When I saw the Pi 400 release I knew I wanted to get one for a retro project. I haven't yet but I will. My idea was to make it the ultimate 8/16-bit system. I want to set up Vice like you have but also install UAE, Hatari, Linapple and other such emulators. I never thought to do keycap labels like this but I like it. I especially like the labels you made yourself. Happy new subscriber :D
I'm sure the Commodore and other 1980s computers were an inspiration. I have to imagine the ZX Spectrum also inspired the design. I purchased another one and have other plans with this form factor.
I'm exceptionally impressed by your efforts with this Steven, this project must have taken days to get 'just right', let alone the shooting and editing up! Total respect to you sir, it looks like a fun and rewarding project! (Smiled at the Anglepoise and the LP making background appearances too!)
This one was fun, but as you say, very time consuming. But that's mainly because I am still getting familiar with all the tools (which in itself is a blast). Glad you had a smile! As always, much appreciate you, Chris!
This is an amazing project 👍. Pretty sure that it would get great support on KickStarter so that every Commodore freak could pledge and get their own package ready out of the box !
@@ronaldgoyette5807 you must be the only creator who actuall makes the effort to answer every single question and acknowledge all posts in some way. Your channel should snag the algorith soon! Surf the wave of celebness ... Start trending beause there are loads of people out there who NEVER SEEN EMULATIONand knw nothig... But soon as they do see it they will convert and join the 8Bit militia
That gets me thinking. I have another video planned with the Raspberry Pi 400. I just need to find time. Happy Holidays and thanks for watching and commenting!
I prefer the Berryboot version so i can run Multiple Operating Systems. I did the Amiga too but didn't like that as much. There is just something special about the C64. I can't wait for Sam's Journey to come to the NES this year. Great C64 Game. Glad it's getting the port. Check it out along with Piopow and Orange Island. Sorry I get off track sometimes but that thing does it all. I am getting the Orange Pi 800 and running Android 12 next. Keyboard PC'S are back!!!!!
Berryboot would be a great option! Thanks for the reminder and thanks for the game suggestions. Might have to give those a try on the MEGA65 using the C64 core V5 during a livestream.
the correct word you were looking for is "Commodorish" Example of use: "what the world badly needs are Commodorish keyboards for connecting to C64 emulators and FPGA C64 cores"
The latest Combian distro has pi400 support built in. The power-led working as a drive light has been a little weird for me- seemed to work initially, now doesn't work.
Excellent video! I love the fast pace with the blog backup! Is it possible to make the modifications if you don't have a Pi4 and only a Pi400? Can you post your image?
Not currently. You need access to a Pi 4. I'd share my image, but since Carmelo requests support for his work, I don't want to step on his project's toes.
@@retroCombs According to the web site it will run on any Pi including the Pi0 with only the Pi400 needing updating before it will work. It should be possible to use a Pi 3 or an even earlier version to update the SD card.
For version 2.8 and below that is the case. According to Carmelo, "Combian64 V3 won’t work on the new Raspberry Pi 400 unless you update the distro in a regular Raspberry Pi 4 first. If you don’t have a Raspberry Pi 4, you need to wait until a newer version of Combian is released."
It would be nice to see an unedited boot sequence. 6 more seconds in a 20 minute video wouldn't have hurt. By the way, next time you're feeling flush, treat yourself to a vinyl cutter. That way you can do things like make your own key labels. I'm sure you'll have more projects in the future that could use one.
Noted for both, although, I do have another video on my list that will showcase the boot time. It's a ways down the list but hopefully soon. If it weren't for this work thing. 😁
As a starter, why not making the final Pi400 Sd Card image available via a download link ( even adding a paypal donate link to make the final Pi400 image download link available ) ?
Don't want to step on Carmelo's toes. He was very helpful and is keeping Combian 64 alive and updated. All credit goes to him for that piece. Get your download at cmaiolino.wordpress.com/
This is very cool, though since I have a TheC64 all set up as well as a Pi400 with Pimiga installed probably won't do this - but those emulated disk sounds are awesome I am gonna have to hack something together that sounds like that!! I always had DF0 and DF1 and was furiously swapping until the second one just died and starting sounding like barb wired was scraping through it!! Lol it was 4 years old! My dad threw it out to spite me when I was expelled from school :(
Pimiga. Not familiar with that distro but now really curious. Had a 500 back in the day and have a TheA500 on preorder. I've been so obsessed with 8-bit computers, I've not dove back into my second favorite computer of all time, the A500.
@@retroCombs Aww man it is amazing, so,e dude made a SD card image called Pimiga which is UAE plus about 14,000 ROMs so its all set up like an A1200 with several upgrade, plus virtual DF0 to add your own stuff from an 2nd SD... It's pretty amazin!
