A GameBoy emulator (GPLv2: gnuboy, ported, tested on K3)

[twobob]

Originally Posted by hawhill

I think over the next 1-2 days I should be able to include something configurable. Maybe I'll use my preferred "config file parser" engine again - Lua. I could also provide hooks for program start & stop then plus a hook for screen updates, so adapting it to other platforms would be feasible then. More flexibility on the input side would be possible - like handling the touch screen. Let's see if I can find the time and how it will work out...

well. that would clearly be awesome. I'm scratching around looking at TS code to plug into something like those hooks right now so thanks very much.

[hippy dave]

Originally Posted by twobob

Okay just went off and looked at a picture of a k4.
I think that a more simple method will probably rear it's head if you hunt about.
The < and > buttons must surely be mappable to keycodes that the app would expect.

Where does it dump those events, IS IT THE SAME PLACE AS THE FIVEWAY? if not it's probably not working because it's only servicing one event folder. at that point I would attempt to make the Click of the 5 way the right event(that would be my first thought)

IF IT IS in the same events location: I would tweak those codes to be the same as the output of the z on 3 and see what happens. perhaps we could find out what that is. That would probably help.

how are you thinking of mapping them? i tried the echo "send (number)" > /proc/keypad or whatever method, and the emulator ignored it.

[hippy dave]

Originally Posted by hawhill

I think over the next 1-2 days I should be able to include something configurable. Maybe I'll use my preferred "config file parser" engine again - Lua. I could also provide hooks for program start & stop then plus a hook for screen updates, so adapting it to other platforms would be feasible then. More flexibility on the input side would be possible - like handling the touch screen. Let's see if I can find the time and how it will work out...

yes sounds great, thanks!

i really need to have another crack at getting a toolchain up and running. would be so easy to drop the extra case statements into kindleinput.c but i can't recompile it.

[twobob]

hmm, well I had a look at getting this to x-compile on my system (briefly) and noted that the x-tools sysroot and a few other bits would need looking at before I could go for a complete build with the makefile as-is.

still not to much hardship I don't think, for my setup

You say you have no toolchain. Might be no harm in liaising with Hawhill about what flavour exactly of TC he is using and go down that road. At least the makefiles will work OOTB Just a thought.

[geekmaster]

I was planning to use this to stuff keypresses into the keyboard input event device:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...er-4175416506/

I did not test it yet though, but it looks like a great solution for my needs.

A C source code example is provided at the link.

[twobob]

Excellent reference as ever. cheers mate

EDIT:

tested as working on the k5
built: me@dev ~/GIT $ g++ -o keycodesKindle ./keycodes.cpp

Spoiler:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <linux/input.h>
#include <sstream>
#include <unistd.h> 

#define EV_PRESSED 1
#define EV_RELEASED 0
#define EV_REPEAT 2

/*
* Purpose: Stuffs the Linux keyboard buffer with a key and
* reads it back out of the buffer.
*	 All key definitions can be found in input.h file:
*	 /usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/include/linux
*
*/
main()
{
/************************************************
* IMPORTANT
* you need to execute this code as the su or
* sudo user in order to open the device properly.
***********************************************/
printf("Starting the keyboard buffer writer/reader \n");


int fd = 0;
char *device = "/dev/input/event3"; // This is the keyboard device as identified using both: $cat /proc/bus/input/devices
// and looking in the var/log/Xorg.0.log searching for "keyboard"

// Write a key to the keyboard buffer
if( (fd = open(device, O_RDWR)) > 0 )
{
struct input_event event;
printf("The keyboard code is: %d \n", KEY_B); // Note: these are not the same as ASCII codes.

// Press a key (stuff the keyboard with a keypress)
event.type = EV_KEY;
event.value = EV_PRESSED;
event.code = KEY_B;
write(fd, &event, sizeof(struct input_event));

// Release the key
event.value = EV_RELEASED;
event.code = KEY_B;
write(fd, &event, sizeof(struct input_event));
close(fd);
}

// Read the key back from the keyboard buffer
int fd1 = 0;
if( (fd1 = open(device, O_RDONLY)) > 0 ) // It's important to open a new file descriptor here or the program will block.
{
struct input_event event;
unsigned int scan_code = 0;

if(event.type != EV_KEY)
{
return 0; // Keyboard events are always of type EV_KEY
}

if(event.value == EV_RELEASED)
{
scan_code = event.code;
printf("read back scan_code is: %d \n", scan_code);
}
close(fd1);
}
}

So. Yep works. Seemingly

[twobob]

further to this...

still "unworking" but pictured options.

[smartgenes]

I'm not much of an artist but here's what I managed as a skin for the emu (Kindle 3 keyboard), by cooking together some images.
It's not quite what I wanted, as I couldn't figure out how to force the Kindle into using a full screen image.

You can simply make a pictures folder, place the image in there and navigate to it after starting fbgnuboy.

Great work by the way with the emulator

[twobob]

EDIT: NOTE: THIS TEMPLATE I PROVIDE HERE WOULD BE FOR A CODE LEVEL CHANGE VERSION: THE SIMPLE OVERLAY SKIN IS PROVIDED BELOW, THAT ONE WORKS WITH THE EXISTENT PLAYER. THANKS...

Spoiler:

might I ask. Are you suggesting we wrap it in that.
Or you already have?

I'm not clear?
Unsure about the exact copyright graphics but I could happily muddle together an ordered dither version with "Kindled" graphics.



anyways. nice thoughts. TBH we really need this sucker to work on all devices. I should revisit that at some point. it was close IIRC.

EDIT:


Okay I mocked up some graphics that should "just fit" if anyone wants to try it.
(This would be via the code...)

I haven't ordered dithered them yet. but could upon request.

