THE HACKER'S VIEW OF THE COMMODORE 64

Sep 12, 2009

ICU64 for VICE 2.1

It was asked by many, so here it is:

ICU64 for VICE 2.1 
Requirements:
- a PC with Windows XP and .NET Framework 2.0
- the WinVICE 2.1 emulator

Have fun! 
(Read the included README.TXT for the installation instructions)

NOTE
In this version ICU64 operates as a common debugger over the x64 process. This approach reduces the features that can be supported, in comparison to the Frodo Redpill version. But since it is slightly newer, it has some more functionality and some bugs are fixed. The notable addition is a simple 'memory scanner'.

Also, this version can be connected with other C64 emulators. However, the procedure to do this is a little hard, for safety reasons.

The included file 'x64mm.exe' comes from a recompilation of the VICE 2.1 source code with the -memmap option. (The source code is NOT altered this time, in contrast to the Frodo version). With this option, the x64 tracks the memory accesses made by the CPU (unfortunately with some issues: some RAM accesses reported incorrectly by the x64 as ROM accesses).

I hope that the VICE team will notice the possibilities, so that one day they fully expose the C64 virtual machine to the external applications.
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    24 comments:

    1. TribeSeptember 14, 2009 at 9:47 PM

      I like this.
      I like this a lot.
      Awesome.

      ReplyDelete
    2. VoltageSeptember 17, 2009 at 6:31 AM

      Very very cool. Thanks for taking the time to develop this.

      ReplyDelete
    3. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2009 at 9:19 AM

      A-W-E-S-O-M-E !!!

      no better word describes your work the most! keep the good coding-vibe on!
      Thanks!

      ReplyDelete
    4. mathfigureSeptember 22, 2009 at 5:53 PM

      There is an issue with the Turkish regional settings.

      To solve it, open the 'icu64.ini' with Notepad and retype the two 'i' in capital.
      -old words: 'filepath' and 'filemd5'
      -new words: 'fIlepath' and 'fIlemd5'
      Save the file and start icu64.

      (Thanks to the anonymous user who solved this issue)

      ReplyDelete
    5. Digger/AgonySeptember 30, 2009 at 2:17 AM

      Unfuckingbelieveable! I love this idea, wish I had it in 1993... I am on the Mac though, wondering if that would be easy to port it to Cocoa's objective C and make it work with MacVice?

      Keep your awesome work going!

      ReplyDelete
    6. Digger/AgonyOctober 1, 2009 at 2:39 PM

      I've played with this version and I am absolutely stunned with this! I've watched a few demos including Parts/Oxyron and it was so interesting to "see" how some effects work (ie. the spherize part reads bytes from the memory in a "spherical" way!)

      Is it possible to view the 256x256 grayscale memory value dump (as in the Mathematica example) in addition to other modes? Would you add this feature?

      Also, I've seen on the video that you're zooming in and out, what are the key shortcuts?

      ReplyDelete
    7. mathfigureOctober 1, 2009 at 6:51 PM

      To Digger/Agony:

      The grayscale values will be available in the next version. Zooming is done with the mouse wheel (there is no key shortcut). For other key shortcuts press F1 in the memory view or the graphics view.

      I don't have plans to port this program to other platforms, because I want to evolve it for some time.

      ReplyDelete
    8. BoratOctober 9, 2009 at 12:20 AM

      Mathfigure, is there any chance you could make this work in Linux? I'm sure you are aware that both Frodo and VICE have Linux versions. Surely it wouldn't be too hard? Well what do you think? Using Frodo in WINE, ICU64 just grinds to a halt when looking at the memory up close. Myself and the other Linux users out there would be really grateful!!

      ReplyDelete
    9. mathfigureOctober 9, 2009 at 11:35 AM

      To Borat:
      Unfortunately, I don't have programmatic experience in Linux and it will much time consuming to port it there. ICU64 uses a lot of Windows API and .NET Library and is very depended by these. Besides, the program has not clear architecture (I'm testing different internal structures, yet).

      My suggestion to the Linux users is to use VMware to run Windows. (I think that all Windows applications have much better performance in VMware than in WINE)

      ReplyDelete
    10. AnonymousOctober 16, 2009 at 11:40 AM

      Hey this is great! But could you consider allowing to pan the memory window with say holding down left mouse button. It's very akward to use the middle button as some mice with mouse wheel require quite amount of force on the wheel.

      ReplyDelete
    11. BoratFebruary 21, 2010 at 12:42 AM

      Hi mathfigure it's Borat again! I have been doing some reading about .NET and Linux. There is an open source equivalent to .NET, called Mono. It is cross-platform and would allow .NET apps to run on Linux and Mac. My questions: would you be able to port this to Linux/Mac using Mono? If not, is your code open source so perhaps someone else could try to port it? Thanks again for all that you have done! BTW I used ICU64 on Linux using VirtualBox and it works, albeit with very high CPU usage.

