Beebdroid Disc Handling

[LeckyT]

Let me just say this, first off - Little Fluffy Toys did a sterling job of porting B-Em to the Android, resulting in Beebdroid, and I don't want to take anything away from them for doing that. *tips hat*

But disc emulation is seriously flawed. First off, you can't create a save state image unless it's based on a game loaded from the STH archive. Since the Break key doesn't work either, there's no chance of doing a Break->NEW->Save State...

Also, most (all?) of the disc handling commands lead to an error - the dreaded Disc Fault 18 at 00/00, that usually means you got a flake of dust in just the wrong place when loading a 5.25" floppy!

Tape support doesn't appear to be there.

By the way, Little Fluffy Toys never implemented the save state functionality (except when restored from a downloaded disc) and they know that the DFS handler is a bit buggy.

So, I'm looking through the code, trying to fix, in this order:

1. User Defined Save State (I don't need DFS *just* yet)
2. Tape handling (if it looks feasible, need to check B-Em code...)
3. Fix up the DFS

If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Oh, and if anyone has any *ahem* leverage, perhaps the ex-STH staffers could be induced to put a blank disc in an appropriate zip format for me on the site, so that I can try downloading it via Beebdroid and seeing if that fixes anything...

Back to the source

LeckyT

[Arcadian]

Oh, and if anyone has any *ahem* leverage, perhaps the ex-STH staffers could be induced to put a blank disc in an appropriate zip format for me on the site, so that I can try downloading it via Beebdroid and seeing if that fixes anything...

That could be arranged!

Send me a PM ...

[LeckyT]

Oh, and if anyone has any *ahem* leverage, perhaps the ex-STH staffers could be induced to put a blank disc in an appropriate zip format for me on the site, so that I can try downloading it via Beebdroid and seeing if that fixes anything...

That could be arranged!

Send me a PM ...

Actually, as a new user, I can't PM.

I've sort of fixed the 'disc-less save/restore' functionality with a single, sneaky, 'if' statement, but you lose the option to give the snapshot a name; that's what I'm working on right now...

[Arcadian]

Actually, as a new user, I can't PM.

You can now!

[LeckyT]

So, after a bit of hacking around with the code (and learning both Java, and Android coding at the same time), I now have a version of Beebdroid that lets you save the machine state without attaching a disc image.

So, now at least I can write programs, save the machine state, and not lose anything. Of course, it doesn't fix Beebdroid's disc handling issues, but as soon as my students (kids) get on to file handling, I guess I'll have to fix that!

I'll work with Little Fluffy Toys to get the source code up, and the app updated : if it is to update an existing copy, it needs to be signed by LFT, naturally!

If anyone has a non disc related issue that they would like me to investigate whilst I'm in the code, please let me know!

Best,
LeckyT

[sweh]

If anyone has a non disc related issue that they would like me to investigate whilst I'm in the code, please let me know!

Support for physical keyboards? eg Slider phones (droid3) or tablets-with-keyboards (Asus Transformer) or Bluetooth keyboards...

(Or has that been solved when I wasn't looking?)

[LeckyT]

If anyone has a non disc related issue that they would like me to investigate whilst I'm in the code, please let me know!

Support for physical keyboards? eg Slider phones (droid3) or tablets-with-keyboards (Asus Transformer) or Bluetooth keyboards...

(Or has that been solved when I wasn't looking?)

As soon as I get my shiny new Bluetooth and USB keyboards, I'll look into it. Ought to be possible, but I'll have a better clue when I can step through the code on an actual machine, since my 'droid emu (Window$ based) doesn't really do physical keyboards too well.

[tautology]

I've just tried in on my MK809 and it works fine (at around 50 FPS). But as the MK809 doesn't have a touch screen I'm using a USB keyboard which means I can type, but can't play a lot of the games.

I'll try and get a photo of it running on the TV

[LeckyT]

I've just tried in on my MK809 and it works fine (at around 50 FPS). But as the MK809 doesn't have a touch screen I'm using a USB keyboard which means I can type, but can't play a lot of the games.

I'll try and get a photo of it running on the TV

Some of us don't use it for games, at all

However, if you can type, you ought to be able to play the games, if you switch the view back to 'Keyboard', using the appropriate Android menu button. Not sure what that is on the MK809 - I guess it's a case of using the mouse to point to the little three-dot-thingy that denotes the menu on the bottom bar?

Let me know how you get on with that idea...

[tricky]

Is there a way to add new disk images now?