HTH



EDIT: Okay so I will trim them up as per width="572" height="829" (your pic)
and give your pictures folder thing a try. Thanks
err.... Exactly how are you loading the picture? thanks

I DID IT BELOW VIA EIPS... HTH

[twobob]

Okay so I got it as a simple script.

picture attached. gb-flash.jpg

should be the size as pictured in second screenie.


/mnt/us/usr/bin/run-game (or something)

Spoiler:

#!/bin/sh
# draw pattern
eips -p
sleep 1
#draw picture frame
eips -g /mnt/us/usr/bin/pictures/gb-flash.jpg
sleep 1

fbgnuboy ./rom/$@ 2> /mnt/us/gnuboy.log

or the old favourite (THIS SCRIPT ASSUMES /mnt/us/fbgnuboy for the game engine and /mnt/us/fbgnuboy/roms for the games locations!!!)

I high-lighted all the location calls so you can check you have them right...

Spoiler:

#!/bin/sh
#================================================= ==
# getkb - get translated ascii keys from K3 keyboard
# v1.2 by geekmaster
# STDOUT: pressed keys, until Enter key pressed.
#---------------------------------------------------
getkb() {
eips -z 2 38 # scroll
XP=0
YP=39
DN=/dev/null
KN="1234567890____qwertyuiop____asdfghjkl_____zxcvbnm_."
KS="1234567890____QWERTYUIOP____ASDFGHJKL_____ZXCVBNM_,"
KP="1234567890____~@#$%^&*()____<>[]{}?/\_____;:'|-+=_?"
KM=$KN
ST=""
while :;do
eips $XP $YP "$ST""_ "
L="_"
set $(waitforkey); K=$1 D=$2
[[ $D -eq 0 ]]&& continue
# [[ $K -eq 28 ]]&& break # enter
[[ $K -eq 190 ]]&& break # use Aa for enter
[[ $K -eq 14 ]]&& ST="$(echo ${ST%?})" && continue # del
[[ $K -eq 42 ]]&& KM=$KS && continue # shift
[[ $K -eq 126 ]]&& KM=$KP && continue # Sym
[[ $K -eq 57 ]]&& L=" " # space
[[ $K -le 52 ]]&& L="$(echo \"$KM\"|cut -b$K-$K)"
# [[ "$L" == "_" ]]&& L="($K)"
[[ "$L" == "_" ]]&& continue
# echo -n "$L"
ST="$ST$L"
KM=$KN
done
echo "$ST"
}

putei() {
st=$1
ii=${#st}
while [ $ii -ge 0 ] 
do
eips -z 2 38 # scroll
eips 0 39 "$(echo $st | cut -b-50)" # write to the bottom
st="$(echo $st | cut -b51-)"
ii=$(( ii - 50 ))
done
}


killall -stop cvm launchpad 2> /dev/null
cd /mnt/us/fbgnuboy
eips -c;
putei "fbgnuboy - Games Boy Advanced Emulator"
putei ""
putei "Available ROMS -"
putei "$(ls ./roms | sed -e 's/\.[a-zA-Z]*$//')"
putei ""
putei "Execute Which ROM?"
game="$(getkb)"
#draw picture frame
eips -g ./gb-flash.jpg
sleep 1
HOME=/tmp ./fbgnuboy ./roms/"$game".g* 2> /mnt/us/gnuboy.log
killall -cont cvm launchpad 2> /dev/null

Tested as working on mine.
manages loading GB and GBC files just fine. simply enter the first part of the filename.

like ast for ast.gb or ast.gbc.

remember Aa Key is "enter Key" for load script.

Z X A S (I think?) for the games ; )

HOME to exit. : )

Originally Posted by the_Gameboy_Launchpad_ini

[Actions]

## Launch the Gameboy Emulator
G B = !/mnt/us/fbgnuboy/rungame

Change that to your needs

[smartgenes]

How does Launchpad load the script or is the emu started with shortcut keys?
I know this is probably something obvious, but it's driving me potty...

[twobob]

SHIFT G B (oh and you have to do it within .7 of a second, like really fast)

as in SHIFT (Stop pressing shift) G Then B

to reload the scripts when you add a new one.

Shift Shift Space.

so Shift (let go) G B then the script will run....

(assuming you have the files in the right place of course.)

IF it fails? check the /mnt/us/gnuboy.log : )

I have one (horror story) video done showing it running.

Ill add another one showing the script.

It running anyways:


Hehehe. This looks like footage from "The ring" or "The Blair Witch Project" heh!

EDIT:

And here is me running it via a script.

SHIFT G B

and

ast Aa

are the only things typed.

[twobob]

frogger is a big success

[flashmozzg]

Can you port it to K5? Just make gameboy buttons tuch-usable and thats all...

[twobob]

I was thinking the same thing.

The touch tech is available in the err.... let me think... "Mplayer Gui" thread.

Just fiddle the script about a bit, don't "draw" anything and test for hits - then pass them to the game.

This is when Hawhill jumps in and says "Stop messing around with that ancillary rubbish and just code it into the app..."

speaking of which

@Hawhill. any chance I could get a dump of your exact CTNG settings? Would be appreciated.

The source is bundled with the app.

so choices are: strap something over the top. figure out where to inject key presses (I would guess /proc/keypad but that's a total guess) - load it as part of a script.

actually add the relevant bits to the code which would comprise either

a) doing it right and having a simple config for this kind of thing (future proof)
b) just hacking in the support for the device at hand.

Okay, well I don't have the means to build this right now (I have tried a couple of times) given a few more Build config pointers perhaps I could.

My overlay solution is speculative also I would like to point out, reliant of finding how to pass key events to the app.

HTH