SymbOSVM - running SymbOS on 32/64bit in FullHD

[Prodatron]

Last week on the Fujiama (Atari8bit meeting in Lengenfeld/Saxony/Germany) I was working with Insane/Rabenauge on finishing the first version of the SymbOSVM port.
SymbOSVM is a virtual machine with the goal to run SymbOS nearly directly on modern 32/64bit hardware. It's SDL2 based. The access to the hardware of the host system is using a very thin layer, and the blitter is a real powerful beast. Currently it is using a C-based Z80 emulator, which could be later replaced with an assembler version at least for ARM-based systems.
The current supported platforms are Windows, Linux, InsaneOS (Raspberry PI), Genode (an open source microkernel-based high-security OS for actual hardware) and maybe even FreeBSD soon.

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SymbOSVM finally broke the 256pixel barrier for the Y-resolution in SymbOS, so all resolutions you can think about are possible. Currently the maximum is 3440 x 1440 with 16 colours, which results in 2,5MB of VRAM, but that is not an issue at all. SymShell now can be expanded to a 120x50 char display.
SymbOSVM is an extreme demonstration, that SymbOS apps can have dynamic form sizes and are not fixed to static screen resolutions. SymCommander, Notepad or the Help/eBook browser have no problems to display their windows at FullHD or even more.
On modern machines SymbOSVM runs like a 1-2GHZ Z80 CPU. A few bugs have to be fixed, but I guess we can release a version end of this week.

[robcfg]

Nice!

If it runs on Linux, and uses SDL2 it will probably run unmodified on MacOS.

I'm willing to try 

[Gryzor]

Holy crap that's awesome!

[McArti0]

The real NextCPC. 1-2GHz 

[HAL6128]

Looking forward to. Nice 👍

[genesis8]

Nice for development of SymbOS applications

[RockRiver]

Great to run directly on RaspberryPi/MSXVR. 

[On MSXturboR and CPC VR's "virtual machines" , SymbOS works perfect since first day]  V9990 vdp Power!!!

[Prodatron]

I am a little bit late here, but
SymbOSVM 1.0 has been released by Insane/Rabenauge:

https://www.symbos.org/symbosvm.htm
https://github.com/insane-rabenauge/symbosvm/releases



Currently for Windows and Linux.

An HD image is included, which contains a complete SymbOS installation, so you only need to unzip two files into the same directory and start SVM directly (in Windows).



Some facts about the SymbOS port for SymbOSVM:

- first SymbOS version, which provides true ENERGY SAVING; the idle task is switching the CPU to sleep mode, which saves power even on the host CPU side
- first SymbOS version with Y-resolutions higher than 256 pixels
- seventh (7.) supported platform
- fastest SymbOS platform ever (~2GHz Z80 + powerful blitter)
- shutting down SymbOS will shut down your whole PC (if you like  )


At least on my machines you can feel the energy saving directly: If running an app in SymbOS which is working non-stop (not easy to find one, but e.g. Conways Game of Life can do this) the cooler of my notebook starts running.


Supported resolutions:

- 320x200 (legacy)
- 512x256 (2:1)
- 640x360 (16:9)
- 640x480 (VGA)
- 640x512 (Amiga)
- 800x480 (WVGA)
- 860x360 (43:18)
- 960x540 (qHD)
- 1280x720 (HD ready)
- 1280x1024 (Insane)
- 1720x720 (qUWQHD)
- 1920x1080 (FullHD)
- 3440x1440 (UltrawideQHD)
- 3840x1600 (QuadHD+)


SymbOSVM itself offers the following features:

- 4 MB RAM addressable CPU memory (4 x 16K banked from a total of 256 x 16K)
- 16 MB RAM accessible via DMA, video and blitter (24bit addressing)
- 4-bit (16 colors) and 8-bit (256 colors) video display
- bitmap mode with all possible resolutions
- text mode with 8 x 8 and 8 x 16 pixel characters and a maximum of 256 characters per line
- ultra-fast and -flexible video blitter for all kinds of operations, including bitmap handling, on-the-fly color depth conversion and support for proportional text output
- "Hardware" mouse pointer
- fast and easy access to the host system's keyboard, mouse and real-time clock
- text console support for information and debugging
- CPU idle mode; this allows the Z80 to sleep when no SymbOS apps are active, saving CPU time on the host side as well.
- on an average 2020 computer, the virtual Z80 CPU runs at around 2GHz.
- platform independant, using SDL2

SymbOSVM is open source and can be used for any Z80 stuff. Everyone can execute his own Z80 projects inside SVM.

