[Application] RISC OS on the Pandora

[Neelix]

Hmm maybe we should have it set by default, are you aware of any downsides of doing it like this?

I was thinking that myself. I'm not aware of any downsides.

- Neelix

 

[Raik]

For me, there have been only advantages ;-)
Seriously, I've used this the last days very often with no problems to read and write the Images via XP and USBit.

 

[Raik]

I have try the SNES, the Gameboy and the Sinclair ZX (?) Emu. It seems to work. I have no ROM etc. Only the graphical enviroment.

I do this and other to the Image.

 

[mcobit]

I think Zero3K thinks that emus will run better on this os because it is "lighter". But he needs to understand that this might not be the case because they are recompiled stock emulators. Not the ones tuned for Linux on arm like in the default os.


Please understand, that this is a completely new OS port and it is really great to have it to try and use on the Pandora.


Thanks for that btw.


But as long as noone takes the emulators for it and optimizes them, the speed for emus might not be on par with their pnd counterparts.


So please, don't think that this is an attempt to run emulators faster. It is the long and hard project to port a new os to the Pandora.

 

[ingoreis]

I think this is a wonderfull Exotic Operating System ^_^

So completly other than Linux.

Nice Gui and very Complex,i dont understand anything realy :lol:

It reminds me completly on the Amiga OS with nicer Grafics .

Emulators for it are good,maybe we can realy use this System for playing some Things and when it boot up

into ~5 Seconds can we shutdown everytime the Pandora.

I renembert that last year have i tried to run a RiscOS Image in Qemu to see the Performance,

but it didnt start.

Touchscreen Support would be nice and on all Pandoras runs it fast.

Emulators are a good Way,more Software inside makes it more Atractive

I wish you the best for your Project. ^_^

 

[Raik]

The problem under RISC OS is often another. There are many good optimized programs but many of them are no longer maintained. The old 26bit code will not run on the new computers.
Under RISC OS they are already good emulators, there was not even thinking of the Pandora ;-) I use RISC OS since 1992 and was almost always satisfied.
With ports for Beagle, Panda and last Raspberry Pi, there was some fresh air.
I hope, as it inspires some Pandora users.
Jeffrey is working on the APIs for the screen, etc. If more people are interested, faster it will go;-)
I think tomorrow night I upload the latest version. Then it will only give a few updates.
I have been added some programs and some old demos for ArcEm. And the desktop I have embellished a little.

I hope you can see it tomorrow on my WEB site.

 

[Raik]

The "final" Version "out now". you can find it at http://riscos.openpandora.org (This site is only in German and "under construction" a English one is "comming soon".)  or use the direkt link: http://riscos.openpandora.org/Pandora_D001.imz or http://riscos.openpandora.org/Pandora_D001.img.gz

Edit: The most Infos on this site are also in my "special stupid" English aviable (sorry). The Quickstart inside the Distro is also in English but from the ROOL site with any Pandora additionals.

 

[sswam]

I love RISC OS, have a few Archimedes computers.  Thanks very much for this port, I will try it out soon!  

So can we play the 26-bit games using ArcEm?  Would like to try Sibelius 7, too.

 

[Raik]

ArcEm is inside. Also any parts of my A5000-PD-directory. You can find any Demos from commercial Games (e.g. James Pond, Wolfenstein 3D (both works) and other.), PD Games (e.g. Elite (works in low resolution mode)), any other Demos, Emulator and any additional stuff. Sorry, not all tested on the Pandora but all tested on my Beagleboard ( http://home.arcor.de/raik_fischer ).  May be I have the old Sibelius demo on my NAS but I have not try this.

Have fun!

 

[Stainy]

And Zarch?

 

[Raik]

I have lander = zarch demo. It works. I think zarch is old enough for ArcEm ;-)

Feel free to try...

 

[sswam]

I did a Pandora Linux port of ArcEm today, was very easy actually just built and worked, made some minor changes.

It's not perfect yet, but can sort of play games on it.

 

[Raik]

I prefer a real RISC OS. ArcEm emulate the old Archimedes Computer and can only handle RISC OS 3.11 and older stuff. But if your software work on it, you can also use it under the RISC OS ArcEm.

You can also use PandRPCEmu. Use the 3.71 ROM and you can play the old RiscPC Games. But it is also a little bit slow.

Try the my Image with RISC OS 5.19 and your Pandora is a fast RISC OS Computer. Seeing is believing ;-)

 

[sswam]

Sure, I agree - I prefer real native RISC OS too - but it will be nice to play the old Archimedes games within Pandora Linux also.  I will most likely continue to use Linux (angstrom) as my primary OS.  AFAIK Zarch and such will not run on PandRPCEmu because it does not emulate ARM2/3 with the 26-bit addressing.  I will try your image, looking forward to it and I really appreciate your work!  I need to prep an SD card for it first.

 

[Raik]

On my download page you can also find other images and bootfiles for a two card setup and a card / USBStick setup.

!Lander was bundled as !Zarch-Demo with my A5000, I mean. But I'm not sure if a StrongARM version is aviable. With the unchanged PanRPCEmu.pnd only run newer 32bit Software. But you can change it and use a older 3.71 ROM (is aviable for free via the spoon edition) and the older unibootsequenz. I have try this and can run my old RiscPC Software (32 and 26bit). Also StrongARM Elite... but this is a other playground ;-)

 

[Linux-SWAT]

That looks good !

 

[Raik]

Back to the competition. The real native RISC OS is better, faster... ;-) Starfighter is a commercial Game.

 

[Stainy]

ok, wanted to try this...

have problems

I used USBit to image Pandora_D001_SCSI.gz

That seemed to go ok... but I can`t access that card to add the cmos etc on it...

What am I doing wrong?

thanks

Darren

 

[Raik]

Witch configuration you use. May be my description is not enough or my english is a little bit confused.

-The "Livesystem" is one complete card for the left Slot = Pandora_D001.imz.

For the most user this is right one.

- A System using a Stick, HD or what ever on USB Host = Pandora_D001_SCSI.gz but you need also a FAT SDCard in the left slot for the bootfiles. Copy the files via Angström to the root.

- A System using two SD cards. The right card ist the Image Pandora_D001_SDFS.gz and for the left FAT card use the bootfiles and copy to the

  root.

All Images are 2GB and has the same files inside.

Note: SDFS 0 it the left Slot under RISC OS!!!!

I hope this helps.

 

[levi]

AFAIK Zarch and such will not run on PandRPCEmu because it does not emulate ARM2/3 with the 26-bit addressing.  I will try your image, looking forward to it and I really appreciate your work!  I need to prep an SD card for it first.

FWIW, PandRPCEmu really ought to emulate 26-bit addressing as the RiscPC used either an ARM6, 7 or StrongARM - all of which in 26-bit addressing mode. The reason old games like Zarch are unlikely to run is either because of the different video hardware in a RiscPC (real or emulated) compared to the original Archimedes, the different pipeline length in a StrongARM processor compared to previous ARM chips, or just general incompatiblities between OS versions.

I would love to try this port of the OS out, but I've got to find a spare SD card first.