All-day 'Virtual' Acorn session #9, Saturday 7th November 2020, 9am - 11pm

[KenLowe]

Can you please also add me to the list. I've got various things on tomorrow, but will try to join when I've got a spare minute.

Thanks

[Arcadian]

The talk at 13:30 has been confirmed: Explaining Elite by Mark Moxon.

Mark recently added full comments to the source code for the BBC Micro version of Elite and uploaded it to Github.

He also launched a website at www.bbcelite.com to complement the project.

Mark will cover all of the above in today's talk.

[Arcadian]

Updated schedule:

09.00 - 13.30: Open (Misc hardware projects)

13.30 - 14.45: Talk: Mark Moxon - Explaining Elite

15.00 - 15.15: Colin Hoad - Acorn World in Pixels book preview

15.15 - 15.45: Open (Misc gaming chat)

15.45 - 16.00: Tricky: Pacman update

16:00 - 17:00 James "Dudleysoft" Watson: Games for the BBC with Pi Native ARM Co-Pro

17:00 - 18.00: Tea break

18:00 - 19.15: Update: Kees van Oss & Leonardo - Games coding projects

19.15 - 20.15: High Score Challenge (karateed)

20.15 - 20.45: Open (Misc chat)

20.45 - 21.15: Summary - [Virtual] RISC OS London Show 2020 (Bryan Hogan)

21.15 - 22.00: Overview - RISC OS 3.71 source code leak (Various)

[klintworth]

Thanks for another entertaining and informative day, much appreciated!

[BigEd]

Yes indeed, thanks for sorting it out - even without a packed program, I felt I had some good chats in the morning (and then ran out of energy in the afternoon and evening.)

Although there were some silences, I felt they were companionable rather than awkward!

[KenLowe]

Indeed, thanks for organising, and although logged in for most of the day, apologies for only getting the chance to join in after midnight!

I had a new fibre broadband service brought into the house on Friday, and needed to install a power socket for the FTTP converter. It should have been a simple job involving a brief power outage in the house to get access to my fuse box. Unfortunately one of my Linux servers failed to power back up when I switched the power back on. I thought the Dell motherboard had gone, but it turns out that the PSU had failed. It's not a standard PSU, but I have managed to temporarily jam in another PSU which has thankfully allowed me to get the server up and running again.

I opened up the failed PSU and saw a couple of bulged capacitors which I was able to swap out, but that didn't make any difference, so I've ordered a replacement from ebay.

Anyway, everything back up and running now, along with gigabit fibre!

[tricky]

Thanks organisers again, for me it was a cross between a Tuesday and a Saturday, no bad thing.

[picosonic]

We’re any of the talks recorded?

[Arcadian]

The excellent "Explaining Elite" talk was recorded, will post in this thread when the video is online...

[picosonic]

The excellent "Explaining Elite" talk was recorded, will post in this thread when the video is online...

Sounds good. I look forward to seeing it.

[BigEd]

I think - I hope - there is to be an all-day Acorn session ("ABUG") this coming Saturday, the 5th December. Can we have a thread for it please? (Or a cancellation notice...)

[Arcadian]

Yeah I'm not gonna run one this Saturday (though if anyone else wants to moderate a chit/chat session on the same day let me know and I can create a Zoom meeting using the ABug account and they can send out invites via PM).

The Dev night on Thurs 10th will still be going ahead - as will the general session on Tues 15th if there's interest - then that'll be it till January 9th.

[BigEd]

Oh, right - hey ho. Appreciate all the events you have run.

[dominicbeesley]

Hear hear!

[Richard Russell]

I'm not gonna run one this Saturday

I was booked to give a presentation on BBC BASIC, a little more notice of the cancellation would have been appreciated.

[klintworth]

Yeah I'm not gonna run one this Saturday .....

Great idea to have a break, it's Christmas season after all! And you certainly deserve a rest, I'm sure it's a big task organising our virtual events, speakers and collating videos etc. Know that you are much appreciated, Dave! Take care

[Richard Russell]

then that'll be it till January 9th.

Is the All Day Virtual ABug on January 9th happening?

[Arcadian]

then that'll be it till January 9th.

Is the All Day Virtual ABug on January 9th happening?

Yes - just working out the presentations now and then there'll be a mass PR campaign on Stardot, Twitter, Facebook etc to promote the event!

