Subject: bug#40033: closed (Re: bug#40033: Add "Vice" commodore emulator)

From: [email-masked] (GNU bug Tracking System)
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:34:02 +0000

Your bug report

#40033: Add "Vice" commodore emulator

which was filed against the guix-patches package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to [email-masked].

-- 
40033: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=40033
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact [email-masked] with problems

Subject: Re: bug#40033: Add "Vice" commodore emulator
From: zimoun <[email-masked]>
To: Christopher Lemmer Webber <[email-masked]>
Cc: Ludovic Courtès <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2022 15:30:18 +0200
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>

Hi,

On Tue, 17 Mar 2020 at 17:17, Christopher Lemmer Webber <[email-masked]> wrote:
> Ludovic Courtès writes:

>> You mean it ships the ROM as a pre-built proprietary binary?
>> That wouldn’t be OK.  :-/
>
> Yes, they are the original binary ROMs shipped on the C64.
>
> The funny thing is it's in the data/ directory.  Lispers love to say
> that "code and data and data is code"; in this case, at least data/ has
> object code. ;)
>
> I agree that it isn't acceptable for Guix.

Therefore, it is tempting to close it. :-)

>>>  - One solution is coming out of the Mega65 project (a damn cool project
>>>    in general):
>>>      https://github.com/MEGA65/open-roms
>>
>> Do you know if that could actually work?  That would be perfect.
>
> I think they don't work perfectly, but can work for some things.  It
> would be nice to support it.
>
> I don't have time, but I invite someone else to give a try at building
> the mega65 open-roms package and linking it in.  So I may have to leave
> this at a "passing this along to a future community member" stage of
> packaging.
>
> If someone else can try packaging the mega65 ROMs (honestly don't know
> how hard it is to do), I can at least help playtest.  It would be really
> good for computing history purposes to free one of the blobs holding us
> back from exploring past computing systems!

Well, after more than 2 years without any interaction, I am not
convinced it is worth to keep this open.  Therefore, I am closing.

If I miss a point and you think it is worth to keep it open for
«"passing this along to a future community member" stage of packaging»,
feel free to reopen.

Cheers,
simon

Subject: Add "Vice" commodore emulator
From: Christopher Lemmer Webber <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2020 22:18:13 -0400
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>

Here's a patch to add the "vice" commodore emulator.  It builds and
works, but has some vices of its own (har har).

 - It ships with the original Kernal/Basic from the c64 (and other
   systems), including the payload for the original Microsoft Basic.
   That's... probably not ok for Guix.

 - One solution is coming out of the Mega65 project (a damn cool project
   in general):
     https://github.com/MEGA65/open-roms
   (Just look how cool the Mega65 hardware is, btw!)
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEhZfkQ3bAk

 - It really stutters a lot for me.  I don't know why.  I tried turning
   off all the graphical extras and turning on the fastsid audio system
   in the config system and it's still slow.  I can't even run
   robotfindskitten at full speed:
     https://pezi-pink.itch.io/c64-robotfindskitten
   (good FOSS test program, btw.)

Oh well.  What should be done now?  Not sure, and thoughts welcome.

 - Chris

PS: learning 6502 assembly is really fun!  Here's a good resource:
  https://skilldrick.github.io/easy6502/