      ReplyDelete
    12. mathfigureFebruary 22, 2010 at 3:14 AM

      @Borat:
      ICU64 makes system calls about shared memory and debugging. These functions are system depended (different in Windows, Linux, Mac, etc).
      In a short test with "mono", ICU64 failed to start because of these calls. Also, a graphical application that I tested, even it worked, it had some graphical and input problems. So there are issues both in low-level (system calls) and high-level (graphics/input).
      About the code, I plan to make public the source code of Frodo Redpill and a version of ICU64 as a .NET library.
      (BTW, this period the project is almost suspended)

      ReplyDelete
    13. BoratFebruary 22, 2010 at 12:46 PM

      Thanks mathfigure! I wish I knew something about programming so I could help but unfortunately I am only learning :( I'll keep trying to learn Mono and C#, maybe that will help in the future. Let us know when you decide to release your code. It is very much appreciated and your work is excellent!

      ReplyDelete
    14. AnonymousJune 11, 2010 at 4:45 PM

      I'd also very much appreciate if the sources of ICU64 were released.
      I'm still DREAMING about a similar powerful debugger for hacking a VMWARE-PC (not "just" a c-64).

      ReplyDelete
    15. mathfigureJune 12, 2010 at 3:38 PM

      Sorry, the source code of ICU64 (which contains the user interface) will not released (at least not soon). But the source code of "Frodo Redpill" (which is most important for the programmers) will be released. Also the source code of ICU64lib (a .NET interface for Frodo Redpill) will be released too. Both releases will occur at the end of this summer (since I need full free time to program).

      ReplyDelete
    16. AnonymousAugust 14, 2010 at 1:44 PM

      ... hope to see an updated ICU64 VICE supporting the same features as FRODO REDPILL... cheers and... keep up the good work!

      ReplyDelete
    17. Digger/AgonyFebruary 24, 2011 at 11:45 AM

      Hey Mathfigure,

      How are you? Are you still planning to work on ICU64 and release the sources? There's been some active development on MacVice (now it includes memory debugger – http://lallafa.de/blog/2010/11/macvice-news-introducing-io-tree/comment-page-1). Maybe ICU64 could also run on a Mac now?

      Thanks,
      Tomek

      ReplyDelete
    18. mathfigureFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:26 PM

      Hi Tomek,

      To be honest, the FULL source code of ICU64 may never be published. Mostly because it's not in a publishable form (and I don't know if ever will take one). Another problem is that the user interface of ICU64 (dynamic, interactive, zoomable), except that is handy, it also has commercial value (it can't released just like that yet). However, some of its basic aspects will be presented in time with sample code that will manipulate the Frodo Redpill.
      The FULL source code only of Frodo Redpill will be published, as a paradigm of an emulator that provides full access to its virtual machine (which is the basic idea that I want to spread). ICU64 is just an application over Frodo Redpill that demonstrates the possibilities with such an emulator.
      Porting is not my goal; new tools and emulators is my goal; many new tools that will be created from many other programmers for a few good emulators that will give such a possibility.

      MacVICE is VICE with some good extras (unfortunately I can't test it because I don't have a Mac). I just hope that every view is dynamic and editable (because that's the features that I like and any modern computer can do), and I hope that a programmatistic interface will also be embeded (because here is the real power). Of course, if the last thing is implemented from the VICE team then all the VICE ports will take the benefit and much more programmers could create new tools.

      ReplyDelete
    19. Og2tMay 9, 2012 at 1:38 AM

      Hi Mathfigure! :) Hope you're well. How's things? Have you got further plans regarding ICU64? I've just discovered the Memory CPU events also shows ROM read/write when you resize the window. Nice! I was wondering how long it would take you to add the memory view in 256x256 grayscale.

      Best,
      Digger

      ReplyDelete
    20. mathfigureMay 11, 2012 at 2:22 PM

      @Digger
      The ICU64 v0.2 for Frodo that I'm working on, includes the grayscale view. The ICU64 for VICE has no any progress, because I want to finish the Frodo version first.
      In the summer (where I'll have free-time), I will try to fix the bugs of v0.2, and in parallel, I will update the older versions. So, even if I fail (once again) to release the v0.2, at least I will release the older versions, bug-fixed and updated.

      PS: My intuition says that things will go well this summer.

      ReplyDelete
    21. Og2tJune 16, 2012 at 4:20 PM

      :) Good news. I'm glad you haven't gave up :)

      /Digger

      ReplyDelete
    22. Ragooman's HackMay 11, 2016 at 3:36 AM

      I like this very much. I tried it a year ago for my network game, SpaceCommand. I was looking for another debugger and found yours. I had some other glitches in the game code back then and continued on using the Monitor in VICE. I had some difficulty trying to find the commands for this, in a readme or help file. Since then, I made a lot more progress with my network game and I like to try this again. Where could I find the command for this ?

      ReplyDelete
    23. Ragooman's HackMay 11, 2016 at 4:57 AM

      I see now, it depends which window I'm currently using. Sort of like a context-sensitive help. I can see the diff commands now if I press F1 while in the Memory window, or the Graphics window, etc. Before I was only looking in the Toolbar window

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. mathfigureMay 12, 2016 at 12:23 PM

        Yes, almost every window you open has a help via F1. BTW, If your code can run on the Frodo emulator, I suggest you to use the Frodo version of icu64, since it has much more features currently.

        Delete

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