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Topics - Mentore

Pages: [1] 2
1
Programming / Software ports - the state of my art until now
« on: November 19, 2025, 08:31:11 am »
Hello all, I have finally set up a convenient development environment for my ArcaOS 5.1 VM and I'm in the process of porting some other software, hoping it will be useful. I placed my hands on something interesting, I have to say - and many things just compile without problems, thanks to the huge work of people like Paul Smedley and the others. Thanks guys!

Now for a list of what's cooking (just the most relevant items):

  • MidiEditor - a Qt5 MIDI sequencer. It starts without problems, still have to try it on some complex MIDI file though. A really good help when it comes to music production.
  • yape on SDL: a Commodore VIC-20 / 64 / 128 / +4 emulator on SDL 2. Have to try it thoroughly but it seems working just fine.
  • jsEmu48 and x48 SDL: HP 48/49 emulators based on SDL. x48 still has problems due to the ROM / RAM image locations but it looks promising.
  • CometFTP: a Qt 5 SFTP client which looks very interesting.
  • CScope: one of the most interesting software analysis programs
  • semblance: text mode application to disassemble old MS-DOS software. Yes, I want to use it on some older DOS programs and see if I can do something on them.
  • two IMAP text mode mail clients - I would like to use them to build a REXX GUI wrapper and see if we can get a simple email client on IMAP.
  • Some interesting libraries: z80ex (Zilog Z80 emulation), capstone (disassembly), capsimage (disk image handling), libTmt (terminal emulation)
  • More to come in the next weeks I think..

After the good news, here are two interesting (?) problems I'm encountering on two ports:

1 - I'm working on porting Hatari (Atari emulator on SDL, https://www.hatari-emu.org/) and it mostly compiles, but then emxomf fails with two errors:

emxomf: Index too large
emxomfld: a.out to omf conversion failed for 'cpu/UaeCpu.a'.
make[2]: *** [src/CMakeFiles/hatari.dir/build.make:1287: src/hatari.exe] Error 1
make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/Makefile2:460: src/CMakeFiles/hatari.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [Makefile:146: all] Error 2


I think they may be related to cmake, but can't find the culprit. Some of my current flags are these (attaching the CMD file I'm using to set up my dev environment):

EMXOMFLD_LINKER=wl.exe
EMXOMFLD_TYPE=wlink
CFLAGS=-O2 -DOS2
CXXFLAGS=-O2 -DOS2
ASLAGS=-Zomf
LDFLAGS=-Zomf -Zhigh-mem
LIB=-lcx


2 - eigen3 (math library) and octave workshop, both requiring Qt4:
I've tried to install all Qt4 software from RPM repositories but I still seem unable to find the development libraries. I'm about to look at them again but currently I seem unable to compile Qt4 software.

I'll gladly accept any advice on these two problems I'm encountering - in the meantime I'll try on something more and maybe start publishing my works on hobbes.

Mentore

2
Hiya all, something good to let you know.
Recently I found I lost my registration key for the excellent GPF REXX programming IDE for OS/2 (https://ecsoft2.org/node/1322).
I decided to contact Jean-Baptiste Clerin, the developer, asking him to help me with this problem and after a few emails we agreed on this:
even if the product is no more of interest to him, he can't release it as open source because he would have to remove some cryptographic algorythm (didn't go too deep in details) and so some peculiar aspects of the program would be lost. Even so, he answered me he didn't have the time to work on it and also he got rid of his OS/2 environment, so open sourcing it was a no-no.

The solution? Creating a registration key for me and a generic-user registration key for everyone of us who wants to try the software!

Here it is:
V 1.2 (Pro)
License To: OS/2 User
License Id: 45-78-40718
Key: 50C2-9096-0C04-89B4-20DB-B246-2F1F-49E1

I'm in the process of re-installing all my OS/2 important software on a new ArcaOS VM so I'll have to work a lot. I intend to fire it up ASAP to work on some OS/2 native software. In the meantime, feel free to use the generic key as you see fit.

Mentore

3
Programming / Boost 1.87 - assembler problems
« on: March 25, 2025, 01:45:02 pm »
Hello all, I'm trying to port the entire Boost library system.
Working with the CMake version helped me getting rid of the horrible B2 (bootstrap) build chain which I tried to port but with a lot of headaches.

