diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'system/atari800/README_rom_images.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | system/atari800/README_rom_images.txt | 37 |
1 files changed, 37 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/system/atari800/README_rom_images.txt b/system/atari800/README_rom_images.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..cd6da843f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/system/atari800/README_rom_images.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ + +The Atari 8-bit computer's operating system is stored on a ROM chip inside +the Atari. Without the OS, the Atari isn't capable of doing anything +useful. Also, many Atari programs are written in the Atari BASIC language, +which was an optional ROM cartridge on the 400/800 and 1200XL, but was +included as a built-in ROM in the 600XL, 800XL, and all XE machines. + +To use the Atari800 emulator, you'll need suitable ROM images/dumps. You +can either use the original OS and BASIC from Atari, or an open source +OS replacement called OS++. + +The original ROMs of course provide the best compatibility with software +for the Atari, but they are still copyrighted by Atari. In practice, +this doesn't cause a problem: the ROM images have been widely available +on the 'net for many years, and there has never been any legal action +taken regarding their use. + +If you'd prefer to use Open Source code, there is a replacement ROM called +OS++, written from scratch by Thomas Richter (author of the Atari++ +emulator) and released under the TPL (a variant of the Mozilla Public +License). Be aware that OS++ isn't 100% compatible with all software for +the Atari: it contains no support for the BASIC language or floating point +math. However, if your main purpose is to play games, you'll find that +(almost) all game cartridge ROMs work perfectly well with OS++. Many boot +disk games and XEX (binary load file) games work as well. OS++ runs on +XL/XE machines only, so you won't be able to emulate the original 400/800. + +To use the original proprietary Atari ROMs, install the atari800_roms +package from slackbuilds.org + +To use OS++ (a version slightly modified for use with Atari800 rather +than Atari++), install the atari800_os++ package instead. + +If you like, you can install both packages and choose between them at +runtime by altering the symlink at /usr/share/atari800/roms/atarixl.rom, by +running atari800 with the -xlxe_rom switch, or by editing the config file +(~/.atari800.cfg, created the first time you run the emulator). |