@@retroCombs yes, sir. today's problem is there are many options and I have to make a decision LOL! I may end up doing both solution... just like I have a real NES & lots of emulators, Mister, RetroPie AND NES mini. I was considering C64 MAXI which is not released in US yet because I feel little limited by playing with C64 MINI(no keyboard). then I found video about Keyrah & your video. or in worst case scenario: I would try to repair my broken c64 and buy Pi1541 zero, which is very interesting to me at this moment. It is all about nostalgic impulse driven retro fiasco. :)
@@retroCombs I want to make a dedicated ZX spectrum with the pi400 :) definitely the 48k (distro avail) but hopefully i'll find the new ZX Spectrum Next distro eventually.(kickstarter2 sold out 1st day so i'm looking at options)
I was able to snag a ZX during the last Kickstarter. I'm looking forward to it. Didn't have one back in the day so it will be a brand new experience for me. There's a ZX core for the MEGA65 now. I might try that, but would love to see what you come up with using the Pi 400.
i saw that on the mega65, will buy that for sure if it ever shows up!! (it's been so long waiting) i must admit i really dislike the disk drive on the side (aesthetically and practically because those disks are hard to find and riddled with R/W errors by now) would have preferred a small SD/TF and/or USB thumbdrive there
Good news. Two SD cards built in to the MEGA65. The drive on the DevKit is actually kinda awesome. Even if you load software from the SD card, it makes sounds (optional). Since the MEGA65 is a recreation of a prototype C65, I think it appropriate they include the drive for aesthetics. Development is moving along briskly now that those of us with DevKits are providing feedback. Hopefully some news soon.
Is it true that Combian 64 has a key input delay? When I installed v3.5 vesterday I had this problem. Also, when I quit VICE and it goes into the command line I try to use the "menu" command but this does nothing.
Very nice project ! was wondering if i can go for a PI400 with French Keyboard and remap the Keys in combian 64, then use the Key stickerds you have used to have a true c64 US keyboard. Thanks.
That should not be an issue. I'm not sure how to do this but Carmelo might have the solution on his blog. If I find some time, I'll do some digging myself and add to my blog post (coming soon).
@@retroCombs Thanks, Not a big deal, I guess my french PI400 will work anyway, It's just that the keyboard won't match. And basically it's all about considering A is Q, Z is W and W is Z :) There has never been French keyboard on C64 as far as i remember, it always came as Qwerty. Anyway, I forgot to tell you that your video as weel as the detailed explainations (and your project) are mind blowing. I love so much when things are not done the half way. Congrats ! ;)
You can. Since this is running VICE, you can configure VICE to access the Wi-Fi. I've not done this yet, but should try it and I need to update this unit. Not enough hours in my day! Great question.
I was looking to put this on a Pi Zero W 2. Is this image not supported by it? I would imagine a Pi 4 to be way overkill for a simple C64 emulator. The Zero W 2, even. But more affordable.
Here's the Combian 64 support page: cmaiolino.wordpress.com/combian-64-support-page/ A few lines down it says, does not support the Pi Zero. But you are correct, it would be more affordable and might lead to a handheld model; however, I have to say, using it on the Pi 400 with built-in keyboard is SWEET!
@@androxilogin Yes and with something like this form-factor (amzn.to/3uTHv6s) #ad. I'm not sure what the technical difficulty is using a Pi W, but with Raspi 4's hard to find, it is a shame this is not an option. Now there is BMC (accentual.com/bmc64/) which has an option for the Pi W. This is on my list of videos to produce (not enough time in the day).
This may not be the place but I need some help. I am running Retro Pi with a generic xbox-pad. It works and I have no issues. I am now also creating a combian64 to just have as a standalone Commodore 64. I can not get the gamepad to be detected at all. I am not very familiar with commands but when I type 'sudo xboxdrv' it comes up with no controller detected. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I like a good retro style joystick and I've found two modern USB connector replacements that have become my favorites (affiliate links below): amzn.to/3JWLD9M amzn.to/3Op0zks Hyperkin even sells a model with a 9-pin DIN connector for original 8-bit computers such as Commodore and Atari. amzn.to/3k9t7AF
Hmmm...when you say gritty, assume you mean lots of static. Did you by chance review this document: www.stevencombs.com/combianpi400/combian-vice-configuration.pdf
@@retroCombs Audio sounds granulated. Done all the settings as I mentioned, I did notice something strange in that PDF though; A custom resolution has been entered (1920x1080), yet resolution is set to automatic; seems redundant. Anyway, I degress... Since the issue is showing up on all emulators, I'm thinking it's maybe something bad in the raspi-config?
@@retroCombs RasPi 400 has no 3.5mm, so HDMI. However, I managed to sort it by turning off Double Size, Double Scan and Full screen in video size settings, also reduced the audio bitrate down to 22kHz. It's not perfect, but near enough. That said, it was more a bit of fun setting up as it's probably not something I'd use per say as I have around 15 actual Commodore machines (don't ask why lol).
@@LektroiD That's correct! I'd forgotten about that but sounds like you worked it and thanks for sharing here. Not sure why I didn't experience the same issue.