I'm fixing little problems during compilation, but got stuck in some assembler section:

make gives me

make_i386_sysv_elf_gas.S:34: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.hidden'

I'm currently using GCC 14.20, but as.exe is the "original" one on OS/2 since the 9.2.0 release of GCC.
It seems the assembler is the culprit, by searching in some other forums.
Am I correct in assuming that by default the "as" assembler is used? Or is it WASM?

I'll keep trying, but some suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Mentore

4
Programming / [gcc] libgomp?
« on: January 20, 2025, 02:32:31 pm »
Hi everyone,
trying to port another OpenGL renderer (PortableGL) which seems promising, but complains I lack libgomp.
From what I saw, libgomp should be part of GCC but I seem unable to reach for it - GCC falls back to searching it in the OS/2 toolkit, which means it's not in the GCC tree.

Can someone help me finding it? We could do with a more modern OpenGL library (albeit incomplete).
Mentore

5
Programming / DOSBox-x - infinite loop in configure/make
« on: November 05, 2024, 10:22:02 am »
Hello all,
I'm having a real PITA trying to port DosBox-x under OS/2 with the latest tool (Gcc 9.2.0, the rest is up-to-date with ANPM netlabs repo).

I've issued the usual autoreconf and given a detailed configure script call with these options

./configure --prefix=/DosBox-x --enable-sdl2 --enable-force-menu-sdldraw --disable-sdlnet --disable-opengl --disable-alsatest --disable-alsa-midi --disable-libslirp --disable-x11

But then I notice that the created makefile contains a lot of calls to am<things> (which should be autotools) and starts configuring again, everytime restarting all the process with these starting lines

CDPATH="${ZSH_VERSION+.};" && cd . && /usr/bin/sh D:/Sviluppo/Sorgenti/dbox/dosb
ox/missing aclocal-1.16
 cd . && /usr/bin/sh D:/Sviluppo/Sorgenti/dbox/dosbox/missing automake-1.16 --fo
reign
CDPATH="${ZSH_VERSION+.};" && cd . && /usr/bin/sh D:/Sviluppo/Sorgenti/dbox/dosb
ox/missing autoconf
/usr/bin/sh ./config.status --recheck
running CONFIG_SHELL=/usr/bin/sh /usr/bin/sh ./configure --prefix=/DosBox-x --en
able-sdl2 --enable-force-menu-sdldraw --disable-sdlnet --disable-opengl --disabl
e-alsatest --disable-alsa-midi --disable-libslirp --disable-x11 CC=gcc.exe CFLAG
S=-O2 -g -DOS2 LDFLAGS=-Zomf -Zhigh-mem -Zmap -Zbin-files -Zargs-wild -Zargs-res
p LIBS=-lcx CPP=/usr/bin/cpp.exe CXX=gcc.exe CXXFLAGS=-O2 -g -DOS2 --no-create -
-no-recursion


What puzzles me is the continue reference (in bold) to config.status --recheck which starts again the configuration process. I'm searching in forums and other places but without any hint. I also tried to remove and force --recheck to disappear from the config* files and the created makefiles but without any result - it still keeps regenerating files which loops indefinitely.
Even trying to use bash instead of sh changes nothing.

I really can't understand what the problem may be - I remember in the past I got stuck on a similar issue with another project, but solved it modifying an already available makefile. Can't get a grip on this.

Mentore

6
Programming / [SDL2] SDL_ListModes and emulation
« on: October 30, 2024, 12:29:37 pm »
You guys, something interesting here.
First of all the good news: I FINALLY got to compile a working release of FUSE, one of the best ZX Spectrum emulators available as open source https://sourceforge.net/projects/fuse-emulator/.

Configure and Make went successful but I encountered two major problems:

  • the font file fuse.font used in the SDL version got broken during compilation. I solved it replacing the broken one with a pre-compiled version from a Debian distribution. OK, I cheated, but too little time to investigate on this;
  • The executable crashed during SDL graphic mode initialization.

In the source file ui/sdl/sdldisplay.c there's a function named

uidisplay_init( int width, int height )

which calls SDL_ListModes like this:

modes=SDL_ListModes(NULL, SDL_FULLSCREEN|SDL_SWSURFACE);

where modes is of type SDL_Rect **modes; as per documentation.

I noticed that SDL_ListModes returns three available modes but only the first one seems somehow valid.
Trying to access modes[1] or modes[2] immediately crashed the program. SDL documentation was not helpful as I hoped.

The obvious solution was to force selecting modes[0] like this


#if defined (__OS2__)
   mn = 0; // Remove useless warning
   mw = modes[0]->w;
   mh = modes[0]->h;
   fprintf (stderr, "OS/2 system: resolution is %d x %d\n\r", mw, mh);
#else
...rest of original code follows...


