TSX support in OpenMSX.

Years ago, I was not too sure about TSX, but when I got familiarised with the format to analyse cassette tape protections, I really so the potential of TSX.

*saw

I think the answer is that Natalia did it, and she does her own builds with the feature, so if you want, you can get it at:

https://github.com/imulilla/openMSX_TSXadv

What is bitter is that she and the OpenMSX did not come to terms to have that feature merged in the official build. I understand both parties frustration... On a free software, that strives for quality, if you release a feature, you are bound to support it, and as such you need to make sure that this new part of the software (since it is open source, hackers can look into it and craft malign tsx files) also won't allow exploits to happen... So, it seems that the OpenMSX team is more on a "if we add a new feature, more code to support, and we have limited time already to do so, including lots of ports, so it must be really, really simple to add and maintain it OR really, really importan to have it" vibe.

On the other hand, Natalia and all the people working on TSX are really passionate about it (and why shouldn't they be? it is a quite nice idea) but also got tired after lots and lots of discussions trying to come to terms and convince the OpenMSX team that TSX should be merged and maintained...

I understand both parties and feel sorry that they did not agreed on a way to have it on the official OpenMSX build, but hey, you can use Natalia's build... ;)

Yes, as someone who has seen all these tape formats on the Spectrum before, I can say that TZX (and therefore TSX) is probably 0.01% better than WAV. It's a pretty terribly defined format (like XML), most of the Spectrum emulators have problems with arbitrary TZX files, and none of the emulators actually support the whole TZX format (because it changed several times). Basically the only reason it got popular was that the only archive site back then decided to use (some parts of) that format. That being said, at least a WAV file won't crash an emulator.

I'm sure that the MSX community would avoid the mistakes that were made during the TZX format. (No, just kidding.)

Hi ducasp. Yes absolutely agree with you. I have recently discovered the fork and the TSX preservation job made by "tsxeslamejor.com" and so I was curious why it never made it to the official release. I have been using the TZX format a lot of times related to other systems as the ZX, as well as converted some tapes to that format myself and know the advantages from a preservation point of view over CAS.
As you say, of course, you can have WAVs and today the lenght of a WAV has not the same impact in the size of the file as it had in the emulation world of yesterday. But I found always reassuring the possibility of keeping a pure form of data that can reconstruct a WAVE, as if it was a MASTER TAPE, than depending of just analog recordings of various qualities.

But I, as well as you, can understand both parties positions regarding TSX adoption and I respect them. Just wanted to know the "why".

Thanks all for your answers.