Any updates about RiscOS on the Raspberry Pi?

Regarding a Unicode font, if Chris has covered everything listed on https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/Raspberry%20Pi%20disc%20image%20proposals
then FreeMono, FreeSans and FreeSerif, which I converted and made available at http://sinenomine.co.uk/software/freefonts.zip will already be in the distribution.

if Chris has covered everything listed

Not yet .. work in progress…

Hi Jon, happy to confirm I was able to use v1.02 of !ADFFS perfectly to open some old ADF files and get to their contents!

Sadly the majority of the files I was looking at were not 32-bit safe :( so I’m looking to see if there is a well-maintained database somewhere of software compatibility…? There were a couple of old gems though :)

Would you be happy for this 1.02 version of !ADFFS to be released with the R-Pi at all?

Chris H – would it be suitable to include in the distro? People could then use the newer version on an old Acorn if they have software on floppys that’s worth preserving…?

I’m looking to see if there is a well-maintained database somewhere of software compatibility…?

If “well-maintained” is a requirement, then no, there isn’t. Working on it, though…

if Chris has covered everything listed

These are now included in the 24 July version.

Also included are PrivatEye; SChain – a stategy game; a new set of icons that you can try (Run $.images.seticons); a different screen backdrop featuring a raspberry; Printers is now set up to print to PDF as default; Cat is updated to offer a filename search and save as Draw file; and a !Manuals directory has been added for StrongHelp.

Enjoy (and please comment)!

Yes, ADFFS 1.02 can be included, no issues with that. We’ll need to sort out the ADFS shim for v2+, so that protected floppies work.

Regards 32bit compatibility, part of the Archimedes Software Preservation Project is to test all games on all chipsets and OS versions and ultimately get them all running on newer kit. I wasn’t intending on testing on specific distros though, only the main Risc OS releases.

Hi Jon and Martin, I’d be keen to assist with your projects. I have a few ideas but don’t want to duplicate what you’re doing or dilute the effort. What’s the best way to get in touch?

Between projects to preserve software in ADF files, coupled with ability to read ADF files on the Pi and the work Adrian Lees is doing to make Aemulator work on the Pi, this could mean that it becomes very easy to play retro games on the Pi. It would be good to stoke this by making information about available content easy to find and, and to use the opportunity to gather info and widen the user base.

I find ShareFS(v3.09)is working OK from my aged RiscPC so I’m using it to fetch over some regularly used software.

So far the following seem to be working though not exhausively tested: Artworks (v2.X2.00), EasiWriter (v9.01), TempDir (v1.39), Locate (v0.89b), Switch (v1.51), Coeden (v0.08), RPCInfo (v1.11 – this is for a decent clock display). I have also installed Steffen Bellon’s RemotePrinterFS (v1.04 in !Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk alongside Fat32FS) and am printing successfully to a network-connected HP laser printer using one of the LaserJet PDFs you provide.

Are these simple report useful here, or is there a better place?

Printers is now set up to print to PDF as default;

Is this something new to the RPi distro? I unpacked the harddisc4 thingy on my Beagle and I don’t see anything other than Acorn’s fossilised printer defs.

It would be nice to print to PDF, doubly so if it handles kanji without suffering a nervous breakdown.

Alex, head over to the Icon Bar thread for the Archimedes Software Preservation Project continue the conversation there instead of going off topic here.

Printers is now set up to print to PDF as default;

Rick, this is almost certainly down to the inclusion of Steve Fryatt’s !PrintPDF.

The 24th July distro is an image file (after unzipping) and so one has to go to Linux and use dd or, perish the thought, use win32discimager; but didn’t Chris Hall say something about not having to do this again after some previous upgrade (forgotten the number) and that we would be able to update entirely within RISC OS on the Raspberry-Pi?
I have done all the updates up to AlphaUp8. Can the ‘disc based’ part, SDFS_Up, of the 24th July distro be given separately or would I be missing something?

or would I be missing something?

It is simple: I moved some stuff from ‘ThirdParty’ to ‘Utilities’ (which a simple ‘copy’ won’t achieve) and recreated the whole image from a ‘vanilla’ HardDisc4 image (so that I could make sure I was using the latest image).

Hi all, I would be most grateful for pointers to building the latest rom image from sources, to achieve a resolution other than 1080p (800×600)?

Theo says:

(Just FYI, if you don’t have a 1920×1080 monitor you can tweak things to use a different screen size:
Add an appropriate hdmi_mode to config.txt on the SD card
Adjust the numbers 1920 and 1080 in mixed/Sources/RiscOS/HAL/BCM2835/s/Video and rebuild the ROM)

I’ve found the read-only file that needs to be amended:
https://www.riscosopen.org/viewer/view/mixed/RiscOS/Sources/HAL/BCM2835/s/Video?rev=1.4;content-type=text%2Fplain

Is there an idiot’s guide to using CVS and building the rom?
EDIT: found the building RISC OS how-to:
http://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/How%20to%20build%20RISC%20OS
but going to bed with tail between legs as it looks too long a process to get into right now.

Has anyone got a pre-built Pi ROM at 800*600 or means of cranking one out without effort? I promise to RTFM and learn this stuff properly!

The other place in the sources you need to change is mode_defn in
https://www.riscosopen.org/viewer/view/castle/RiscOS/Sources/Kernel/s/vdu/vdudriver?rev=4.12.2.18.2.2;only_with_tag=RPi
Note that’s in the ‘RPi’ branch of the kernel – when you get a tarball or use the ‘checkout’ script it’ll check out the right branch, but the webcvs won’t display it by default.

However, if you tweak config.txt you can select a different resolution for the GPU to rescale to. RISC OS will still think it’s driving 1920×1080 so your display will be a bit grotty, but hopefully still readable.

