It's really magical in sense in how present-day 10nm chips mimmick the stuff of 1979.

 

Quote

And in a category of its own!

I would say there's a few other emulators that come up to Altirra's stature. We've got MAME - for its widespread support of classic arcade gaming. Then we've got Stella covering the 2600. There's more but I'm not going to get into conducting reviews right now.

 

Quote

it is the only way to have a best at ntsc and pal a8 with all the bells and whistles all in one place without 9 million wires lol.

Oh heavens yes. It's right at home in a tiny HTPC, NUC, or other SFFPC. Totally unobtrusive. Aesthetically pleasing. Totally reliable.

 

Quote

i use it in 2 places and almost daily.

 

my wife and i both grew up with a8 and this is a staple for both of us. 

Indeed.

 

To gain further appreciation, take a cruise through the changelog from the very first versions to present. Look at all that!

Edited November 14, 2021 by Keatah

[TGB1718]

Just a question, as I said before, I love this emulator and am trying to get my head around the debugger and

was wondering if there is any documentation other than the "help" which is a bit limited and although

I have a list of all the commands by using the .help @ the command prompt, I still find that I can't get

a lot of the commands to work.

[Mclaneinc]

19 hours ago, Keatah said:

I would say there's a few other emulators that come up to Altirra's stature. We've got MAME - for its widespread support of classic arcade gaming. Then we've got Stella covering the 2600. There's more but I'm not going to get into conducting reviews right now.

 

Just a quick few words re this as I don't want to turn this into a thread about other emulators but I don't regard MAME as being a wonderful example of an emulator, sure it plays loads and the guy that started it has all the right reasons to write it and was a nice guy too but it started to get ugly when it went open source and now it's being pulled in loads of good but also bad ways. An emulator I'd put on the same shelf as Altirra would be WinUAE, it's always been a great emulator but when Toni Wilen took over it just blossomed and Toni works in a very similar way to Avery.

 

Remember, just my thoughts, we all can like whatever we like.

 

[Mclaneinc]

27 minutes ago, TGB1718 said:

Just a question, as I said before, I love this emulator and am trying to get my head around the debugger and

was wondering if there is any documentation other than the "help" which is a bit limited and although

I have a list of all the commands by using the .help @ the command prompt, I still find that I can't get

a lot of the commands to work.

 

Do a .help and the name of the command you want help on, ie .help bp

 

Here what I have as reference material

 

Sorry I can't be more help re the usage, it's just that I rarely use the debugger but between the .help <command> and these files it should help a bit.

 

Altirra - Debugger Commands.rtf Altirra - Debugger Reference.rtf Altirra Debug Commands.pdf

Edited November 15, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[TGB1718]

thanks @Mclaneinc I will read those, I did use the .help with commands, but still failed to make some of the ones I wanted to work.

 

Will try again when I've gone through there 

[Mclaneinc]

My pleasure, I have the same issue with some commands, they are quite complex for someone like me who is used to Omnimon. To be honest, I'd probably use very few of the commands, which are meant for someone with an in-depth knowledge of machine code and how coding and the machine actually works. Many of the commands I have no clue as to how or why you would use them :)

 

I'd love it if someone with the knowledge would do a more explained either video or post with actual examples and why the use of the various variables you can use with the command. I know it's a big ask and obviously the remark is NOT aimed at Avery, he's done more than enough work. Just if someone had a bit of time to explain stuff, maybe even create a thread (that could be sticky) to help wannabe coders learn how to use the debugger more fully. All I've done is edit bytes, assemble a little, set break points for reads or writes and display memory.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[TGB1718]

I think I'm ok with most of the commands, it's just some don't do what they say, the important one for me is

to be able to set the program counter so after a load of code I can step through.

 

The command to change registers is 'r' but it doesn't work as described and actually seems to step through the

program that the counter is currently pointing at which seems strange

[Keatah]

1 hour ago, Mclaneinc said:

Just a quick few words re this as I don't want to turn this into a thread about other emulators

Agree there. And this'll likely be my last words here on the sub-topic.

 

1 hour ago, Mclaneinc said:

but I don't regard MAME as being a wonderful example of an emulator, sure it plays loads and the guy that started it has all the right reasons to write it and was a nice guy too but it started to get ugly when it went open source and now it's being pulled in loads of good but also bad ways.

Sure it's bloated to all hell for one. But, yes, MAME is wonderful because of the things it emulates. Nowhere else can we play Dotron or Tempest or TimePilot'84 and Liberator and hundreds of the early classic arcade games. Nowhere. And if it's not wonderful or even a good example, it is very very necessary.

 

MAME has become a project bigger than any one developer. An emulator of this vast scope has to be. And a big thanks goes Nicola Salmoria for getting it all off the ground.

 

1 hour ago, Mclaneinc said:

An emulator I'd put on the same shelf as Altirra would be WinUAE, it's always been a great emulator but when Toni Wilen took over it just blossomed and Toni works in a very similar way to Avery.

Yes. Agree there. I also use WinUAE. As well as AppleWin from Tom Chatsworth, and Classic99 from Tursi, and Stella (started by Brad Mott) and continued today by Stephen & gang. All top quality material that's staple for my childhood imaginary All-In-One rig. Runners up include Mini vMac, trs80gp and DosBox-X. They're runners up because they're new to me.

 

1 hour ago, Mclaneinc said:

Remember, just my thoughts, we all can like whatever we like.

Absolutely.

[Mclaneinc]

11 minutes ago, TGB1718 said:

I think I'm ok with most of the commands, it's just some don't do what they say, the important one for me is

to be able to set the program counter so after a load of code I can step through.

 

The command to change registers is 'r' but it doesn't work as described and actually seems to step through the

program that the counter is currently pointing at which seems strange

 

Pass, my coding never got that complex, as 99% of what I did was cheating, I didn't need to use many of the more complex options on Omnimon. My most complex stuff was my part in a multiboot type thing where I did the code for the disk loader / writer portions (very small amount of code, Steve, the main author, did the rest). Best of luck getting the help..

 

Paul..

[Wilheim]

I just dug up some floppies I had on the ceiling, and I found this piece of software I'm embarassed to show. Anyway, I found that it behaves differently on real hardware vs Altirra.

 

It's supposed to show a "swing effect" at the top of the screen (GUILLERMO FUENZALIDA) with colored fonts, but for some reason it doesn't show up on Altirra. What could be the reason?

ZUPPER.xex

[TGB1718]

Works fine for me in Altirra as a 130XE PAL or NTSC U1M with SDX

[phaeron]

36 minutes ago, Wilheim said:

I just dug up some floppies I had on the ceiling, and I found this piece of software I'm embarassed to show. Anyway, I found that it behaves differently on real hardware vs Altirra.

 

It's supposed to show a "swing effect" at the top of the screen (GUILLERMO FUENZALIDA) with colored fonts, but for some reason it doesn't show up on Altirra. What could be the reason?

ZUPPER.xex 10.76 kB · 3 downloads

It looks like this is a display list / DLI initialization problem -- the game is initializing a new display list mid-frame and rotating DLIs without resetting the sequence from the VBI. This is causing the DLIs to execute in the wrong order depending on when in the frame the run vector is invoked.

 

[+bf2k+]

And... The Boot Factory 2k+ BBS runs on Altirra v3.91 as of this past weekend...  Woot!