I'm currently uploading everything on Hobbes, with source and utilities.
Did someone else encounter this problem? It seems almost like SDL2 under OS/2 works only in full screen mode. This may also explain why I can't start sUQLx (a Sinclair QL SDL emulator) in windowed mode, even if I try to force it.

Mentore

7
Programming / harfbuzz (TeX Live)
« on: October 16, 2024, 02:08:41 pm »
Hello all,
I'm in the process of compiling the latest version of TeX live for OS/2.
I just stopped with a really strange error (make log attached) regarding namespaces and I can't wrap my head around it.
Searching this forum for harfbuzz I found it in the wonderful Qt6 development thread from the GOAT, Paul Smedley, so the question is:
is harfbuzz somehow available under OS/2? Or, on a second instance, is it possible to work around this (for me) never seen problem?

I feel we could use a new TeX version...

Thanks all
Mentore

8
Programming / [GCC] Unable to define getMemorySize()
« on: September 25, 2024, 02:25:59 pm »
Hiya all,

Trying to port NGSpice 4.2 (3.1 compiled just fine). Everything right until this:

get_avail_mem_size.c:26:2: error: #error "Unable to define getMemorySize( ) for an unknown OS."

Where can I find the definition of getMemorySize() under OS/2? Or should I try and clear this OS definition in configuring the environment?
TIA
Mentore

9
Programming / Strange autoconf / autoreconf / configure behavior
« on: May 21, 2024, 10:04:28 am »
Hi all, this is something I never saw before.

I was recently trying to port some other SDL / un*x software on OS/2, mostly emulators. Gone through an HP 48 emulator which works under SDL, but has no configure script - just configure.ac ready to be used with autoconf. But this is what I have after running it:


[D:\Sviluppo\Sorgenti\tmp\x48-master>]sh /usr/bin/autoreconf -sfvi
autoreconf.: Entering directory `.'
autoreconf.: configure.ac: not using Gettext
autoreconf.: running: aclocal  --output=aclocal.m4t
Can't open perl script "exe": No such file or directory
aclocal: error: echo failed with exit status: 2
autoreconf.: failed to run aclocal: SYS0193=0xc1: %1 non può essere eseguito in
una sessione OS/2

[D:\Sviluppo\Sorgenti\tmp\x48-master>]sh /usr/bin/autoconf
Can't open perl script "exe": No such file or directory

[D:\Sviluppo\Sorgenti\tmp\x48-master>]


I took a look at the auto* scripts and tried changing /@unixroot/usr occurrences to /usr, but no results. Of course it was a stupid attempt but the results didn't change.

Trying to port the latest version of SOX I get this at the end of the configure script:


configure.: creating ./config.status
config.status: creating Makefile
Usage: gawk [POSIX or GNU style options] -f progfile [--] file ...
Usage: gawk [POSIX or GNU style options] [--] 'program' file ...
POSIX options:          GNU long options: (standard)
        -f progfile             --file=progfile
        -F fs                   --field-separator=fs
        -v var=val              --assign=var=val
Short options:          GNU long options: (extensions)
        -b                      --characters-as-bytes
        -c                      --traditional
        -C                      --copyright
        -d[file]                --dump-variables[=file]
        -e 'program-text'       --source='program-text'
        -E file                 --exec=file
        -g                      --gen-pot
        -h                      --help
        -L [fatal]              --lint[=fatal]
        -n                      --non-decimal-data
        -N                      --use-lc-numeric
        -O                      --optimize
        -p[file]                --profile[=file]
        -P                      --posix
        -r                      --re-interval
        -S                      --sandbox
        -t                      --lint-old
        -V                      --version

To report bugs, see node `Bugs' in `gawk.info', which is
section `Reporting Problems and Bugs' in the printed version.

gawk is a pattern scanning and processing language.
By default it reads standard input and writes standard output.

Examples:
        gawk '{ sum += $1 }; END { print sum }' file
        gawk -F: '{ print $1 }' /etc/passwd
sed: couldn't write 34 items to stdout: Invalid argument
config.status: error: could not create Makefile


Another project - FUSE 1.6 for SDL. I'd really love to get one of the best ZX Spectrum emulators under OS/2, but I get the same result.
I already ported some other programs simply tweaking their makefile, so I am rather sure GCC and its companions work well. I can't for the life of me figure what happened, since I didn't tamper with /usr/bin (I seem to remember substituting clean.exe with another exe, but can't remember when).

