225 lines
8.4 KiB
Plaintext
225 lines
8.4 KiB
Plaintext
FBZX
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A ZX Spectrum emulator for FrameBuffer
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DISCLAIMER
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FBZX is distributed under the GPL license, version three or later, which means
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that is distributed "as is", without warraty of any kind. To know more details,
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read the file COPYING.
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The old exception for the Z80 emulator has been removed because now FBZX uses
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Z80FREE, a brand new, fully GPLv3, Z80 emulator. So finally FBZX is 100% free
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software.
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Amstrad have kindly given their permission for the redistribution of their
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copyrighted material (the original Spectrum ROMs) but retain that copyright.
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To know more details about how to distribute them, read the file AMSTRAD.
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WHAT IS FBZX?
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FBZX is a Sinclair ZX Spectrum emulator, designed to work in FrameBuffer under
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Linux, but can work under Xwindows too, both in full screen mode and in a
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window. It uses the SDL library, so it should be easily ported to other
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architectures. Please, read the file PORTS to know more details about this.
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FBZX is based in Z80FREE, which you can find into the folder z80free.
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To work with FBZX you need:
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-A FrameBuffer-capable graphic card (or compatible with X-windows)
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-A Linux system with FrameBuffer configured (can use X too)
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-Sound Card with ALSA or OSS drivers (optional)
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In order to get the maximum performance, your FrameBuffer driver must allow to
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change to 640x480 or 480x640 resolution in 8 bits. Only the old VESAFB driver can
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have problems with this fact, so if you use this driver, be sure to boot your
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Linux box in 640x480 in 8 bits. If you don't do this, SDL will emulate that
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mode, resulting in a high performance penalty. If you use an specific Framebuffer
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driver, or the VESAFB driver from kernels 2.6, just don't worry: FBZX will
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automagically change the graphic mode when starts.
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WHAT CAPABILITIES HAVE FBZX?
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FBZX can emulate the original 48K spectrum (issue 2 and issue 3), the original
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128K, the Amstrad +2, the Amstrad +2A and the Spanish 128K.
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The screen and the sound are emulated in a very acuracy way, so nearly all
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the sound and screen effects should work in this emulator.
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128K sound is emulated too, and can be disabled in 128K mode in order to save
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CPU time procesing, if your computer is slow.
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It emulates the Interface I and one microdrive unit, allowing to load from and
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save to MDR files.
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FBZX can handle Z80 snapshots (both load and save) and SNA (only load). In a
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future, more snapshot formats will be supported.
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FBZX can handle TAP files (load and save), and have a fast-load mode that allows
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to load in milliseconds a TAP file. This fast-load mode is enabled by default, but
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can be disabled.
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FBZX can also handle TZX files (see README.TZX for details).
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FBZX can emulate the Kempston, Cursor, Sinclair 1 and Sinclair 2 joysticks,
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with the cursor keys (fire is emulated with the right ALT key, ALT-GR
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key, WINDOWS MENU key or WINDOWS SYSTEM right key), or with a real
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JoyStick.
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HOW DO I USE FBZX?
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To run FBZX just type
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fbzx
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from a console.
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You can load a snapshot directly with:
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fbzx game.z80
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fbzx game.sna
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or assign a TAP or TZX file with:
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fbzx game.tap
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fbzx game.tzx
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(in this case you still must use LOAD ""). This allows you to asociate that
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file extensions to FBZX.
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You can use the option -fs to run it in FullScreen mode. If you use the -rotate
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option, FBZX will run in 480x640 mode (needed for some PDAs like the Zaurus)
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rotating the screen 90 degrees. There's another option, -mini, that will run
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FBZX in 480x640 mode but the screen won't be rotated, but will be half width
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and height (very small).
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You can run it without sound too, just typing:
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fbzx -nosound
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You can use this if you don't have a sound card, or it hasn't OSS support.
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You can combine theses options as you like. An example:
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fbzx -nosound -fs
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fbzx -rotate -nosound
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By default, FBZX will try to use ALSA sound; if it can't, it will try with OSS
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sound; finally, if both fails it will use no sound and alert the user.
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You can change the order with
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fbzx -oss
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That way it will try firts with OSS, then with ALSA.
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FBZX works in X too, but it would run slower due to the penalty of the X
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Window System. Fortunately this only applies to old systems. Current
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computers can run FBZX under X without problem.
