OpenMSX sometimes fails to recognize FDD (On raspberry Pi)

Rookie (24)

11-09-2022, 13:07

Hello all,

I'm experimenting with OpenMSX 17.0 on the Raspberry Pi 400, to sort of "recreate" the feeling of my old MSX machines. I'm currently using a custum image based on Ubuntu, graciously provided by fellow-user Daemos. Before that, I used an image based on Raspbian OS (as described here and here).

In both cases, I'm running into an issue: when I mount a .dsk image with the menu, the FDD sometimes does not seem to be emulated properly.
So, when I mount an image and type "files" in MSX-BASIC, for instance, I get the error "Illegal function call". This happens with different of disk-images, so I don't think it's related to one specific one.

I can sort of work around this, by changing or re-starting the machine by using the 'Hardware'-option in OpenMSX's menu and then re-mounting the disk. Often, the files will then show and can be loaded etc., but this workaround is not usable for disks that can (or need to) auto-start: a "soft reset" reboots the machine, but the FDD remains unrecognized.

Is this an issue someone has encountered before? Can I do something to fix it? Thanks in advance!

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By Louthrax

Prophet (2496)

11-09-2022, 14:16

I had some issues like that with other emulators when my disk images where stored on a mounted NAS partition (access to the disk files were delayed or just not accessible...). Have you maybe tried to put your disk images on a faster and non mounted hard disk ?

By Manuel

Ascended (19678)

11-09-2022, 15:13

If you get "Illegal function call", it looks like you booted with the SHIFT key pressed. Can you post a screenshot? I probably doesn't show "Disk basic version xxx".

Which machine are you emulating?

By Zwarteziel

Rookie (24)

11-09-2022, 15:49

Thanks Louthrax and Manuel!

@Louthrax: the images are on the Raspberry's own SD-card. Other files, like cartridge-roms load without problems, so I hope it's not the speed of the system/medium.

@Manuel: while I don't have a physical key pressed while booting, I've noticed some garbled symbols at the command line when I exit OpenMSX. Perhaps something is creating input? Anyway, here are two screenshots, that show the error and version of MSX-BASIC (4.0):

I'm emulating the Panasonic FS-A1ST by default, but also switch to the Philips NMS8250 regularly.

By Briqunullus

Paladin (764)

11-09-2022, 19:34

Weird. The machine boots without diskrom. That's why FILES fails. But there's a diskdrive configured, otherwise you can't assign a disk image.

By Manuel

Ascended (19678)

11-09-2022, 19:50

Yes, so it's exactly as if SHIFT is pressed while booting. And actually, you can see that in the screenshot: FILES is typed uppercase and the bottom row shows the shift-version of the function keys.

By Briqunullus

Paladin (764)

11-09-2022, 21:07

Sherlock Holmes

By Zwarteziel

Rookie (24)

12-09-2022, 08:08

Well spotted indeed! I'll try to find out what is happening. Any ideas or previous experiences regarding this? Some ghost input from pheriperials perhaps?

By Zwarteziel

Rookie (24)

14-09-2022, 13:26

A small update: the weird behaviour was caused by a rom-cartridge I loaded at startup. Looks like it set caps-lock on. The issue is now fixed, although I still see some weird output sometimes, when I return to the command line after playing a game. I'll look into that some more, but: thank you for pointing out the SHIFT-related behaviour on startup.

By Manuel

Ascended (19678)

14-09-2022, 13:37

If you return to the command line, you mean the "Linux command line"? Then it might have been a crash, so I'm definitely interested in that to solve it.

By Zwarteziel

Rookie (24)

15-09-2022, 09:09

Yes, I mean the Linux command line. The custom, Ubuntu-based image I use boots OpenMSX on startup, with a script.
When I interrupt this booting process and start OpenMSX from the prompt, I can exit the program normally, without any weird characters.

When I boot normally, however, I can use OpenMSX without crashes etc., but see some garbled stuff just before the Pi shuts itself down (as dictated by the script).

It's not a big problem or anything. It might have been caused by myself, because I have been tinkering with the Pi to get HDMI-sound going. (Still learning all this stuff

Here is a rather bad screenshot of the text, where I quit the emulator after playing a bit of Aleste: