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The Octalyzer — An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #337445] Tue, 14 February 2017 21:41 Go to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: yewsiedu

Hi comp.emulators.apple2 — could we please have some feedback? This is the current roadmap of our project “The Octalyzer”. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

This is a big project and quite ambitious, and we *will* need help (see bottom) especially once a stable beta is available and we can release it without suffering great personal embarrassment ;) (which will be soon! Promise!)

Those of you who have already volunteered we will be in touch (we have had to re-write large portions of our codebase several times over the laast six months but we are beginning to get quite comfortable with the state of it, which bodes well for moving on to a broader collaboration in the near future. Thank you for your patience!)

***
Introducing The Octalyzer, an innovative new all-in-one platform for exploring computing history from AMPERAGE, an Australian not-for-profit organisation. The Octalyzer is a multi-tasking multi-system emulator, with enhanced (but compatible) language interpreters, expanded modern capabilities, and an integrated on-line bulletin-board system and media library for exploring computing’s past with all the comforts of the present.

The next generation of emulators, The Octalyzer hopes to encourage learning and creativity by eliminating barriers and providing incentives for our users to collaborate and code. We believe that fostering a good understanding of the roots of modern technology is critical to the development of our future IT professionals, and The Octalyzer is intended to do just that:

* Discover a wealth of 1980s computer software in an easy-to-navigate environment.
* Learn to code in pioneering educational languages through a fun interactive storyline.
* Write new programs or enhance classic ones with modern functions and commands.
* Read vintage computing books and magazines, and watch new and period videos.
* Play both classic and modern styled, retro-inspired games with new friends on-line.
* Create 8-bit graphics and music; interact / collaborate with others; and share.
* Designed with modern youth in mind, with special attention given to aesthetics and usability.
* Improvements include 3D graphics, camera control and more to modernise vintage gameplay.

It’s a “fantasy console” with its roots firmly grounded in history! (The Apple II meets PICO-8)

Featuring: (NOTE: not all features currently implemented in beta version! Want to help? See bottom!)

[[ Written in cutting-edge Go, cross-platform (Windows, macOS and Linux) Open-GL based ]]
Next: “Player” applications for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile.
Allow for automated packaging and distribution of stand-alone “apps”.
Later: WebAssembly/WebGL (browser) and ChromeOS.

[[ Designed to support multiple enhanced 8-bit platforms inside the same “box” ]]
- Custom virtual hardware design, system configuration.
Now: Apple IIe (II+, IIc)
Next: BBC Micro / Acorn Electron (because of BBC BASIC, mainly)
Later: Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum, Atari 800XL, Tandy CoCo, Coleco Adam, PC/XT etc.

[[ Authentic 8-bit Emulation ]]
* High standard of compatibility
* Bootable (“pure” system emulation) / On-Demand (in non-emulated language interpreters)
* Common features such as disk emulation, joystick (joypad), full-screen, etc.
* Language ROMs, DOS, hardware peripheral emulation, etc.
* Tracing, improved monitor, built-in ML assembler; enhanced CATALOG etc.
* Presentation: 3D colour offsetting, saved camera positions, custom colours, etc.
* Enhanced function availability via custom virtual hardware
* Runs up to 10 concurrent, simultaneous instances (round-robin multitasking)
* Whatever else you would want / expect in an emulator (and more!)

[[ Platform-Native Enhanced Language Interpreters ]]
* Re-written in Go
* Compatible with classic interpreters (e.g. AppleSoft BASIC / Apple LOGO)
- Maintains compatibility with existing software library
- Memory-mapped in the traditional format
* Featuring modern programming conventions
- Label-based (numberless) branching, etc.
- Callbacks. (Yes, callbacks! in BASIC!)
* Added non-traditional capabilities
- For example: Apple II text colour / shading; extended graphics characters
- Additional graphics / text modes (80x48), tiles, sprites. hardware scrolling etc.
- 3D LOGO! (vector-based)
* Enhanced @functions{} for additional functionality
- 3D, vector graphics / camera (low-res cubes), sound/music synthesis, etc.
- shape drawing functions, colour, shading, advanced math / physics
* On-Demand 6502 emulation for compatibility (sound, etc.)
- Custom monitor / editor / assembler
- Authentic memory map, soft-switches and zero-page emulation
- Additional custom opcodes for access to enhanced capabilities
- Classic language and DOS ROM availability for ML use
* Built-in Editors / IDE (Code / Text / Shapes|Sprites / Sound / Music etc..)
- Improved interactive mode / line editor, etc.
+ History
* Allows for interactive tutorials featuring video, audio and managed interpreters
- Interpreter processes can query inside of each other, control each other

