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See Assembler User's Guide at ASM
The Kernal64 emulator can execute programs taken, mainly, from four types of devices:
- D64,G64 1541 disk format
- D71 1571 disk format
- D81 1581 disk format
- TAP/T64 tape format
- PRG files
- CRT, cartridges
Here a list of sites where you can find games, applications, utilities, etc:
- http://www.cbm8bit.com/
- http://www.elysium.filety.pl/tools/cartridges/pack.2/%3D%3D%3Dindex.html
- http://www.haddewig.de/nogames64/tools.html
- http://www.c64.com/
- http://csdb.dk/
- https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/onrequest/geos/index.html
- http://old.c64warez.com/
- WiC64
- BeamReacer
- REU
- GEORAM
- SwiftLink
- DigiMAX
- ActionReplay
- KCS
- FinalCartridge I
- FinalCartridge III
- Simon's Basic
- Comal 80
- Magic Desk
- Dinamic
- Game System
- Warp Speed
- Easy Flash
- Ocean
- Fun Play
- Super Games
- Epyx Fastloader
- Super snapshot 5
- GMOD2
- GMOD3
- Zaxxon
- Mach 5
- Page Fox
- CP/M
- Dual SID
- Super Explode
- RAM Cart
- Isepic
The joystick can be emulated via keyboard or via a real USB joystick. The joystick with keyboard emulation can be done via keypad (INS key is fire) or via custom keys chosen by the user. See Settings -> Joysticks menù.
The keyboard can be configured via layout configuration file. At the start the emulator tries to recognize the host keyboard layout and if it finds a valid configuration file it applies it. Some keyboard layout configuration files are pre-configured. Is it always possible to write a custom configuration file for your layout: check the guide below that explains how the configuration file must be filled. Use the 'keyboard layout helper' (inside Keyboard Settings) to discover the key codes of your layout.
#
# Kernal64 keyboard layout configuration file
#
# lines that start with # character or empty lines are ignored
# the configuration file has two sections identified by [map] and [keypad_map]: in the first, standard keys are configured,
# while in the second keys of the numeric keypad are configured, if any.
#
# every configuration line is composed by
# [[(w|x|m)+]]<modifiers><host key name or key code> = <emulated key>,<emulated key>,...,<emulated key> [<comment>]
# where [[(w|x|m)+]] is an optional modifier to indicate that the row must be included in the configuration for the given OS(es) only: w=Windows,x=Linux,m=Mac, discarded otherwise
# in this way the same emulated keys can be configured for different OS. For example: [xm] will define a row for Linux and Mac only.
# where <modifiers> can be a combination of:
# + for shift (shifted host key)
# ^ for altg (altg + host key)
# ! for numeric virtual key code (used for host key that has not a Java key name, just a code number)
# - turn off automatic shifting (used to disable the automatic shifting)
#
# <comment> it's a # character followed by a comment
# host key names (or symbols) are listed below:
# Host keys
# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
