What's wrong with openMSX?

Ascended (18734)

12-12-2003, 17:05

Hi all,

I hope you got attracted by the controversial topic name

Anyway, I've heard from some people on MRC that they "don't like openMSX". I'm very interested to know why, so that we can make openMSX better!

So, please post the top 5 of reasons why you don't like openMSX and also a top 5 of things we should change to make you like openMSX What is missing? What is bad? What is wrong?

Some things I can imagine you will come up with:

GUI. Indeed, openMSX has no GUI. However, you can use openMSX Catapult for the most occuring actions. Starting with the next release of openMSX, an open interface will become available, so that everyone can make a GUI for it. Let's hope some non-openMSX developers will create one. It will be very simple to make, I think. Example code is included in that next release :) Before that, just use Catapult or the commandline and the console
a debugger. There are going to be some debugging commands available, which can be used by an external GUI (see above) to get the debugging info and display it. So, we're making steps to that :)
speed: openMSX is really not slow, compared to its accuracy. If you need more speed, just make openMSX less accurate. See the tips in the Setup Guide (http://openmsx.sf.net/manual).
'boosted' custom MSX configs. Working on that, will probably be in next release. No promises, though.
(multiple) screenshot feature: partial code for that is in CVS, but not used yet. If some developer feels like making this work it will be in some future release... On the other hand: any external program can do this for you, probably.

Also, if you have positive comments about openMSX, feel free to post them too, so that the developers get a bit of moral support too :)

And last but not least: you can of course also use our normal feedback system (trackers, e-mail, IRC) to tell us about your problems/wishes/complaints. But to make it even easier, I opened this topic. :)

Surprise me! (Wow, many smilies....)

Entrar ou registrar-se para comentar

Por snout

Ascended (15184)

12-12-2003, 17:09

I think that, to many people, openMSX is just way too extended. Most people just want to 'click and play', which explains the success of RuMSX and the recent newcomers BlueMSX and RedMSX.

Por Bart

Paragon (1422)

12-12-2003, 17:19

Exactly Snout! Although openMSX is by far the most accurate MSX emu (in my opinion) it's also the one of the most non-userfriendly (also in my opinion). End-users just want to click the .exe, select a ROM or DSK and start to play. Supplying a default GUI with the Windows port should be enough to boost the popularity of openMSX. (I'm not talking about the original Linux version on purpose... Linux and userfriendliness is like water and fire imho).

Por sjoerd

Hero (602)

12-12-2003, 17:38

I don't think openmsx is too extented. It just isn't 'plug & play'. The main problem is that the system roms are not included.
I don't care about a gui, however it would be nice if it would be possible to change a diskimage while running the emulator (OK, that had nothing to do with guis ).
Futhermore, a 'machineeditor' would be nice. I have no problem editing xml (actually: I don't like xml a bit) but a editor where you could drag&drop your msx machine would be nice.
And general msx, msx2, tweeplus and turbor machines would be nice, most people don't
care about emulating a specific machine, just a standard is enough.

But openMSX is (next to no$msx for the debugger) my fist choice emulator. (Moonsound emulation could be improved btw, some songs sound like shit )

Por anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

12-12-2003, 17:49

I don't care about a gui, however it would be nice if it would be possible to change a diskimage while running the emulator (OK, that had nothing to do with guis ).
F10, diska 'filename', F10
use "diska eject" to eject a disk.

Most of the things already mentioned should be solved by a GUI!

Por DarQ

Paragon (1038)

12-12-2003, 18:17

for me, no openMSX gui please. bash> openmsx -ext fmpac game.rom works fine. BUT.. one major problem remains..

if i receive an IM from someone, i switch back from fullscreen with prt scr/sys rq, But, sometimes i accidentally press F12!! please do something about that. the F12 button is too close to some other buttons

Por anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

12-12-2003, 18:25

I think the keys are already remapable..

Por mars2000you

Enlighted (6182)

12-12-2003, 18:55

I don't want to repeat what I have already exposed about the comparison between NLMSX, openMSX and the fMSX clones (like blueMSX and RedMX) .... See the following page :

http://www.msx.org/newspost1645.html

But the first reactions in this thread gives me the confirmation about one major thing : MSX users want to emulate general machines (and not specific machines). So, there should be 2 versions of openMSX :

- a light version for the common users with emulation of 9 or 10 general boosted machines (like in NLMSX)

- an extended version for the lovers of specific machines

Don't say me that it has no sense to make that ! Everyone knows ICQ, a very extended program to communicate on Internet ! There are so many features in ICQ that the common user can have some problems to use it .... The solution exists, it's ICQlite !!! :P

Por anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

12-12-2003, 19:06

I don't understand why you want 2 versions.
2 versions means 2x more work for developers, or a lot of #IFDEF stuff in the source code.

Again, a simple frontend can solve this problem.

Por snout

Ascended (15184)

12-12-2003, 19:15

Actually, Catapult already is solving most of the user-friendly 'problems'

Por sjoerd

Hero (602)

12-12-2003, 19:32

F10, diska 'filename', F10
use "diska eject" to eject a disk.Seems I was using the 'wrong' slashes. Thanks anyway.