Developer Journal
First Game Boot Attempt
1/15/2006 11:10AM
To try to get a first game booted this weekend, I thought I would try a "shortest path to success" -
a CD Bootable Linux Game. I chose AdvanceMAME,
a Mame-on-Linux CD for playing classic arcade games.
I achieved only mixed success. I only have the motherboard, power supply, CD, Floppy, and Thrustmaster
USB controller attached. The CD boots and loads AdvanceMAME without problem. The "choose your game" menu
system appears, and happily works with the Gamepad! I though I might have trouble getting to this point.
However, once a game is selected, the computer appears to freeze at the "loading game screen". I do not
know why yet, but there are many possibilities.
Still, first partial proof of concept software! I can run a Linux game-menu system on limited interface
hardware.
Gamepads
1/14/2006 3:47PM
I looked at a few more usb controllers. The Logitech button layout looks "common" among other controllers
but not at all "the standard". I picked up a good looking and feeling Thrustmaster (
The "Dual Trigger 2-in-1 Rumble Force") to try in comparison to the Logitech Gamepad. It has
a slightly different button layout - Clockwise from the top ('Noon') the Logitech and a few others have
the layout "4 3 2 1", but the Thrustmaster has "4 3 1 2". I also picked up and read up on the new
XBox 360 controller. It works great under windows and feels as good (and maybe better) than any PC
gamepad and far better than the normal ones, so I recommend it for your own gameplay. However, it conforms
to a new "non-HID" USB standard that other makers may follow, so eventually it may be possible to support
the standard. For now I will stick with investigating HID. Naturally, with the SGC standard, each game
can potentially support whatever hardware it wants, so this is not a "limitation".
I've also been reading up on USB interfaces in Dos to see if it would be possible to provide a standard
gamepad interface that would not only allow joystick access, but perhaps allow another compatibility layer to
send traditional keyboard and joystick messages.
However, current Linux drivers will work with HID games. My guess is the new XBox 360 standrd is or will be
supported. I wonder if there are any Joystick front ends for Linux?
Motherboard and Athelon to play with
1/14/2006 3:47PM
The AMD 700Mhz board I was using is ok, but I don't want to take it apart or dedicate it to this
project, and it doesn't have the build in sound, etc. I want to test. Therefore I picked up the cheapest
modern motherboard I could find at the local used & new PC shop. (Needless to say, one of my favorite
stores.) I ended up with a ASRock K7S41GX with everything built in - including video, which was accidental.
That plus a used 1Ghz Athelon and a stick of memory I had around (an OK stick from my stack of "possibly" bad
memory) and I am in business. Again, this is a test board, and I would like a faster processor in the end, but
it is a cheap start!
OS's to boot?
1/4/2006 10:20PM
What OS's to try? I'd love to boot Windows XP and DirectX, naturally, but licencing and technical issues with a CDROM boot
block that from happening. (Maybe one day there will be a WinSGC [updated CE?] that could be
licenced by professional game companies to host their games! It takes up a fraction of the CD/DVD, and quick boots to one program.)
Linux is obvious, and I found a link to someone with a similar idea who
had instructions for booting from a CD:
Linux Game Disk
Can't mention linux w/out mentioning BSD, same possibilities
Some version of Dos (FreeDos?) is easy to boot to, but we would need USB joystick drivers.
V2 OS? looks interesting. Is it alive and kicking? V2 OS
In short, anything that will run on an x86 could boot, it's just a matter of talking to the
rest of the hardware.
Video Card
1/4/2006 10:18PM
I picked up an NVidia GEForce 5200 FX (Chaintech, $42) with a nice TV out. It boots to a
TV when placed in the AMD, first trivial test works! Good to go later for 'real' testing.
Game Controller
1/4/2006 10:17PM
I also picked up a Logitech USB Gamepad a few days ago which looks much like the rest of
the "standard" pc gamepads. No chance to test it with the Proof-of-concept hardware, but
it works great in my laptop... Yea! RealArcade! Oh, pardon me. Got distracted.
Stuff on hand
1/4/2006 10:14PM
I have miscelaneous computers and computer parts around, mostly focused on older DOS systems and
not much use for this project. However, I should be able to scrounge starter parts (like my old
new computer - a 700 MHZ AMD that is supposed to become a fileserver+ one of these days) to try
Proof-of-concept SGC hardware in.
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