[Coco] Using MAME to run DECB file automagically?

[Tormod Volden]

On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 12:11 PM, Steve Bamford via Coco wrote:
> Hi Andrew.
> I use Notepad++ and XRoar under Windows to do pretty much what you're asking for, (and I believe XRoar runs on Unix/Linux too).

Steve, XRoar is developed on Linux :)

> Basically I edit my code in NP then hit a hot key to run a batch file which calls LWASM, and if I wanted could launch XRoar, passing the name of the binary in the command line.
> I usually just leave XRoar open though and use Shift+Ctrl+L to reload+execute the binary.
> Don't know if this helps?
> Steve.
>
>       From: Andrew <keeper63 at cox.net>
> 2. So - I think about something like running an editor on my *nix box,
> maybe IntelliJ (or something simpler), then having a build process that
> would take the code, save it somewhere, compile it (as/if needed), then
> kick off MAME to read and run the code/binary.

Hi Andrew,

As Steve mentions, if you want to emulate CoCo1/2 and Dragon, there is
nothing better than XRoar.

>
> 3. The first few steps are doable, I think - a 6809 cross-compiler for
> assembler, maybe something else for C (or maybe not?) - but then the
> difficult (?) part is getting MAME to work.

The best cross-assembler for 6809 is LWTOOLS. The most comprehensive C
cross-compiler for 6809 is gcc6809, however the easiest one for
developing for the CoCo is probably CMOC.

Since you are using Debian or Ubuntu, you are lucky and you can get
the latest releases of XRoar, LWTOOLS, CMOC, gcc6809 (and toolshed)
from this PPA: https://launchpad.net/~tormodvolden/+archive/ubuntu/m6809

> 4. I have considered the possibility of (somehow) creating -on the fly-
> a DECB floppy image - or a ROM image - that could be loaded and executed
> in some manner - does that sound crazy?

lwasm --format=decb will generate a DECB file. This file you can load
directly in XRoar, e.g. on the command line when starting XRoar:
 xroar -load mydecb.bin
You can also add -type "EXEC" to the command line.

You can also make disk images with the "toolshed" decb command, but as
seen above it is not necessary to go via disk images.

XRoar, lwtools and toolshed are also available for MacOS and Windows.
gcc6809 (and probably CMOC) also for MacOS. gcc6809 and CMOC will
probably run fine on Windows 10 using the Linux packages and the new
Linux subsystem for Windows 10.

Regards,
Tormod