How to get SofaRUN to view more than 8 characters long for the filename?

Champion (469)

03-09-2021, 08:04

Hey guys,

I have couple of questions to ask:

1) How do I get SofaRUN to view longer file names instead of truncating it to 8 characters making reading the files impossible? I have not managed to be able to do that. Like I want to be able to view this file name: Super Deform Snatcher - Melancholia (Konami)(1990)(en) (Disk 1 of 3) without getting truncated.

2) Sometimes SofaRUN is unable to open a certain ROM so I need to play with the configuration, how do I know which setting I need to do to make it load ROM 100% of the time?

3) Lastly, I want to install SymbOS in my MSX 2 and I wanted to know if there is a website that deals with SymbOS where I can download latest applications, games, news, even movies, etc. Can someone help in that direction?

4) I need help with MSX BASIC KUN. I understood I can compile any program as a standalone executable which increases speed by at least 50%. I don't know where to download this compiler and how to compile a program. Can someone help me? Thanks.

By gdx

Enlighted (6210)

03-09-2021, 09:21

MSX-DOS 1 & 2 (also Nextor) support the file names up to 8 characters + 3 for the extension name only.
Do not copy a file with a longer name to an MSX disk. This causes FAT problems when deleting these files on MSX.

By MsxKun

Paragon (1124)

03-09-2021, 12:22

foody wrote:

Nope. It's a realtime compiler, can't create executable files, unless you use tricks. Not any program will work.

By ducasp

Paladin (680)

03-09-2021, 15:05

foody wrote:

Hey guys,

I have couple of questions to ask:

2) Sometimes SofaRUN is unable to open a certain ROM so I need to play with the configuration, how do I know which setting I need to do to make it load ROM 100% of the time?

Files need to be in a zip file, so sofarun will show the long name the file inside the zip file has, but the zip file itself you better used 8.3 for the name to avoid issues. This has the side-effect that loading now take quite a while as sofarun has to unzip it, but it has a cache folder, so usually it takes long once if you are going to keep playing a couple games for a given period of time, while the cached unzipped file exists, it won't unzip again
The only known way is through databases, like emulators like OpenMSX have. But those databases are too big for our MSX to handle it itself, and calculating the hash of roms on a MSX will take a lot, a lot of time... So, there is no such known setting that makes it load 100% of time, if it doesn't, tamper with the settings, try the AI, Interrupt, if you use joymega try disabling its support (all those stuff make Sofarun add patches that might not work)... Some games might want to have a 50Hz system to play properly, quite a few .DSK files have POKE -1,XXX something in their loader that wreaks havoc unless you are running the disk on the system it was tested with (google searc for universal poke to replace it)
SymbOS is not really well documented, there is their site for MSX: http://www.symbos.de/platform.htm?1 and the installation is over here: http://www.symbos.de/platform.htm?1 , good luck
Google is your best friend, as always: https://konamiman.github.io/MSX2-Technical-Handbook/md/KunBA...

By Vampier

Prophet (2412)

03-09-2021, 16:07

pro-tip don't use any compression in your zip files as it will add a huge load on the CPU and unpacking files will take ages

By foody

Champion (469)

03-09-2021, 23:37

Wait....you are telling me not all ROMs are the same? Some ROMs will not work because I am using NTSC MSX? Some disks will only work on the system it was developed on, some ROMs will not work on the type of system I am using, etc? Just because I am using megaflash or sofarun there is no guarantee all games work and no guarantee it will work at all regardless of configuration?

You are saying the only way to make sure all games work 100% is through emulator only?

By Manuel

Ascended (19462)

04-09-2021, 00:33

Vampier wrote:

pro-tip don't use any compression in your zip files as it will add a huge load on the CPU and unpacking files will take ages

It's not that bad: as was said before, sofarun will keep an uncompressed copy in a cache folder.

By Manuel

Ascended (19462)

04-09-2021, 00:39

Foody, you're comparing apples and oranges. Almost all original games work on your real hardware in their original form. Things become more difficult if you want to run images of the original media the software was released on. It's harder to emulate these media on real hardware than in software on an emulator... Still, most images or other forms of the software can be made to run on your real hardware without the original media. But guarantees you are not going to get.
If you have problems with specific games, then just ask for help.

PS: the mentioned AI settings are usually not so relevant if you have flash based devices with a programmable mapper, like megaflashrom or Carnivore 2.

By gdx

Enlighted (6210)

04-09-2021, 02:53

foody wrote:

you are telling me not all ROMs are the same? Some ROMs will not work because I am using NTSC MSX?

You do not seem to understand what an emulator is. It mimics the hardware by software.
Obviously everything works on a real MSX provided you have the appropriate hardware.

If you want to run a copy on a real MSX, you must have a similar equipment, or a hacked version when possible. Loaders that are made to launch Roms images of the kind Sofarom must hack the ROM or use hardware that allows to imitate the ROM type. There are various types of Roms for at least two reasons: to expand the program size and to enlighten piracy. Loaders must also determine the type of ROM that you load. Which is very simple and very quick to do on a modern PC but this is not the case on an old MSX 8bit that charges the file in several parts progressively.

So if you want to execute a maximum of Roms on a real MSX you have to invest in equipment, and have a good loader for it. Sofarom is a good loader but it does what he can with the basic hardware.

foody wrote:

Some disks will only work on the system it was developed on, some ROMs will not work on the type of system I am using, etc?

It depends on the person who has hacked the software. If he did that for himself and his MSX, it's yes. It also depends on the knowledge he has on the MSX system.

By foody

Champion (469)

04-09-2021, 02:48

Well that is cool concerning the disk part. I will take your guys offer into effect then - grin - I will list the names of ROMs I tried very hard to run on my MSX but fails and paste them here for you guys to help me. By end, I can get them all working then. Dsk games run perfectly well there are no issues with disk based games...it is the ROM ones that I need to worry about. Thanks guys for all the information and help.

By gdx

Enlighted (6210)

04-09-2021, 02:58

ROM2MMM is an example of what can be done with extra hardware adequate. It can run almost any ROM without mapper without defining any parameter on any MSX with disk interface.