The 1.30pm - 2.30pm slot is currently free if you would like to take it to give the BBC BASIC presentation that you have prepared?

[Richard Russell]

The 1.30pm - 2.30pm slot is currently free if you would like to take it to give the BBC BASIC presentation that you have prepared?

I'm in two minds (nothing new there)! The degree of interest in 'my' BASICs here is understandably low. The presentation (such as it is) assumes a reasonably good knowledge of Acorn's BASIC 5, because it covers only the extensions I have added to the language since 2000, and I'm not sure whether that is a valid assumption amongst Stardot members.

[daveejhitchins]

The 1.30pm - 2.30pm slot is currently free if you would like to take it to give the BBC BASIC presentation that you have prepared?

I'm in two minds (nothing new there)! The degree of interest in 'my' BASICs here is understandably low. The presentation (such as it is) assumes a reasonably good knowledge of Acorn's BASIC 5, because it covers only the extensions I have added to the language since 2000, and I'm not sure whether that is a valid assumption amongst Stardot members.

Whooooa . . . Think you may be wrong there, Richard ! . . . We always need new presenters and just because we might not use 'your' BASIC doesn't mean to say we don't want to know about it - Well, that's my opinion If we don't know it's there we don't know where to go when we do need it

I've been following a lot of your various threads on 'your' BASIC and recently copied several Discs for the Torch gear being sold on eBay. All interesting stuff . . .

Dave H.

[dominicbeesley]

I'm always interested to hear anything BASIC related - and I do use your BASICs quite often!

D

[pixelblip]

Hi Richard.
We would all love to hear you speak about BBC Basic or BBC Basic for windows. Your knowledge is vast and wide.
I am sure I speak for many here. To think all the changes that have happened with BBC Basic over the years with it to where we are today.
I couldn't have done my art without BBC Basic for windows.

I will probably do a talk on Saturday and I've not prepared a thing so we can both be brave together and do one ok!
It will be nice to kick off the new year with some new exciting stuff. Fingers crossed xx

Mike

[Arcadian]

Ok so I've since confirmed the Telepaint talk with Mike (pixelblip) for 3pm on Sat 9th Jan.

So if Richard were to give his talk prior to that, we'd have a really nice series of themed/interlinked talks going on throughout the afternoon i.e.

1:30pm - 2.30pm RT Russell - BBC BASIC for WINDOWS / SDL (unconfirmed)

3:00pm - 4:00pm Mike Rose / Pixelblip - Telepaint teletext editor (which was obviously created with BBC BASIC SDL)

4:30pm - 5:30pm Guesser - Teletext recovery and the teletext community

Anyway, hope we can confirm you soon Richard - there's clearly support for a BBC BASIC SDL talk ...

[Richard Russell]

Anyway, hope we can confirm you soon Richard - there's clearly support for a BBC BASIC SDL talk ...

OK, count me in.

[BigEd]

Hurrah!

[daveejhitchins]

OK, count me in.

Dave H.

[Richard Russell]

1:30pm - 2.30pm RT Russell - BBC BASIC for WINDOWS / SDL (unconfirmed)

I think I mentioned before (possibly in a PM) that my presentation is entitled "BBC BASIC in the 21st Century" (the extensions I will be covering mostly also apply to the Console Mode editions). If possible I'd like that to be what the timetable shows.

[Arcadian]

OK, count me in.

That's great, I'm really pleased. Looking forward to hearing the presentation, and I'm hoping it will help to generate some wider exposure and appreciation for what BB4W/SDL can do and how it can be used.

Am I ok to send you a calendar invite via the ABug Google account containing the Zoom details (to your registered forum address)? Or would you prefer to receive the Zoom logins via PM?

I think I mentioned before (possibly in a PM) that my presentation is entitled "BBC BASIC in the 21st Century" (the extensions I will be covering mostly also apply to the Console Mode editions). If possible I'd like that to be what the timetable shows.

Oops, my bad - yes that's absolutely fine Richard. Thanks!

[Richard Russell]

Or would you prefer to receive the Zoom logins via PM?

PM would be best, thanks. I don't think I have any way of receiving a "calendar invite".

[tricky]

Anyway, hope we can confirm you soon Richard - there's clearly support for a BBC BASIC SDL talk ...

OK, count me in.

I don't use BASIC, but surprisingly often find myself pointing people from other sites and contexts to your versions of BBC BASIC. It would be good to know a bit more about what I am recommending