[[ Integrated BBS / On-Line Service ]]
* E-Mail
- @octalyzer.com e-mail address
* Chat (D-Dial inspired)
* Message Forums
- Enthusiasts Groups
- Peer-mentoring
+ Reputation-based, reddit-style voting
* Social Networking (Profile / Wall)
- Art / Program Sharing
* Collaboration
- Group messaging, chat, source control, project management etc.
* Marketplace
- buy/sell/trade vintage hardware, software, new, after-market etc.
* Habitat!
- (. . . eventually!)
* Portal to outside BBSes, MUD, IRC…
* User access controls (age-based restrictions, child-friendly areas)
* Gamification and rewards to encourage learning / creation

[[ Networking (Cloud Server) ]]
* Multi-player Gaming (old and new)
- via cloud-hosted emulation instances
* Cloud
- Storage (Personal), Project (Group)
- Curated Software Library
+ Games, Education and Application DSKs / NIBs
+ Centralised BASIC library
+ Centralised single-load binary library
* On-line Databases
- To allow for MMO, MUD game design, etc.
- Social applications, collaborative programs, etc.
* Programmable server-authenticated peer-to-peer connections
- for secure, high-performance multi-player gaming
* API

[[ On-Line Library ]]
* View PDFs / Images / Other Documents
- Manuals, educational books, magazines
* In-App Video Library
- Computer Chronicles, Documentaries
* Tutorials
- Narrative-based (Stranger Things meets TRON) featuring actors & plot.
- User-created Twitch-style “videos”
- Interactive tutorials (architecture supported)
* User-created Wiki
* Chiptune music, pixel / charset art and more.

[[ Other ]]
* 8 user-accessible multi-tasking inter-connected interpreter instances. (+2 system)
- shared memory model
* Local peer-to-peer screen sharing / server-based group sharing.
- includes concurrent chat
* Recording and playback of sessions, including rewind. Freeze and thaw states.
* Linux distribution to allow for “sandboxed” use by children.
* Local server software / dedicated cloud hosting for schools / clubs.
* Automated self-updating with a continuous release cycle.
- testing and stable branches
* Built-in bug / feature tracker
* File metadata for pre-configuration (for files on cloud server)
- colors, controllers, 3D enhancements, camera, etc.
- multiple ‘recipes’ for different configuations; cheats
* File versioning (for files stored on cloud server)

The Octalyzer — “Computing’s Past Made Present”

BETA COMING SOON!

The Octalyzer is a project of Melbourne-based not-for-profit computing history / education organisation AMPERAGE (Australian Microcomputer Preservation, Education, Recycling, Arts, Gaming and Events) and is subject to fair-use laws regarding the use of copyright material for educational purposes both in Australia and worldwide.

Would you like to contribute? We need Go, BASIC, LOGO and 6502 developers; educators / tutors to create learning materials, write interactive lessons and perform live mentoring; BBS / chat moderators; musicians, actors, and artists; committee members (Australian residents only); event organisers and more! There’s something for everybody. If you have time to give, we have things for you to do!

Financial donations are also greatly appreciated.

Finally, if you’re in Australia and you have some vintage gear you’d like to donate to AMPERAGE (we will be starting to hold in-person retro-coding classes, hackathons and exhibitions in the near future) please let us know!

