Adding XRoar Emulator for Tandy Color Computer emulation by ImCoKeMaN · Pull Request #14992 · batocera-linux/batocera.linux

ImCoKeMaN · 2025-12-26T21:56:30Z

This is my first effort with something like buildroot so I will accept any pointers and tips.

This compiles on x86_64 and aarch64 and I was able to open and run a joystick game on both platforms.

It will need unzipped bios files bas13.rom and extbas11.rom in /userdata/bios/

dmanlfc · 2025-12-31T23:25:22Z

when working on a PR, mark it as draft until you have finished. also squash your commits so it's 1 commit, not currently 9.

Add xroar emulator for arm64 and x86_64

ImCoKeMaN · 2026-01-01T03:02:30Z

I have squashed the commits now. This is my first contribution for this project so forgive my ignorance. What else is required for this to be merged? It has worked in my testing and I'm not planning to override the default of MAME so it should have little impact to any users not actively seeking it.

dmanlfc

are there no configuration features whatsoever required?

dmanlfc · 2026-01-06T12:00:43Z

+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from ... import Command
+from ...controller import generate_sdl_game_controller_config, write_sdl_controller_db


you don't use these...

how do controllers work?

https://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/doc/xroar.shtml#Joysticks

Seems via SDL2, worked out of the box for me

Wait this interesting
https://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/doc/xroar.shtml#Joystick-options

You can indeed map a file

It should be using SDL controllers, I believe that's what was making it work on my rg35xxh. Are you saying that line 6 can be removed and it would still work the same if there wasn't another export command in my script?

if it's using SDL controllers then set the environment variable "SDL_GAMECONTROLLERCONFIG": generate_sdl_game_controller_config(playersControllers), "SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI": "0" as per other configgen examples.

if not using write_sdl_controller_db as a result, then yes remove it.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-06T12:03:47Z

+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --enable-coco3 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --enable-mc10 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --without-gtk2 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --without-gtk3 


why not gtk3 & gtkgl?

These are the parameters I used for most compatibility in testing when I built it for portmaster and aarch64, and it also runs this way for x86_64 devices

but likely without hardware acceleration. for gtk3 & gtkgl you can wrap the option in an ifeq statement. as an example you can do ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGTK3)$(BR2_PACKAGE_HAS_LIBGL),yy). that way if the device supports OpenGL then you we can squeeze out more performance.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-06T12:05:34Z

 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBCAPSIMAGE		# ALL

+	# Color Computer (Tandy TRS-80)
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_XROAR		# ALL


is it low cpu requirements and therefore can likely work on all supported systems?

My reference machine for running this has been an h700 arm device. It may not work on armhf, what is needed to mark that as excluded, or how would that get tested?

does it have a minimum system requirements? that should guide you. otherwise you can do if !BR2_PACKAGE_BATOCERA_TARGET_ for a board that does not meet the requirements. if blanket 32-bit arm or riscv may have troubles you can do if !BR2_riscv or if !BR2_arm etc.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-06T12:09:16Z

+XROAR_SOURCE = 	xroar-${XROAR_VERSION}.tar.gz
+XROAR_SITE = https://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/dl
+XROAR_LICENSE = GPLv3
+XROAR_DEPENDENCIES = sdl2 alsa-lib


you add these dependencies but don't select them in Config.in. this will throw an error if you try to compile as a standard build...

I'm sorry but I'm not certain how to have that selected in the config,in, but when I compiled via a full build I also don't recall an Error. I really am trying to learn this, it's just a lot of parts to pull together and understand all the connections.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-06T12:10:33Z

+    def generate(self, system, rom, playersControllers, metadata, guns, wheels, gameResolution):
+
+        commandArray = ["xroar", "-rompath", "/userdata/bios:/userdata/bios/xroar", "-fs", "-default-machine", "coco2bus", rom]
+        return Command.Command(array=commandArray)


i don't see any environment variables. where are configuration files written when this is run?

Currently I have it's config just in the command line as most items can be configured that way. The options could also be in an xroar.conf wherever and just have -c path/to/xroar.conf as first command arg, but I wasn't certain how to create that or if it was actually even needed with how options can be set in configgen for commandline

dmanlfc · 2026-01-07T07:00:38Z

+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from ... import Command
+from ...controller import generate_sdl_game_controller_config, write_sdl_controller_db


if it's using SDL controllers then set the environment variable "SDL_GAMECONTROLLERCONFIG": generate_sdl_game_controller_config(playersControllers), "SDL_JOYSTICK_HIDAPI": "0" as per other configgen examples.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-07T07:04:35Z

+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --enable-coco3 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --enable-mc10 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --without-gtk2 
+XROAR_CONF_OPTS += --without-gtk3 


but likely without hardware acceleration. for gtk3 & gtkgl you can wrap the option in an ifeq statement. as an example you can do ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBGTK3)$(BR2_PACKAGE_HAS_LIBGL),yy). that way if the device supports OpenGL then you we can squeeze out more performance.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-07T07:09:06Z

 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBCAPSIMAGE		# ALL

+	# Color Computer (Tandy TRS-80)
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_XROAR		# ALL


does it have a minimum system requirements? that should guide you. otherwise you can do if !BR2_PACKAGE_BATOCERA_TARGET_ for a board that does not meet the requirements. if blanket 32-bit arm or riscv may have troubles you can do if !BR2_riscv or if !BR2_arm etc.

dmanlfc · 2026-01-07T07:10:16Z

+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from ... import Command
+from ...controller import generate_sdl_game_controller_config, write_sdl_controller_db


if not using write_sdl_controller_db as a result, then yes remove it.

crcerror · 2026-01-09T11:06:13Z

from CLI after export DISPLAY=:0.0

[root@BATOCERA /userdata/…/xroarbinary/x86_64]# ./xroar -joy help
        mjoy0      Mouse
        kjoy0      Keyboard: Cursors+Alt_L,Super_L
        wasd       Keyboard: WASD+O,P
        ijkl       Keyboard: IJKL+X,Z
        qaop       Keyboard: QAOP+Space,[
        030000001008000001e5000010010000 0: usb gamepad

ImCoKeMaN marked this pull request as ready for review December 28, 2025 20:48

dmanlfc marked this pull request as draft December 31, 2025 23:24

Add xroar Tandy Color Computer Emulator

6af0422

Add xroar emulator for arm64 and x86_64

ImCoKeMaN force-pushed the xroar branch from 1853031 to 6af0422 Compare January 1, 2026 03:00

Merge branch 'batocera-linux:master' into xroar

1916d50

ImCoKeMaN marked this pull request as ready for review January 4, 2026 16:20

dmanlfc reviewed Jan 6, 2026

View reviewed changes

dmanlfc reviewed Jan 9, 2026

View reviewed changes

dmanlfc closed this Jan 11, 2026

ImCoKeMaN deleted the xroar branch March 24, 2026 01:09

Conversation

ImCoKeMaN commented Dec 26, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

dmanlfc commented Dec 31, 2025

Uh oh!

ImCoKeMaN commented Jan 1, 2026

Uh oh!

dmanlfc left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

crcerror Jan 6, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

ImCoKeMaN Jan 6, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

crcerror commented Jan 9, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

3 participants

ImCoKeMaN commented Dec 26, 2025 •

edited

Loading

crcerror Jan 6, 2026 •

edited

Loading

ImCoKeMaN Jan 6, 2026 •

edited

Loading