Atari64: C64 operating system runs on Atari 8-bit hardware
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Nick Bensema (USA) managed to run the Commodore 64 operating system on 8-bit Atari computers.
The project, named Atari64, allowed the use of the keyboard, the PETSCII screen editor and the BASIC language, thanks to a modification of the KERNAL - the name assigned by Commodore to the OS core resident in ROM in its home computers from the PET to its successors VIC-20, Commodore 64, Plus/4, C16 and C128.
Bensema says that he was inspired by avideo where a C64 emulates the Apple computer 1through a program that reproduces the input and output of the terminal, in addition to running software natively.
"It got me thinking, why couldn't I do the same thing with two other machines? The Atari 800XL and Commodore 64 have such similar memory maps and ROM switching capabilities that it seemed like my best bet was to try compiling the CBM KERNAL on the Atari 800XL and see how much work I could get out of it," he noted.in your GitHub account
Press the OPTION, SELECT, or START key to type the graphical characters you would normally type with the Commodore keyboard. Pressing the Atari key and SHIFT together will toggle between the uppercase graphics and the lowercase and uppercase character sets. Also, if you are viewing a lot of text, you can hold down the OPTION key to slow down the scrolling of the screen, just as if you were holding down the CTRL key on a real C64.
However, the Atari64 has some drawbacks: there's no way to save or load BASIC programs; the PETSCII color will never work; and there are no input/output routines other than the keyboard and display. "I wonder if I've hit a wall or if some mad genius will figure out how to hook up a real Datasette [to the Atari] and run native PET programs," he said.
The following XEX file must be run from any DOS or bootloader. It will copy itself behind the ROM and run from RAM.
Atari64 for Atari 8-bit computers
Download | 18 KbWe would like to thank our friend Bill Lange for providing us with the video and photos that illustrate this article.
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