VC8E.pde

[Super Grover]

I've tracked down Processing, but I can't seem to find the VC8E.pde file to run, so I can play spacewar?

I'm probably missing something obvious.

Cheers, Joe

[Dylan McNamee]

On Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 12:41:03 AM UTC-7, Super Grover wrote:

I've tracked down Processing, but I can't seem to find the VC8E.pde file to run, so I can play spacewar?

I'm probably missing something obvious.

Is your PiDP/8 installed and running? If so, in /opt/bootscripts there is a readme.txt that should explain all:

On startup, scanswitch passes the script number to run on to pidp8,
based on the IF switch settings.
Standard boot scripts:
IF switches   filename   description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   001        1.script : OS/8 on 32K PDP-8 with RK05 disk cartridge
   010        2.script : TSS/8
   011        3.script : OS/8 on DECtape. This uses SLOW td0, not dt0
   100        4.script : spacewar! with vc8e output on localhost:2222
   101        5.script : (empty)
   110        6.script : (empty)
   111        7.script : (empty)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

So, if you switch the IF to 100, and execute the "do it" switch

sequence, 4.script runs.  Looking in 4.script, it does this:

echo Press ctrl-E to quit
echo Keyboard controls from vc8e program:
echo Player 1  Player 2  Command
echo 1         9         fire weapon
echo 2         0         rotate CCW
echo 3         -         rotate CW
echo 4         =         thrusters
echo Press both rotate keys simulatenously to warp into hyperspace
echo Type 'o' in PDP-8 emulator window to get a list of features
l ../imagefiles/spacewar/spacewar.bin
at ttix 2222
set ttox0 8b
g 200 

So /opt/pidp8/imagefiles/spacewar/spacewar.bin is where the program resides, and there it is.

So the good news is, you should be all set! Set the IF switches to 100 and toggle Single Step.

best,

dylan

[Jeremy Radwan]

Dylan, I think Joe is referring to what is needed to run the Windows client to connect to Spacewar running on the PiDP-8. I wasn't able to figure out that part either (I downloaded Processing, but couldn't find the VC8E.pde file that is referenced on Oscar's site).

[Dylan McNamee]

On Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 6:14:06 PM UTC-7, Jeremy Radwan wrote:

Dylan, I think Joe is referring to what is needed to run the Windows client to connect to Spacewar running on the PiDP-8. I wasn't able to figure out that part either (I downloaded Processing, but couldn't find the VC8E.pde file that is referenced on Oscar's site).

Correct you are!  Oops.  

It would appear that Oscar had two ways of emulating a VC8E - one with processing, and one in c.

The processing one is AWOL, and the one in C (in src/vc8e) is missing a build-dependency (../libshapes.o)

Oscar?

[Obsolescence]

Dylan,

On Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 5:45:11 AM UTC+2, Dylan McNamee wrote:

It would appear that Oscar had two ways of emulating a VC8E - one with processing, and one in c.

The processing one is AWOL, and the one in C (in src/vc8e) is missing a build-dependency (../libshapes.o)

Correct - I was a bit distracted over the weekend as there was a VCF in Berlin, sorry for the slow response.

-- Re my C code for a VC8E emulator on the RPi: it indeed required libshapes.o. Stupidly, I just have to figure out again from where that library comes. I think openvg.

-- I also just asked Kyle for permission to publish his VC8E emulator on Processing. It runs beautifully on a laptop that then becomes the PiDP's scope tube. But Processing does not work very well on a Pi, hence my C version of it.

Both programs do the same: provide an X/Y 'scope screen' that the PiDP connects to. Although the PDP-8 inside thinks its talking to a scope screen, it's really an IP port connection. So you could either use the C program on the Pi itself (connecting to localhost:2222) or use Kyle's original Processing program (connecting to port 2222 of the Pi in the same way).

My C program works fine, but could do with a bit of polishing up. It tries to emulate the slow-phosphor effect like Kyle did it. But it could be a bit prettier.

Regards,

Oscar.

[Obsolescence]

Hi,

With permission of Kyle Owen, attached is his Processing file to emulate the vc8e.
Only thing you need to do is put the right IP address for your PiDP in the code. First boot spacewar on the PiDP, then run the Processing program.
The graphics should come on straight away. On your normal console, you can enter commands - '1' resets the game, 'F' changes the background to 'Field of Stars', etc.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

[Jeremy Radwan]

Thanks Oscar (and Kyle). I was able to get it working (phosphor blurred glory!).

[Michael Lee]

-- Re my C code for a VC8E emulator on the RPi: it indeed required libshapes.o. Stupidly, I just have to figure out again from where that library comes. I think openvg.

I loved the little display setup and I've been trying to get the display from the Pi itself, and I think I'm getting closer to compiling the C version, but stuck on "sw.c"  I installed the openvg packages, then copied the vc8e.c source and Makefile to the /client directory.  Any guidance for this?

 

pi@raspberrypi /opt/openvg/client $ make

gcc -Wall -I/opt/vc/include -I/opt/vc/include/interface/vmcs_host/linux -I/opt/vc/include/interface/vcos/pthreads -I.. -L/opt/vc/lib -lGLESv2 -lEGL -lbcm_host -lpthread  -ljpeg -o  sw sw.c ../libshapes.o ../oglinit.o

gcc: error: sw.c: No such file or directory

Makefile:11: recipe for target 'vc8e' failed

make: *** [vc8e] Error 1