THE HACKER'S VIEW OF THE COMMODORE 64

Sep 16, 2010

Release Delay

Unfortunately, the cleanup task of the Frodo Redpill source code was underestimated. More time is needed before it's released. Also, the changes have effects to the ICU64, which has a GREAT progress these days, after a year of suspension.

The pending releases are:
- a great new version of ICU64 / Frodo Redpill
- the source code of Frodo Redpill
- sample code (C++/C#/Mathematica) that handles Frodo Redpill

I'll try to make them available as soon as possible and, in any case, before the 2011.

My apology to all those who follow this project
and they were waiting for a new release now,

Mathfigure.

32 comments:

  1. Have you thought about putting this in github or similar so we can see the code as you're working on it?

    That would be great!

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  2. keep up the good work, take your time... release a great product!... why not trying to integrate with Vice trunk?

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  3. Fantastic educational tool, keep up the good work!

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  4. @Anonymous: The complexity of the VICE code and the need to track every new release is a big obstacle in these early phases of the project. Frodo is fixed (like C64), small (fast builds), and flexible (easy changes), thus I can concentrate to my code exclusively.
    However, as some features standardized, I make some injections to the VICE code also, mostly as an exercise (I will release some of these in the future).

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  5. I'm afraid that I must cross the deadline, once again, sorry!!!... :(
    I tried hard to finish this version before the new year, but I still have about 15 things in my TODO list (yesterday, they were 25).
    Right now the project is in a hybrid form using two different event logging systems: the old one (the matrix) and the new one (the raster). The new logging system is far superior than the previous but it's missing some CPU events (I still don't know the reason to this). Also, some things that previously worked, now they are broken due to the new underlying structure. I want to preserve all the previous functionality and I'm too close to this. So, I have to fix all these and put some extras, before the publication.
    Now, because crossing the deadline TWICE is too embarrassing, I'm not gonna set a new one this time. But don't worrying (in case you do), the new release is too close.

    BTW: Happy new year!

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  6. Good to hear you are making progress!

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  7. The reason of my lower rate, it's because my free-time has shrunk, and the features that I'm working on are a little tougher.
    There are a couple of things and some bugs yet...

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  8. If you need help, post it up and I'm sure a few will pile on to get it done.

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  9. @stechert - Only few bugs left...
    So, probably next week the release, if I can find enough time.

    However, only the new version of ICU64 and Frodo Redpill will be available. The sample code and the source code will need more time to be prepared as the structure of Frodo Redpill has changed even more lately.

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  10. hi,

    some news about new version? just release that not finished thing ;-)
    ICU64 crashes badly almost everytime I zoom out the memory view, so the "first release version" is not useable at all :/

    Problem signature:
    Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
    Problem Signature 01: icu64.exe
    Problem Signature 02: 0.1.0.0
    Problem Signature 03: 4a9c3d7a
    Problem Signature 04: ICU64
    Problem Signature 05: 0.1.0.0
    Problem Signature 06: 4a9c3d7a
    Problem Signature 07: 86
    Problem Signature 08: 92
    Problem Signature 09: System.OverflowException
    OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.274.10
    Locale ID: 1045

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  11. this is a really great program. a simple "dump memory to file" option (65536 bytes) would be really appreciated

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  12. The zoom-out crash bug it occurs only on Win64 and has fixed. Also, a "dump memory to clipboard" is added to the memory scanner.
    I think that I have fix all the bugs of the previous version (were many). Now I deal with two new bugs that generate critical sync issues. I'm thinking to make a step back and remove one of the new features that is responsible for these. I still need at least one week.

    I don't know what to say, something that initially seemed to be finished in two weeks has already taken 5 months. I know how much annoying is this delay, and even more for me.

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  13. Thanks, just keep your development going ;-)

    Finally I sticked to some zoom level and stopped to use the roller. I haven't found any other issues.

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  14. ICU64 helped me a lot with this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlBltzSPUds

    Thanks.

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  15. Lack of time these days; the problems are still there; some progress is done.

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  16. Still can't find enough free time. My second attempt to release the new version will start in the summer :(
    The problem is that when I tried to fix some flickering issues in the step mode, I broke the functionality of the breakpoints. Also, due to some loose decisions that initially made, some feature of the ICU64 need the state reports (pauses/breaks) to take place at the start of a new cycle while others at the end (and others in the middle!). Because ICU64 and Frodo Redpill run synchronously now, such decisions are critical for precise visualization of the C64 state at every cycle. Thus several parts need to be recoded according to the clear decisions that must be taken on these fundamental details.

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  17. Just to give you one more praise for your great project!!!
    Keep working on it, don't worry about breaking any time limits ...
    We all know it is impossible to fulfill them in programming world ;)

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  18. Thanks for your understanding...
    In a couple of days, I'll be back to the project. I really want to finish this version soon, but it's true, I can't set another deadline. I just want to mention that the time limits so far pushed me too much and great progress always done during them (now it's a moral imperative...:)

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  19. take your time, but please don't give up!

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  20. I'll never give up (at least for that don't have any doubt). Now that the temperature gets lower, the progress gets faster...

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  21. Very bad luck in 2011. Only small progress, the last months. The critical bugs are still there. Next month my next attempt to fix them. (that's a big delay, I know...):

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  22. I would really love to see this work finished

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  23. Holy s***t, it's almost 2 years already and the previous version still crashes on zoom in / zoom out. Wouldn't be easier to just take the old source code and fix the problem with zoom crash?

    greets!

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  24. To fix the zoom-out bug that occurs on the 64-bit versions of Windows, apply the following patch (you would need a hex editor like the HxD)
    -------------------------
    file: icu64.exe (v0.1/Frodo or v0.1.1/Vice)
    file offset: 1018(hex)
    old value: 01
    new value: 03
    -------------------------

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