ZEsarUX 10.3

[chernandezba]

Hi!

You can download a new ZEsarUX stable version 10.3

https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux/releases/tag/ZEsarUX-10.3



Version 10.3 - La Abadia del Crimen edition. 10 May 2023

There are lots of changes in this version, but some of them are remarkable:
- Added machines Amstrad PCW 8256, PCW 8512, CPC 6128, CPC 664
- Fixed 3" CF2 floppy disk emulation (used on +3, CPC, PCW): the floppy disk emulation has been rewritten from scratch and now is near perfect
- Lots of improvements on Debug CPU window
- Fixed almost all annoying audio clicks on Windows version (and on SDL audio driver on Linux)


The full changelog for this version 10.3 is:

* New things added:

Added Machine Amstrad PCW 8256
Added Machine Amstrad PCW 8512
Added Machine Amstrad CPC 6128
Added Machine Amstrad CPC 664
Added Visual Floppy to see floppy disk (+3, CPC, PCW, Betadisk) activity
Added DSK disk info menu: to get tracks and sectors of a disk
Added F-Functions: Poke, Visual Real Tape, Settings, Switch footer
Added Process Switcher window, which is like a "Taskbar" on the ZX Desktop
Added ZRCP command: "close-all-menus"
Added icon/F-key to open any window identified by its name
Allow F-keys to assign extra info for actions (like window name on openwindow action, or snapshot name on linktosnapshot action)
Added more Hotswap combinations
Added Advanced menu items: now by default, advanced menu items are hidden, you should enable them on Settings->Advanced menu items
Added command line setting --machinelist to get machines list names whitespace separated
Added .POK file Smartloading
Added XEyes "Toy" to follow mouse
Added Sierpinsky Meter Type to View Sensors

* Improvements:

Improved Debug CPU:
- switched function keys "m" and "o": now "x" change mode, and "m" change memptr (to be coherent with other similar windows)
- added (hl), (de), (bc)
- added (nn) when selecting an opcode like: ld reg,(nn) and ld (nn),reg
- added (ix+d), (iy+d) when selecting an opcode like: ld reg,(IX+d), etc
- added continuos speed 4 (run 10 opcodes every time, with no pause)
- show last memory pointer when changing it
- show B register on satisfy condition for DJNZ
- added new functions OPMRV(e), OPMWV(e), OPMRA(e), OPMWA(e): these return 1 if the last opcode has set any of these variables to e.
- added pseudoregister EPC to parser to match memory bank and offset for PC register
- allow holding keys for quick cursor move, etc
- watches now show numbers in hexadecimal format

Improved Debug Console: better refresh, dynamic width
Improved Debug Messages: allow to filter by message class (DSK, PD765, etc...)
Improved Debug I/O ports window: autoresize content height when do not fit in window

Improved Configuration:
- better parsing: warning when ZEsarUX has been downgraded
- if unknown parameter on configuration file, warn the user but start anyway
- moved showing Configuration file from Running info menu to Settings-> Configuration file

Improved DSK viewer:
- better filesystem detection
- show hidden and read only files
- show disk specification format
- show where files are located on Visual Floppy

Improved View Sprites:
- sprite is no longer disabled when changing memory pointer
- you can view sprites up to 1024x1024
- show PCW common format screen

Improved ZX Desktop:
- dynamic icons (Trash, My Machine, ...) assigned on top buttons now show dynamic state (trash empty/full, current machine image, etc)
- show icon indicators for open apps on ZX Desktop
- added setting to empty Trash on exit
- fixed icons zoom level when selecting some machines that use menu gui zoom = 2 (Next, CPC, QL, etc)
- ZX Desktop size now is multiplied by GUI Zoom (Zoom 2 on machines like Next, CPC, QL, etc)
- CF2 Floppy icon (+3, CPC, PCW) now is animated when motor is on

Improved ZX Vision:
- added windows-style TaskBar called "Process Switcher"
- added Process ID (PID) for all windows
- text input fields now handle repeated keys
- some text input fields now have history of last items, and history is saved on configuration file
- added function to maximize all windows
- allow reducing character height
- improved window list showing spent time on each window and pid of each window/process
- improved rendering background windows
- yes/no confirmation dialogs are translated to si/no in Spanish and Catalan
- added more menu translations to Spanish and Catalan

Improved DSK extractor: better filesystem detection
Improved ZSF Snapshots: allow to save ROM contents, useful when running custom roms
Improved File selector: can show recent folders (press space on recent files)
Improved changing pointer on some windows: can use an expression when changing memory pointer on Debug CPU, View Sprites, Hexdump, Disassemble, Poke
Improved changing to machines with big displays (Next, QL, CPC...): zoom is autochanged to 1
Improved joystick type selection
Improved Raspberry Pi emulation: performance parameters are not changed by default anymore, you must use "--changeslowparameters" on slow Rpi like Rpi1 or 2

* Fixes:

Fixed Spectrum +3 disk emulation: the disk emulation layer has been rewritten from scratch and now is near perfect.
Just some statistics from testing 943 total Spectrum +3 disks:
-Unprotected games:              98.3 % working
-Paul Owens protected games:     85.7 % working
-Speedlock protected games:      54.2 % working
-Alkatraz protected games:          0 % working
-Unknown method protected games:    0 % working (a total of 15 disks that seem to be protected but don't know the method)

Fixed almost all annoying audio clicks on Windows version (and on SDL audio driver on Linux)
Fixed empty results when querying some games on Speccy online browser
Fixed random crash on startup on Linux when executing some network operations (check updates, check last users, send updates)
Fixed segfaults when exiting using CTRL-C
Fixed autoload on Spectrum +3
Fixed bug that may crash ZEsarUX when changing to a machine with bigger resolution. It seems to affect Linux and Windows but not Mac. This is a bug that has always existed (a "long life bug" XD)
Fixed showing creator on DSK file viewer
Fixed pause: can now return when pressing mouse button too
Fixed assembler parsing expressions (NN) and NN is an hexadecimal number
Fixed debug step over and sending keys to emulated machine
Fixed setting "set machine snap load" when loading .Z80 version 1 snapshots
Fixed real joystick menu disabled on Mac OS when switching border
Fixed putting Text Adventure Map window on background

* Misc Changes:

Persistent writes on DSK files (+3/CPC/PCW disks) are now disabled by default

* As always, there are some other minor bugfixes and improvements


Enjoy!

César

[Prodatron]

Very great changelog!
I will try it for the PCW soon!

[Ynot.zer0]

just looking into this myself.  got a question though: is it possible to port the amstrad emu's to run on a raspberry pi pico? as you've got raw .c/.h files for cpc.c/.h I was wondering if it was possible?

[chernandezba]

just looking into this myself.  got a question though: is it possible to port the amstrad emu's to run on a raspberry pi pico? as you've got raw .c/.h files for cpc.c/.h I was wondering if it was possible?

as long as the pi pico supports linux (or some kind of compatible Unix), yes

[Ynot.zer0]

Afraid not, the pico is like an Arduino microcontroller, it doesn't run an OS, so no Linux available to run software on top of. 

[genesis8]

I doubt that porting ZEsarUX would be possible as it emulates many computers.

But porting a one machine on a Pico is of course possible, you can code in MicroPython or in C, and there are already several mono emulators on Pico, at least from memory BBC and ZX Spectrum.

The https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/pimoroni-pico-vga-demo-base?variant=32369520672851 can be used to port such an emulator as it features VGA.