E-mail info@amperage.org.au if you’d like a chat. All feedback and comments are welcome.
Re: The Octalyzer — An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #337464 is a reply to message #337445] Wed, 15 February 2017 09:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zellyn is currently offline  zellyn
Messages: 173
Registered: April 2013
Karma: 0
Senior Member
This sounds both deeply weird (accurate retro emulation combined with BASIC enhancements like callbacks and no line numbers, which I'm guessing weren't backported to Apple II hardware (?)) and deeply fascinating! My (current) experience is in Apple IIe emulation implementation, and the creation of a hopefully-eventually-comprehensive test suite for such emulators. Let me know if there are useful tests that would help (or would have helped had you had them before) with emulation compatibility.

Good luck!

Zellyn
Re: The Octalyzer - An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #338592 is a reply to message #337445] Tue, 28 February 2017 05:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Buckels is currently offline  Bill Buckels
Messages: 1418
Registered: November 2012
Karma: 0
Senior Member
<yewsiedu@gmail.com> wrote:
> Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Well I see a post from Melody Ayres-Griffiths on Facebook...

> New Apple II emulator released! We're still working on it, but you can
> currently boot (most) disks and it has native executables for Windows,
> macOS and Linux! Full screen and USB joypad/mouse joystick support, etc...

I also see a web page...

http://octalyzer.com/
Re: The Octalyzer - An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #339423 is a reply to message #338592] Thu, 16 March 2017 01:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: johnsonlam.hk

On Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 6:08:27 PM UTC+8, Bill Buckels wrote:
> <yewsiedu@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
>
> Well I see a post from Melody Ayres-Griffiths on Facebook...
>
>> New Apple II emulator released! We're still working on it, but you can
>> currently boot (most) disks and it has native executables for Windows,
>> macOS and Linux! Full screen and USB joypad/mouse joystick support, etc...
>
> I also see a web page...
>
> http://octalyzer.com/

I have difficulty running it, it seems to ignore my disk image and go to the modem section which ask a lot of questions, make me real tired.

Can you make it simpler, please.
Re: The Octalyzer - An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #339735 is a reply to message #338592] Sun, 19 March 2017 10:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Buckels is currently offline  Bill Buckels
Messages: 1418
Registered: November 2012
Karma: 0
Senior Member
"Bill Buckels" <bbuckels@mts.net> wrote:
> Well I see a post from Melody Ayres-Griffiths on Facebook...

This morning I awoke to another Facebook Post from Melody about the
Octalyzer...

"New Octalyzer master-branch release: now with startup menu, vblank support,
raster-based rendering modes, performance improvements (-30%+ CPU usage),
drag-and-drop disk support, numerous bug-fixes (including retina MacBook
support), b&w/amber/greenscreen tinting, windowed and full-screen modes, new
32-bit builds for Windows and Linux and more I can't remember right now!"

Just run the Octalyzer and it will automatically download the new build or
get it from http://octalyzer.com/downloads/
Re: The Octalyzer - An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #339966 is a reply to message #339423] Tue, 21 March 2017 21:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: yewsiedu

Hi --

The current build is more like JACE now, it has a startup menu and you can just drag-and-drop the disk you want to boot on it.

http://octalyzer.com/downloads/

Thanks for trying it out!

On Thursday, March 16, 2017 at 4:44:59 PM UTC+11, johnsonlam.hk wrote:
> On Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 6:08:27 PM UTC+8, Bill Buckels wrote:
>> <yewsiedu@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
>>
>> Well I see a post from Melody Ayres-Griffiths on Facebook...
>>
>>> New Apple II emulator released! We're still working on it, but you can
>>> currently boot (most) disks and it has native executables for Windows,
>>> macOS and Linux! Full screen and USB joypad/mouse joystick support, etc...
>>
>> I also see a web page...
>>
>> http://octalyzer.com/
>
> I have difficulty running it, it seems to ignore my disk image and go to the modem section which ask a lot of questions, make me real tired.
>
> Can you make it simpler, please.
Re: The Octalyzer — An Emulator For Millennials (WIP) [message #350026 is a reply to message #337445] Sat, 05 August 2017 03:10 Go to previous message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: Moose

On Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 12:41:51 PM UTC+10, yews...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi comp.emulators.apple2 — could we please have some feedback?

Amazing work everyone involved. :)
M
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