Anyone here able to help get TRS80 running?

[Kumaki]

I downloaded TRS-80, but I can't make it run or do anything...and the one file I downloaded so far is a .dsk file and I do not know what to do with it.


could anyone walk me through how you set up and use TRS80 emu?


I'd love to get this one going since my first-ever compy was a TRS80 Model II.

 

[TrashyMG]

I'm wondering if you need to find a disk for TRS-DOS OS for it to handle the programs you have..


I haven't tried the emulator on the Pandora.. I've also not used a TRS-80 in a long time.. so I may not be the best person to respond.


I had a TRS-80 Model I with extended basic adapter and was hacked to allow for upper and lower case lettering.. which was important since I did a lot of homework on that sucker with Electric Pencil.. But I used this when I was between 8 to 13 years old, just like to use it because it was different.. this was during the late 80's and early 90's so I did have better computers to use..

 

[Kumaki]

No, there is something I must need for the emu, and I do not know what it is.


also, no idea what to do with a .dsk file to get the individual files off it.

 

[moxie]

Considering that the only TRS emu I find is posted with the comment "This is a hack job! I give no support on this" then perhaps one shouldn't expect too much


I'll have a look. But, in the meanwhile: a .dsk file is a exact copy of a disk, and should be treated as such. In the real world, you'd insert the disk into the computer, so on the emulator, you need to find the corresponding action. Usually there is a menu choice that says something along the lines of "Attach disk image to drive" or something similar, where you can select which disk image should be "in" the emulators disk drive.

 

[moxie]

If we are talking SDLTRS (the one linked from the emulator wiki page) then there is an official webpage here: http://sdltrs.sourceforge.net/ which contains amongst other things a user guide and stuff like that. We've spoken earlier about this page here: http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/system-80/index.htm which is properly for the System-80 (a TRS-clone) but it contains "driving instructions" for using a TRS machine.


I've tried starting the emulator, and it seems you need to have a dump of the system roms. I do not know of the proper legal status for those, but they can be quite easily found by looking around a bit. The system roms, here, are not games or anything like that, it is rather the contents of the computer roms itself - that is. the basic interpreter and so on.


Anyways. You get to the main menu of the emulator by pressing F7 (F8 quits). From there, you can do the usual stuff - attach disk, tape and hard disk images, select system roms, configure which type of TRS you want to emulate, and so on. From what I can see, the file selector stuff (selecting disk files or system roms or such things) wont go out outside the /mnt directory, so you need to put .dsk and rom files in the appdata directory. Just run the emu once to create the directory, and then you can put the files in it.


So far so good. I'll go get some roms and see if I can get it started.

 

[moxie]

It runs. I play Temple of Apshai. Oh, the wings of history, or somesuch...

 

[Kumaki]

If we are talking SDLTRS (the one linked from the emulator wiki page) then there is an official webpage here: http://sdltrs.sourceforge.net/ which contains amongst other things a user guide and stuff like that. We've spoken earlier about this page here: http://www.classic-c...em-80/index.htm which is properly for the System-80 (a TRS-clone) but it contains "driving instructions" for using a TRS machine.


I've tried starting the emulator, and it seems you need to have a dump of the system roms. I do not know of the proper legal status for those, but they can be quite easily found by looking around a bit. The system roms, here, are not games or anything like that, it is rather the contents of the computer roms itself - that is. the basic interpreter and so on.


Anyways. You get to the main menu of the emulator by pressing F7 (F8 quits). From there, you can do the usual stuff - attach disk, tape and hard disk images, select system roms, configure which type of TRS you want to emulate, and so on. From what I can see, the file selector stuff (selecting disk files or system roms or such things) wont go out outside the /mnt directory, so you need to put .dsk and rom files in the appdata directory. Just run the emu once to create the directory, and then you can put the files in it.


So far so good. I'll go get some roms and see if I can get it started.

Yes. SDLTRS.


If you find the roms, let me know in PM where you got them.


For now, I'm doing much of nothing, hunkering down from the hurricane. I expect to lose power soon, and do not know when I'll be back on line.


I swear, you would not think Pennsylvania was hurricane country, but last year it was Irene, and now, this year, Sandy...it's becoming an annual event.


And there are those who still say climate change is bogus...

 

[moxie]

That is because people do not understand the effects of climate change. People think "global warming" and picture places getting just a little bit warmer. And that is nice, right? A bit troublesome for the polar bears, but hey - margueritas in the sun!


When the real effect is to "agitate" the weather systems more - More powerful hurricanes, more intense droughts, more violent floods...People are stupid.


Anyway, keep safe. And Temple of Apshai is really a historically important game and all that, but it is in all honesty rather unplayable today...At least in its TSR-80 guise.

 

[Kumaki]

The very fact that the election is close is proof the people are stupid, lol. Still have power for now...

 

[Kumaki]

Power is now back...We were out 24 hours, and lost a few shingles off our roof. We got off light...a lot of people, even very close to us...got off a lot worse.