[RockRiver]

Thanks!!! Checking ...
Pre-release bootable SymbosVM / insaneOS
Test in: * MSXVR / RaspberryPi 3/3+    -----    not boot SymbosVM yet
             * RaspberryPi 2   -------------------      not boot  SymbosVM yet
              * RaspberryPi 1 -----   BOOT symbosVM  incredible quick boot , several usb mice tested and working

<< Insane is planning to add dual AY-3-8910, OPL3 (FM) and OPL4 (Wavetable) support >>      GREAT !!!   
<< "InsaneOS" which runs directly on 32-bit RaspberryPi systems. One of its main purposes is to run emulators of vintage computers....>>

Would we use shorcut for exit from symbosVM and to runnig quickly a CPC emu for RPi ? Or I need to exit to insaneOS and to start there the emulator ? Any linux-rpi emulator can be launched from insaneOS ?
Could  work the accessing to external USB pendrive or usbFDD or main SD for load/save files instead of  *.img virtual HDD???

Thanks Prodatron , Thanks Rabenauge
Which forum will be appropriate to talk about symbosVM and to give feed-back? here?

[Prodatron]

Test in: * MSXVR / RaspberryPi 3/3+    -----    not boot SymbosVM yet
            * RaspberryPi 2  -------------------      not boot  SymbosVM yet

Hi RockRiver, does this mean
- you did not test it yet?
- or it does not work?

Which forum will be appropriate to talk about symbosVM and to give feed-back? here?

Insane is active in our Discord group here:

https://discord.gg/7BQf5Aw2

So you could join and ask him there!

[Prodatron]

Would we use shorcut for exit from symbosVM and to runnig quickly a CPC emu for RPi ? Or I need to exit to insaneOS and to start there the emulator ? Any linux-rpi emulator can be launched from insaneOS ?


Could  work the accessing to external USB pendrive or usbFDD or main SD for load/save files instead of  *.img virtual HDD???

For the first questions this should be answered by Insane. Just a note, insaneOS has nothing to do with Linux, it is a real bare metal OS developed from scratch, which runs directly on the Pi/ARM CPU.

Regarding the last question, at least in Windows you can add a real drive as a device:

• in the symbosvm.INI (same dir like symbosvm.app; if there is no, just add an empty one) you can add a real drive, which has to be FAT32 (has to be readable with SymbOS) like system.hdd.1="\.\F:" this adds your windows drive F as device 1 (device 0 is usually the image). now you can add in the control panel -> mass storage a new drive (e.g. drive letter B) and choose "device 1" (usually they have an MBR, so choose primary partition 1). I am using this with a connected USB stick.

But for the next release we are planning to support direct hostFS access, so SymbOS will use the file system of the host directly.

[RockRiver]

Test in: * MSXVR / RaspberryPi 3/3+    -----    not boot SymbosVM yet
            * RaspberryPi 2  -------------------      not boot  SymbosVM yet

Hi RockRiver, does this mean
- you did not test it yet?
- or it does not work?

* Yes, I tested first in MSXVR (has RPi 3+ inside) no booted. Then in alone RPi 3+ and RPi 3 and not boot.
Thought that config.txt could not be that these RPis whants ... changed it but no way
* So checked in RPi 2 with old config.txt and not boot too
* Finally put the symbosVM SD in my veeery old RasberryPi 1 and works!!! 

I cannot found that old *.DOX files for SymZilla ... can I download in some place/link at symbos webpage ?

[Prodatron]

* Yes, I tested first in MSXVR (has RPi 3+ inside) no booted. Then in alone RPi 3+ and RPi 3 and not boot.
Thought that config.txt could not be that these RPis whants ... changed it but no way
* So checked in RPi 2 with old config.txt and not boot too
* Finally put the symbosVM SD in my veeery old RasberryPi 1 and works!!! 

So did you insert exactly the same SD card in all three Pis (1,2,3)?
Not a modified one in the 2 and 3, but the same which you used for the 1 as well, where it is working?

I cannot found that old *.DOX files for SymZilla ... can I download in some place/link at symbos webpage ?

Oh let me check, that is 17 years ago, I have to find the original ones with the example table, which I had, when we met last time in Bilbao
It's time for a SymZilla update anyway.

[Skunkfish]

Wow, finally we can have SymbOS as a replacement OS for crappy old Windows?!