Thanks Theo.

Do I need to sign up and pay up for a developer kit to do all this or can it be somehow done online – I’ve seen references to a cloud-hosted virtual RiscPC for builds?
(not that I’d mind donating to ROOL at this stage, just that I’ve got plenty on the go right now and this looks complicated)…

I tried the config.txt tweak already and happy to report I got a display working at 800*600 – this was via a mini HDMI to VGA converter too, which is good – and the display would be OK for photos, but awful for reading text.

(I’m trying to use the Pi with a a 10.1" VGA touchscreen monitor I already have. I want to play with touchscreen control in RISC OS in anticipation of the audio and accelerated video drivers being sorted out, for in car media application. Here, the fast boot and tolerance of RISC OS to being turned off should be an advantage, it’s then about persuading someone to write/port the necessary software!)

Do I need to sign up and pay up for a developer kit to do all this or can it be somehow done online

I think that buying the dev kit is the only realistic option. At least it’s not unduly expensive!

Plus you’ll be helping to support ROOL which is a Good Thing. (^_^)

Rick, this is almost certainly down to the inclusion of Steve Fryatt’s !PrintPDF.

Er, pardon?

I have gone through the prospective disc image for the Pi and itemised where each piece of software has been downloaded from and any specific constraints which are specified (and which are in hand by others).

Each item is listed here

I have gone through the prospective disc image for the Pi and itemised where each piece of software has been downloaded from and any specific constraints which are specified (and which are in hand by others).

Has everything on that list been cleared with the relevant authors or copyright holders, where necessary? I’m assuming that it must have been, given that you’re already distributing test versions of the disc image?

If so, can I ask who you got to OK the inclusion of PrintPDF 0.87?

Has everything on that list been cleared with the relevant authors or copyright holders, where necessary?

At this stage it is just alpha so obviously not. A bit of chicken and egg here at present. complicated by the fact that it is someone else who is seeking the permissions. The alternative is to include the web link and ask the user to download it himself but it seems pretty pointless to do that if it freely available to download. Obviously if this were for profit then it would be necessary to get permission first so this should all be sorted by the time it gets to beta.

A bit of chicken and egg here at present. complicated by the fact that it is someone else who is seeking the permissions.

I fail to see the problem.

What the tales of first StrongED, and then PrintPDF, should teach you is that “free to download” does NOT imply “free to distribute”. You note on your disc image page that PrintPDF’s author has prohibited its distribution unless you obtain his permission first, which you obviously have not done – yet you distribute his software regardless.

No, “it’s an alpha version” isn’t a get-out clause. It’s still being distributed.

A lot of people make the error of assuming they are allowed to make somebody else’s software available for free download from their website simply by virtue of the fact that the author has made it available for free download from their website – apparently even, in your case, to the extent of ignoring explicit instructions not to distribute software in favour of this misconception.

Just because it’s free, doesn’t make it yours. Fred and Steve have both explained why they do not allow their software to be distributed without their say-so.

What I recommend you do now is that you remove from the disc image all software whose licenses do not allow distribution and where you do not have permission to waive this requirement, and then set about obtaining such permission. The authors will probably be prepared to overlook your transgressions for the sake of the RISC OS distro, but you have no right to presume this on their behalf, and if they do not give you permission to distribute their software, then you cannot distribute it. End of.

EDIT: I just found this quote from Chris Hall in the other thread:

I am working on the basis that software that is free to download can be included in a free to download distro provided it is kept complete and intact along with all copyright info etc.

There’s yer problem, right there.

At this stage it is just alpha so obviously not. A bit of chicken and egg here at present. complicated by the fact that it is someone else who is seeking the permissions.

Those are both non-sequiturs. Alpha or not, you’re still distributing other people’s software, and so where the license doesn’t cover that (or, as in the case of PrintPDF, where it does cover it and sets out conditions) you get permission first, not afterwards.

The alternative is to include the web link and ask the user to download it himself but it seems pretty pointless to do that if it freely available to download.

No, that’s not true. Just because something is freely available to download from my site, it doesn’t mean that you and ROOL can take a copy and then distribute it via your own sites. I can just about understand an individual failing to grasp that, but an entity like ROOL should know better.

Claiming that it’s an either/or is disingenuous, too. The documentation with PrintPDF, which you even go as far as to quote on your site, is clear that I’m likely to be happy for third parties to distribute PrintPDF if I’m asked in advance. There’s a good reason for this in your case: PrintPDF 0.87 isn’t even guaranteed safe on the Raspberry Pi, as it’s linked to library code that probably wasn’t recompiled for the new processors. Test builds are safe, but I would refuse permission for third-party distribution of those because they’re test builds.

Obviously if this were for profit then it would be necessary to get permission first so this should all be sorted by the time it gets to beta.

I’m afraid not: profit has nothing to do with it.

I suggest that you make an effort to contact me pretty quickly (say by the end of this weekend at the very latest) via the method given in the documentation, with a good explanation for what has happened and a request for permission to distribute PrintPDF. If you do, then I’ll look at whether I can create a new stable release of PrintPDF for Beagleboards and Raspberry Pis and consider granting permission for it to go into your disc image. If you don’t make contact, then I’ll need to more generally consider the wider availability of my software.

I thought that RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi was a ROOL project. Are they happy with this situation? At the very least, anything that you note as having “No licence but free download” has the potential to backfire on you in a messy way.

I am working on the basis that software that is free to download can be included in a free to download distro provided it is kept complete and intact along with all copyright info etc.

There’s yer problem, right there.

Indeed. Just out of interest, is this ROOL’s policy, or Chris’s personal one?