Most of what you should read is in the original Unix README file also included in the package. Im going to note only what's supported and what's not on this Macintosh version.
The TRANSROM and TRANSDISK amiga applications on the previous release were
damaged. This version includes working versions of them(Sorry!).
Minimum System Configuration:
- Any Macintosh model capable of 16 bits (Thousand Colors) at 640x480 or bigger resolution..
- A Display capable of 16 bits (Thousand Colors) at 640x480 or bigger resolution.
Recommended:
- An Extended Keyboard.
Don't contact me for a ROM image.
Mac Specific implementation:
- Full US keyboard mapped for the emulation.
- Amiga keys are mapped onto PgUp and PgDn.
- Command-Click emulates Amiga right mouse button.
- As noted in the Un*x README, the rom image file should be located at the same level as the application and named 'kick.rom'.
Mac source code comments:
The Project file is a CodeWarrior DR/7 document.
You can build faster 68k versions (020 + fpu) or PowerPC specific (604,603,etc)
by setting up the project and compiling it.
The files that belongs to me is 'mac.c' & 'mac68k.c' wich can be freely used/distributed.
You may take a portion or all of them and use them on whatever you feel like.
Please send any bug reports to my email address. (Its at the end of this document).
I'll greatly appreciatte if you contact directly the author (Bernd Schmidt) for emulation
specific bugs, however if you are in doubt, send them over, and i'll take care it gets to the right person.
Differences between the PowerPC and 68k Versions:
There's only 2 differences. On PowerPC you can correct the aspect ratio
of the emulation (Double Size), however you will lose 50 or so lines on the bottom.
This works ok for most programs tho.
The other difference is that you can't drop into the debugger in the 68k version.
Thats due some kind of bug on SIOUX.
Until i get myself CodeWarrior DR/8 or newer and check if the bug is still there
you won't be able to use the built in debugger on 68k.
I would like to note that performance on 68k is really dramatic.
A great idea would be to interpret 68k opcodes natively on 68k computers.
Let's see what i can do about it. Basically im supporting it due to a big
public demand.
How things works now and how they should work in the future:
- Screen drawing routines aren't QuickDraw compliant, wich in fact may end up in incompatibilities with some graphic boards. I did worked a lot on QuickDraw compliant routines. They still don't work. Don't ask why, but CopyBits() doesn't feel like working.
I added a big comment on the 'mac.c' & 'mac68k.c' on the problematic routine.
Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciatted.
- YES!, you can swap disks now!. Use the Drive menu or its shortcuts to Insert/Eject
floppies. Be warned that it takes some time until the Amiga recognizes the disk
insertion. (On 68k specifically).
- The hardfile option is implemented, but doesn't work. Should check deeply
on what's going on there.
- The filesystem option isn't implemented yet, but i started to do some porting on
it. This is definately going to take some time until it gets implemented.
- The sound option is implemented.
You can turn it on/off by the MenuBar or with Command-S.
- The Screen Update option is implemented. What's this option good for?
Smoother sound and faster emulation. Just turn it off when the computer
is doing some math or playing music and check the difference.
You can turn it on/off by the MenuBar or with Command-U.
- Joystick emulation is implemented through a fake keyboard joystick.
Use the numbers on the keypad (8=up, 4=left, 6=right, 2=down, 5=fire).
You can turn on/off this option by the Menubar or with Command-J.
- Right mouse button support for 2 or 3 button mac mouses should be added. Until i get myself one of those mouses and its API it won't get implemented.
- Pressing Command-Q quits the emulation immediately. It should confirm before leaving.
- If your monitor supports 16-bits, it automatically switchs to it. It should ask you before switching.
Ongoing improvements:
Hardfile, Filesystem and QuickDraw-compatible routines are mandatory.
Im currently working on them.
Should find a way to produce a better sound support. I'm currently using
double-buffers and 8 bit sound for speed sake.
Most of the other hardware-dependant improvements noted above will get implemented as soon i get my hands on such hardware and/or its dev kits.
When the kick replacement fails to boot-up a disk sometimes it gets on a
loop issuing 'Illegal Instruction XXXX'. On such cases the only way to get
out is with a Force Quit with what it means (Heap corruption,etc). Have to
ask Bernd how to avoid this.
Thanks must go to Bernd Schmidt and everyone else that contributed in this project.
(Read the CREDITS file for the complete list).
Thanks to all the persons that sent mail either with bug reports, questions, requests
or just to encourage me to go on with this product.
As this product is freeware the main testers are the people perse. Thanks
for your patience.
The nice icon was done by Tobias Kaminski (kaminski@deculx.BA-Loerrach.de)