# 8 9 A ACCEPT ADD AGAIN ALL_CANDIDATES ALPHANUMERIC
# ALT ALT_GRAPH AMPERSAND ASTERISK AT B BACK_QUOTE BACK_SLASH
# BACK_SPACE BEGIN BRACELEFT BRACERIGHT C CANCEL CAPS_LOCK CIRCUMFLEX
# CLEAR CLOSE_BRACKET CODE_INPUT COLON COMMA COMPOSE CONTEXT_MENU CONTROL
# CONVERT COPY CUT D DEAD_ABOVEDOT DEAD_ABOVERING DEAD_ACUTE DEAD_BREVE
# DEAD_CARON DEAD_CEDILLA DEAD_CIRCUMFLEX DEAD_DIAERESIS DEAD_DOUBLEACUTE DEAD_GRAVE DEAD_IOTA DEAD_MACRON
# DEAD_OGONEK DEAD_SEMIVOICED_SOUND DEAD_TILDE DEAD_VOICED_SOUND DECIMAL DELETE DIVIDE DOLLAR
# DOWN E END ENTER EQUALS ESCAPE EURO_SIGN EXCLAMATION_MARK
# F F1 F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15
# F16 F17 F18 F19 F2 F20 F21 F22
# F23 F24 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8
# F9 FINAL FIND FULL_WIDTH G GREATER H HALF_WIDTH
# HELP HIRAGANA HOME I INPUT_METHOD_ON_OFF INSERT INVERTED_EXCLAMATION_MARK J
# JAPANESE_HIRAGANA JAPANESE_KATAKANA JAPANESE_ROMAN K KANA KANA_LOCK KANJI KATAKANA
# KP_DOWN KP_LEFT KP_RIGHT KP_UP L LEFT LEFT_PARENTHESIS LESS
# M META MINUS MODECHANGE MULTIPLY N NONCONVERT NUMBER_SIGN
# NUMPAD0 NUMPAD1 NUMPAD2 NUMPAD3 NUMPAD4 NUMPAD5 NUMPAD6 NUMPAD7
# NUMPAD8 NUMPAD9 NUM_LOCK O OPEN_BRACKET P PAGE_DOWN PAGE_UP
# PASTE PAUSE PERIOD PLUS PREVIOUS_CANDIDATE PRINTSCREEN PROPS Q
# QUOTE QUOTEDBL R RIGHT RIGHT_PARENTHESIS ROMAN_CHARACTERS S SCROLL_LOCK
# SEMICOLON SEPARATOR SHIFT SLASH SPACE STOP SUBTRACT T
# TAB U UNDEFINED UNDERSCORE UNDO UP V W
# WINDOWS X Y Z
# emulated key names are listed below:
# C64 & VIC20 keys
# A AT B C CBM CLR_HOME COLON COMMA
# CRSR_LR CRSR_UD CTRL D E EQUAL EXP F
# F1 F3 F5 F7 G H I INST_DEL
# J K L LIRA L_ARROW L_SHIFT M MINUS
# N N_0 N_1 N_2 N_3 N_4 N_5 N_6
# N_7 N_8 N_9 O P PERIOD PLUS Q
# R RESTORE RETURN RUN_STOP R_SHIFT S SEMICOL SLASH
# SPACE STAR T U V W X Y
# Z
# C128 special keys
# ALT CAPS_LOCK ESC HELP KEYPAD_DOT KEYPAD_DOWN KEYPAD_ENTER KEYPAD_LEFT
# KEYPAD_MINUS KEYPAD_N_0 KEYPAD_N_1 KEYPAD_N_2 KEYPAD_N_3 KEYPAD_N_4 KEYPAD_N_5 KEYPAD_N_6
# KEYPAD_N_7 KEYPAD_N_8 KEYPAD_N_9 KEYPAD_PLUS KEYPAD_RIGHT KEYPAD_UP LINE_FEED NO_SCROLL
# TAB _40_80
# CBM2 keys
# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
# 8 9 A B BARROW C CLOSED_SBRACKET COMMA
# COMMODORE CONTROL D DB_QUOTE DEL DOT DOWN E
# EQUAL ESC F F1 F10 F2 F3 F4
# F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 G GRAPH H
# HOME I J K KP_0 KP_00 KP_1 KP_2
# KP_3 KP_4 KP_5 KP_6 KP_7 KP_8 KP_9 KP_CE
# KP_DIV KP_DOT KP_ENTER KP_MINUS KP_MUL KP_PLUS KP_QMARK L
# LEFT M MINUS N O OPEN_SBRACKET P PI
# Q R RETURN RIGHT RVS S SEMICOL SHIFT
# SLASH SPACE STOP T TAB U UP V
# W X Y Z
# when a shifted emulated key must be configured, either L_SHIFT or R_SHIFT (or SHIFT for CBM2) can be used
# if the - modifiers is not used the given configuration is cloned also for the shifted version
# for example
# A = A
# 2 configurations are produced: one for A -> A and one for +A = A,L_SHIFT
# examples
# to map a host F1 key to an emulated F1 key
# F1 = F1
# to map a host F2 key to an emulated F2 key
# F2 = F1,L_SHIFT
# to map a Altgr + à (for Italian layout this produce #) to an emulated #
# ^!16777440 = N_3,L_SHIFT
# here it is used a key code !16777440 because the character à does not have a Java nameYes, it's possible, still today, to connect to an old Bulletin Board System. For a list of BBS see http://cbbsoutpost.servebbs.com/
To connect to the external world, the RS-232 interface is used: Two ways are possible, the User Port and the Expansion Port. The first one was used, mainly, for the old Commodore modems. The RS-232 Kernal routines work on this implementation but are limited to 1200/2400 baud. The latter one was used by cartridges, like SwiftLink and can run up to 38400 baud.