[nOmArch]

If you find a way to make a Bluetooth keyboard work that would be fantastic. The thought of trying to actually type anything of substance in using the phone keyboard gives me nightmares!

[kenton]

Ahem... a year later I just saw this? Beebdroid is open source but we've never had a pull request from anyone, and there are none outstanding now. If people want to make changes and get them merged in, go right ahead. Most requested features are to load your own disks, and to nao your own keyboard layouts. Bluetooth keyboards have been asked for also. If you want an active project, get on it.

[richmond62]

LeckyT wrote in 2013:

I now have a version of Beebdroid that lets you save the machine state without attaching a disc image.

Err . . . any chance of my having access to that?

Would be most grateful.

[richmond62]

One of the kids in my summer class informed me that he had downloaded Beebdroid
onto an Android tablet he had AND that he could SAVE from it:

1. He's telling the truth and has downloaded a new build.

2. He's telling me lies.

3. He's confusing saving game states with saving a program he has entered onto his tablet.

I'm just seeing what I can see with one of my tablets right now.

Humph . . .

Updated on 6 Sep 2015

Nope: NO DICE

I love the "in the next few weeks" . . . even I update my software products more often than every 18 months.

[tricky]

There are a few versions floating around including one that only works with USB keyboard and one that displays a wireframe keyboard and allows saving and accessing local disc imagess.

[kenton]

I love the "in the next few weeks" . . . even I update my software products more often than every 18 months.

It's open source. Do whatever you want with it. I'll not pass comment further on the tone of this.

[richmond62]

Hi, "tricky"

a few versions floating around

It would be just "dandy" if you could indicate where those versions might be 'floating around'

[tricky]

If I could remember, I would have!
I'm sure a link for the wireframe one was on here, but I'm not having much luck searching on my phone with poor connection.

[richmond62]

I'll not pass comment further on the tone of this.

Not necessary as there are messages on this topic very much in this tone in various other places already posted by other people, so
nothing either thrilling or original in my post.

I DO admire Beebdroid and your work on it a lot, just feel it isn't quite complete,
and as I specialise in Linguistics and Programming
[ http://andregarzia.on-rev.com/richmond/home.html ]
don't know how to sort this sort of thing out myself.

[vanekp]

There was also a version that you could load local disc's but have no idea where to find it anymore and the one i have on my smart phone android 5.0 which does have this feature the sound does not work anymore.

the version 2.0 I found works on my tablet (Android 7.0) with sound but does not have the local disc option.

the site for it http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/com. ... .beebdroid does not exist anymore nor does the email address 'support@littlefluffytoys.mobi'
The github has not been touched for some years (Latest commit 1145109 on Sep 13, 2015) https://github.com/littlefluffytoys/Beebdroid.
Also notice both version I have the break key is not functioning or maybe it was disabled on purpose.
Its a great BBC app just a pity id is no longer supported and or updated, unless someone knows where there maybe an updated version of it.
Peter.

[Warwick]

Beebdroid is open source but we've never had a pull request from anyone, and there are none outstanding now.

I've been working on a GitHub fork (user sleekweasel) over the past two months, so now it compiles with Gradle under Android Studio, I've made both libraries position independent as required by... Marshmallow or thereabouts, I've added ASCII-based support for bluetooth keyboards (i.e. it types the symbol on the keyboard key by faking the right combination of shift+key on the BBC), I've plumbed in the save/restore machine state, and because it's mainly to interest my young daughter who'll want to draw on the screen, I've created a rudimentary link from the mouse x,y to ADVAL1,2 (though I think I'll need to commandeer the lowest bit as a sort of timestamp to provide synchronisation between x and y.)

I've raised an issue on LFT/Beebdroid offering to tidy up my fixes to create a pull request, but the web address is dead, so I assumed it's all unattended. I'd be happy to discuss how to tidy up what I've done.

At the very least, it should make things viable for other folks to work on it, forked from mine.

[kenton]

Hey mate, yes LFT as a company is no more, but I can still access the store listing, sign the APK with the LFT key, and update it on Play Store. Happy to try to resurrect the Github and pull requests. I sent you a PM with my contact details, let's get this show back on the road.

Whilst we're here, here's the last ever usage stats of Beebdroid games, before its version of Google Analytics closed. We can get that restarted too

The last Google Analytics drop of Beebdroid games

[Stainy]

Hi all..

Did this last post go anywhere? would love to hear more..

thanks

[phil8715]

Is there a way of adding your own games?

[KenLowe]

Why not have a look at this B-Em port:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17470