XRoar 0.30 released

[Alastair]

Now, i first see XRoar under linux. It has a menu! Cool. Didn't see it until yet.
What a pity that's not available on windows.

The GTK+ version does, though you will also need the GTK+ libraries.

[jedie]

Don't forget to press enter after the last line as otherwise Xroar will ignore it.

Ah, that's it, thanks! But why?

[jedie]

Now, i first see XRoar under linux. It has a menu! Cool. Didn't see it until yet.
What a pity that's not available on windows.

The GTK+ version does, though you will also need the GTK+ libraries.

Thanks! But why is this not on the XRoar homepage?

Now i tried to load/run a .cas file. But this works not as load/run a .bas file. Why?
A .bas file would be CLOAD and RUN directly, but a .cas file i must manually CLOAD and RUN.

[sixxie]

It should work - XRoar checks the filename block for file type and "types" the appropriate thing if you -run a .cas (or Control+Shift+L it).

So as long as the file type byte is 0, it really should type CLOAD, then RUN.

[jedie]

Great job!

Is there any plans to add a visual debugger on it ? The debugger on MESS is what makes me stick with it. It is really useful to develop or port games using it.

Well now, I don't really have plans to build a debugger into the main binary beyond "trace mode", but look:



That's DDD running the 6809-patched GDB as an inferior, which has connected to XRoar and is showing a disassembly, allowing single-stepping, etc.

Admittedly, the latest version of DDD needs a patch applied (Debian have it, I can upload it somewhere if you're interested), as it's not kept up with GDB, but the end result is a visual debugger.

Others have suggested they might add an external debugger, and that's why I added the GDB target support - if they just talk the same protocol, they can make something prettier. I don't know if anything's happening on that front though, not about to make promises in someone else's name!

I would like to have this running, too. Is there more information how to setup XRoar with DDD ?

[sixxie]

I would like to have this running, too. Is there more information how to setup XRoar with DDD ?

First of all build GDB patched to support 6809:

Code: Select all

git clone -b m6809-7.6 http://www.6809.org.uk/repos/gdb.git
cd gdb
./configure --target=m6809
make
make install

Then you need DDD - either install the Debian package or build from source after applying the patch in this directory. Start XRoar with the "-gdb" option and run DDD like this;

Code: Select all

ddd --debugger m6809-gdb --eval-command="target remote localhost:65520"

(The second option there tells it to connect to XRoar immediately, you can type that into the GDB console if you prefer).

Beyond that, I can't provide a DDD tutorial, so you'll need to check its documentation!

And if anyone out there has the UI design chops to make a better debugging interface, all you need do is talk the GDB protocol! Details in the comments at the top of src/gdb.c in the XRoar source. I'll happily add any further "vendor specific" general queries if you need to inspect/modify things other than the SAM register...

[Rink]

I brake for debuggers.

Sick!

Edit: Or I "break" for debuggers, if you want a pun.

[sixxie]

I brake for debuggers.

Har

I made a summary page for m6809-gdb here:

http://www.6809.org.uk/dragon/m6809-gdb.shtml

[Alastair]

XRoar-0.30.2 is not 'stopping the tape' after CLOADMing a program, this is most easily seen when displaying the Tape Control window of the GTK+ version. CLOAD and SKIPF do not appear to suffer from this problem.

For an example program see the Aerobatic Simulator. Typing CLOADM:CLOAD works, but typing CLOADM and then CLOAD fails if you take too long.

UPDATE. I have found the original Aerobatic Simulator tape and within the printed instructions it states "Sometimes the Dragon does not remember to stop at the tape at the end of the machine code file" so it seems that XRoar is emulating a Dragon correctly. Perhaps it is just something about this machine code program that causes this behaviour. (I cannot recall this happening on my real Dragon but we are talking thirty years ago!)

[sixxie]

Yeah I was going to call shenanigans - I think the M/C overwrites the stack. If you CLEAR1000 before loading, it doesn't do the same thing. Hadn't quite worked out what was going on (though I think it involves a return to $842E), but glad you found that documentation!