To activate an RS-232 implementation go to the Settings Menu, and select RS-232. Here you can choose the available implementations. The Telnet implementation must be used to connect to telnet BBS or in general to a telnet server: in the pop-up insert the host:port references followed by modem parameters baud,bits,parity,stop bits. For example: borderlinebbs.dyndns.org:6502,1200,8,n,1.
The Tcp implementation can be used to connect to a tcp endpoint, like CommodoreServer.com. In the pop-up use the following parameters: www.commodoreserver.com:1541,1200,8,n,1
The Process implementation executes an external process and uses its input/output stream to read/write bytes that will be exchanged with the RS-232. A good example is the Slack client from http://1amstudios.com/2016/11/27/c64-slack-client. In this case the external process is the nodejs executable that runs the app.js application.
For SwiftLink, choose "SwiftLink $DF00" (if you want to put it on IO2) or "SwiftLink $DE00 + REU" to install a SwiftLink on $DE00 + 512K of REU on $DF00. Then it asked to type the configuration string: here you can type the bbs server and port, to connect immediately, or you can type 'modem' to postpone the connection. If you postpone the connection remember to connect inside your terminal program: in the terminal type ad host:port + RETURN. I suggest you to use NovaTerm v9.6 as a terminal program. Remember to select the SwiftLink RS-232 driver.
Here some examples:
Under Settings -> IO -> Flyer internet modem you can enable the Flyer card on device 7.
The implementation does not support the cloud functionalities.
The Flyer is also a disks repository: you can set the local directory where you want to store the disks (Settings -> IO -> Flyer internet modem -> Set disks repository.
Try out the Flyer software
Here an example, the IRC program:
Some games used sophisticated fast loaders: it can happen that the default settings are not able to permit those software to run properly. Try to change the drive speed in the drives panel (Settings -> Drives) checking "Max speed". I found some demo scene software to run with this setting only.
Another settings to change can be the drive auto-sleep: uncheck "Can go sleep" in the panel; I found this useful, for example, for the Nostalgia games (https://www.n0stalgia.org/)
Yes, there is a support for the old (and probably unuseful) CP/M cartridge. Under the Settings -> I/O menù select the CP/M item: now you're ready to use the wonderful world of Z80 processor. In order to get ready with CP/M you have to download the Commodore CP/M boot disk (http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/demodisks/c64/cpm/index.html) and run it. For further reading see also http://www.z80.eu/c64.html
Here you can see the emulator running the MBasic from Microsoft:
To make CP/M disks, please visit https://github.com/mist64/ctools
Try to activate the second SID from Settings -> SID -> Dual SID on $DE00 or $DF00 (as if it were an external CRT). Now you have 2 SID running together in stereo mode. To appreciate this new sound, go to http://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/stereo-sid/stereoplayer-10_3.d64 and run it. Try to play on of the stereo songs contained in the d64 and enjoy it (remember to set the external 2nd sid address to the same set in the emulator and to disable fast loading).
Share your Kernal64's screen and input devices with another player on the network! Go to Settings -> Remoting -> On and select the local listening port. From now on you will see a (?) blinking in the window's title bar, meaning that it is listening for an incoming connection.
Now the other player can run the remoteclient script with the host and port parameters (host and port of the Kernal64's listening server) on the command line.
On the server the blinking (?) become (R), meaning that a connection has been established. The server screen has been remoted on the client and the player on the client can use his own keyboard as if it were on the server.
To play a game in a two-player mode on the server select the input devices: On the server you can use both the keyboard or the USB joystick, while on the client you have to use just the keyboard (custom keys or keypad).
Here an example of the Pit Stop 2 game (I did not make an instant snapshot on both client and server...) :