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The PC keyboard works exactly like the Spectrum keyboard (but only numbers and
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letters). ENTER key is Return, CAPS SHIFT is in both Shift keys, and SYMBOL
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SHIFT is in both Control keys. Delete, ',' and '.' works too. I hope to add
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'extended keys' in a near future (in FBZX Wii 'extended keys' is 'TAB' button
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and 'Edit' is 'INS' button).
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Whit ESC you exit FBZX.
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F1 shows a help page with all the available keys.
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F2 sends you to a menu where you can load and save snapshots.
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F3 sends you to a menu where you can choose a TAP/TZX file, rewind it,
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choose if you want normal speed or fast speed for loading, enable or
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disable the write protection, and create a new (and empty) TAP file.
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F4 send you to a menu where you can choose the emulation type you want (48K,
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128K, +2, +2A or spanish 128K), the joystick, enable or disable the AY
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emulation and enable or disable the Interface I.
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F5 stops the tape when normal speed is selected. With fast speed, it does
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nothing.
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F6 plays the tape when normal speed is selected. With fast speed, it does
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nothing.
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F7 allows to choose a MDR file (microdrive), protect and unprotect it,
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and create a new (and empty) one.
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F8 allows to shows a picture with the keyboard layout, or insert POKE values
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F9 toggles between fullscreen/windowed mode (in FBZX Wii it launches LOAD "")
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F10 resets the spectrum.
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F11 is volume down.
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F12 is volume up.
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If your system doesn't have function keys, you can use TAB plus keys 0 to 9
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to emulate them (F11 is TAB and O, and F12 is TAB and P)(In FBZX this function has been disabled).
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HOW DO I CHOOSE A FILE WITH THE TAP/TZX OR Z80/SNA SELECTOR?
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You can choose a file just by moving the white bar with the cursor keys. You
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can use also the RePag and AvPag to jump over 12 positions.
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The files are in white ink, the directories in green ink, and the upper
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directory are the two red dots.
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When you choose a TAP file, it is marked as "save protected", so if you want
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to save programs, you must enable it. If you create a new TAP file, it is
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marked as "save enabled", so you can start to save directly.
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The SAVE option works only with the classic ROM routine, so you will be able
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to save from programs that use them (it can save programs without header, too,
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since the emulator intercepts the call to SA-BYTES). Each new block is added at
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the end of the file, but only if the SAVE operation is enabled for this file.
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HOW WORKS THE INSTANT LOAD AND SAVE FOR TAP FILES?
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Just type LOAD "" in the emulator (or choose the TAPE LOADER option in the 128K
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menu) and the tape will automagically load. This only works with programs that
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uses the ROM to load all the blocks. If you have a TAP file with a program that
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uses a custom routine to load the blocks, then you must use the NORMAL LOAD.
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To do this, press F3 to go to the TAP menu and choose NORMAL LOAD. Then return
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to the emulation (with ESC) and use LOAD "" (or the TAPE LOADER option).
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Finally, put the tape in Play with F6. You can stop the tape with F5 and start
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it again with F6 as many times you want.
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When the tape ends, is automatically stoped and rewinded. You can rewind the
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tape when you want with the right option in the TAP menu (F3 key).
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In a near future a block manager will be added, in order to allow the user to
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choose a block into the TAP file (thinking in multistage games).
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Remember that the INSTANT LOAD is available only for TAP files, not in TZX. In
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the last case you can go to the SETTINGS menu (F4) and enable the TURBO auto mode,
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so the tape will load faster.
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The INSTANT LOAD applies when saving too. The SAVE operation is done ALWAYS
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when SA-BYTES (in the Spectrum ROM) is called. The difference between INSTANT and
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normal SAVE is that INSTANT returns inmediately, and NORMAL calls the original
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routine. This means that, if you abort the save command, the block will be saved
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in the TAP file anyway.
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HOW WORKS THE INTERFACE I AND MICRODRIVE EMULATION?
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FBZX can emulate an Interface I with one microdrive attached, but only when
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working as Spectrum 48K, 128K or +2, never as +2A/+3 since it's incompatible.
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You just have to choose an MDR file (or create a new MDR file) using the F7
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key, and you will be able to use all the Interface I commands and programs.
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Remember to format your cartridge (MDR file) after creating one.
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When you save something to the cartridge, the MDR file is updated as soon as
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the Spectrum stops the "motor" of the drive.
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