Date   : Thu, 17 Jun 2004 23:21:58 +0100
From   : "Dr. David Alan Gilbert" <beeb@...>
Subject: Re: BeebEm under Linux? (or any BBC emulator under Linux? :-)

* Jules Richardson (julesrichardsonuk@...) wrote:

> > Certainly the way I left it a long time ago it would only work on 8-bit;
> 
> seems that's still the case :-(
> 
> I get:
> 
>   Version: 0.9DAG 10/12/2000
>   an X error on display :0.0text: BadMatch (invalid parameter
> attributes)
> 
> ... then it drops back to the shell prompt. Presumably related to the
> colour depth.

Which is exactly the right error.

> I'm just surprised nobody's wanted to run this in the last 4 years under
> Linux!

OK, there is a way to get this to work that I have just verified.
You will need:

    *) VNC - the thing for doing remote desktop stuff
        (e.g. http://www.realvnc.com/ - or if you are on Debian just
        type  apt-get install vncserver vnc-common  or find the
        version for your Linux distribution - most come with it).

    *) One piece of gaffer tape.

So the trick here is that vnc can make a dummy X server of any depth you
like, so do:

   vncserver -geometry 800x600 -depth 8 :2

this will probably ask you for a password - if it does, remember it.

now in another shell do:

   vncviewer :2

This will now ask you for the same password and then open a window; what
you see in that window depends on your Linux installation.  With any
luck it will contain a terminal window, from that you should then be
able to run your beebem binary.  If you don't see a terminal window
or at least a window manager in there then your going to need
to do some fiddling setting vncviewer up.

Nasty hack I know, but it seems to work (as a hint if you ever find
yourself needing a 24 bit display on a machine that can only do 8 the
reverse trick also works!).

> Heh - maybe someone on this list will see this and update the code a
> little! Unfortunately I haven't done any X programming for years :-(

Neither have I - I think the last time was when I fiddled with ArcEm.
It could do with lots of clean ups; it was probably my first C++ program
I think and the code in there is AWFUL - and every new version of
gcc finds something which was entirely illegal but happened to work
in previous versions.

I don't know how hard hacking ECONET on would be - how complex can the
HDLC chip be? I might have the datasheet somewhere.

Dave

 -----Open up your eyes, open up your mind, open up your code -------   
/ Dr. David Alan Gilbert    | Running GNU/Linux on Alpha,68K| Happy  \ 
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