Is there anyone who can hint me on what to do? Upgrading the auto* tools would be a good idea, can I find them on ANPM?

Thanks in advance,
Mentore


10
Programming / libALSA?
« on: April 30, 2024, 09:17:40 am »
Hello all,
I finally managed in setting up some projects on OS/2 - mainly focusing on emulatio.
As it seems, I have a QL Emulator under SDL/2 working - never happened before (there was UQLX but needed X11 and I never saw a working copy).

Now for the difficult part:
I'm working on a newer release of FBZX, a ZX Spectrum emulator I already ported before. It uses libpulse, OSS or libALSA for sound - and we don't have any of them.
As UNIAUD is based on ALSA, I'm wondering how difficult it may be to port libalsa under OS/2.
Thoughts, anyone? I'm pulling it from github right now.

Mentore

11
Programming / ArcaOS - Recreate a complete build environment?
« on: February 05, 2024, 09:22:11 am »
Hello all, starting a new topic which I hope will be useful to other people.
I'm about to finish a complete ArcaOS VM - meaning I installed all the system, the applications that I want to work with (Graphics, DTP, Math, Emulators, Games and so on) and now I'm finishing a big development section.
So I went and installed VACPP 4 (the text editor and the CLI compiler are my needs), OpenWatcom, various REXX environments, and os on. But now I'm stuck with GCC environment.

In the past I heavily relied on Paul Smedley's build environment, but as far as I can see, there's no mention of it in his website. Since there are many interesting projects involving GCC I'd really like to get a complete GCC based build environment, but somehow feel a little stuck (too used to Visual Studio I'm afraid).

From where can I start? I guess a GCC recent version (not sure of what would be the best), discarding EMX, then make, autoconf suite, cmake, what else?

Any help will gladly be appreciated - we may use this thread to estabilish an up to date information source for us programmers out there...

TIA
Mentore

12
Programming / Installing VisualAge 4 on ArcaOS 5.x
« on: January 05, 2024, 03:05:14 pm »
Hello all,
been trying to install this old beast under my ArcaOS powered VM.
It seems, though, that even installing Netscape Communicator + Feature Install I can't get past the installation splash screen. Also rebooting the VM and reinstalling FI alone doesn't get me anywhere.
ISTR there was something helpful for installing VAge without that nightmare known as Feature Installer - I mean, what the hell did IBM developers think when they deployed something like that?

So, any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA,
Mentore

13
Programming / BREXX - Classic REXX implementation
« on: June 28, 2023, 01:53:15 pm »
Just stumbled across this:

https://github.com/vlachoudis/brexx/blob/master/README.md

Since we have a "rather" old classic REXX version, we might think about a replacement?

Mentore

14
Comments, Suggestions & Questions / ArcaOS 5.0 on xxxxxx.com
« on: January 17, 2023, 07:59:13 am »
Hello all, and most notably @Roderick Klein and all the people directly involved in ArcaNoae.

I just checked xxxxxx.com, which is a site containing "abandonware" software, constantly growing. I don't have trouble with abandonware software, but I'm seeing listed ArcaOS 5.0.

Which is DEFINITELY NOT ABANDONWARE.

I'm trying to warn the site and ask them to remove every copy of ArcaOS from their system. I'm asking all you os2world people to do the same.

Thanks all
Mentore

15
Hello all. Just a few thoughts here.
I recently was given some eeePC net-top boxes (Intel N160/270, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB hard drive each) mounting Windows 7 OS, and found they are perfectly targeted by linux distros.
Somehow the idea of connecting them in a private LAN and using them as a parallel PC solution (clustering) came to mind and, lo and behold, I found a Linux solution for this. Basically this should turn a group of PCs roughly identical in computing power in a "single" machine working on all the CPUs and resources of its components. This would mean having a "single" 7 CPUs PC with 14 GB RAM and more than 1 TB MSD, expandable adding other machines (more or less: of course there's much overhead due to LAN and other quirks).

And it's all OK and right. But: I was wondering if somehow a similar solution exists (or could exist) on OS/2 architecture? I seem to remember there was a PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) software on Hobbes but never gave it a try.

I'll look at https://www.csm.ornl.gov/pvm/pvm_home.html (if it still exist) and maybe study a little. In the meantime I'd love to hear your opinions (having a 8 CPUs OS/2 machine with 16 GB RAM would be fun).

Mentore

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