RE: The GPIO port looking like a C64 cartridge port? I can tell you that it would be awesome if you could use that to send interrupts and other messages to the VICE emulator to facilitate the functionality of super snapshot or similar carts which trigger the interrupt line. Not only would this facilitate game cheats but also assembly language development. Check out the 8-Bit show and Tell guy's youtube channel and what he does.
Great question. Combian is VICE running on a trimmed down version of Linux. Bare Metal Commodore 64, or BMC64, Is still VICE but doesn't have the Linux overhead so it runs and boots faster. BMC64 is on my radar for a future video.
@@retroCombs I was planning to use the Pi400 for a Commodore emulator but at the end I preferred my old Pi3 with the BMC + two joystick connectors to the GPIO. Too bad BMC64 is not compatible with the Pi400 :(
@@retroCombs I also had in mind (after I wrote my comment above) that there's no BMC64 for the newest Raspi 4 / 400. ...unless they made an update meanwhile...
Anyone know why the latest version of combian isn't opening into c64 like all the documentation and videos say it will. I get the Combian splash screen, then I'm in shell with some version notes about the project at the top of the screen. If I type menu it shows the splash screen again, then returns to a prompt. This is on a Raspberry Pi 4 model B.
OK, sorry for asking a dumb question. I am RPI noob, I bought RPI 400 for PiAmiga just a couple of days ago. So, please, could you explain to me why I need PI 4, couldn't all this be done on a PI 400? Again, sorry for a noob question...
@@retroCombs Thank you so very much! I'm gonna burn the C64 SD card along PiAmiga. I have subscribed to your chanell and am looking forward to more content!
Is it possible to attach two usb joysticks to the combian 64 to support simultaneous 2-player-games like pitstop II, Tennis, Pong, Kung Fu etc.? I am asking because all Videos that I see only show one joystick that can be selected in emulator's menu to be mapped to port 1 or 2.
Great question and something I've not tried. If I get some time, I'll give it a go. Maybe others can help. I know you can assign one port to a USB joystick and the other joystick port emulated with the keyboard but never tried two USB joysticks. 🤔🕹️🎮
@@retroCombs Thank you very much. I also found this, but they do not deliver to Hungary. In the end, I have to make the printable version myself. :) Once it's done, I'll share it with you.
Because the CTRL key is the keybinding for the C= key in VICE. I could change it in VICE; however, I like to keep it consistent since I move back and forth between the Combian pi/400 and VICE on my Mac. Great question!
@@retroCombs I love that you had the same idea I had -- "how do I make it look more C64-ish?" I am going to explore that myself and it may come in the form of PAINT on the case and keyboard along with clear stickers (white letters on brown painted keys) finished with a hard clear coat. I'm starting to think vinyl stickers for ALL things but I would much prefer white printing on transparent stickers in general. I saw where someone was using Combian on the "400" and that may be the way to go as part of what I want to do is run XC-Basic on the Linux side and inject my compiled code into disk images for the emulator to run. In any case, I just decided the expression shouldn't be "C64-ish." It should be "Commodorable!"
I too would prefer transparent vinyl stickers on the keyboard but that would mean removing the stamps on the keys. Not sure the best way to do that. Painting would be interesting. If you go down that path, please let me know. I'd love to see how it turns out. You have some great ideas. I am enjoying Combian on this device. I also love that I can swap out SD cards and put a different OS in the device. "Commodorable!" I love it!
@@retroCombs I have ordered my Pi400 from Adafruit. It will be delivered soon. I will explore various methods of removal of the existing printing on the keys but I may go straight into printing. I feel like I might be able to get away with carefully applied putty to limit where the paint goes. If I could get white printing on transparent vinyl, apply it and then apply hard clear coating, it will probably achieve the look I want. There have been some updates to the BMC64 load and it no longer says "for Pi 2 or 3" as it relates to the C64 emulation but it still says so for the other versions. And since I don't yet have a Pi400 to test I can't confirm that it's now supported.
Carmelo has asked that I not share my SD image. Sorry. He's committed to get an update out ASAP. In the meantime, have any close friends who have or have access to Raspberry Pi 4? I'd also recommend you grab one (amzn.to/2KPZshK)(#ad). I'm sure you'll find uses for another one. I'm already planning other projects with mine.
@@retroCombs Having 2 Pi3s 1 3b+ and now the pi400, I think I would be killed by the wife if I bought another one right now. I have spoken with Carmelo and he's kindly provided the V3, which I'm going to run through my 3b+ to see if I am able to get it to a pi400 working state. If not, I'll stick with my 3b+ and a keyboard until a pi400 version is released. :)
Good point. And while Carmelo has done a great job with Combian, the VICE folks also deserve our support. I'll add that info to the companion blog post. Thanks for the reminder!
I did my research and took a look at the VICE site. "VICE is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version." Given the license, there is no support option.
@@retroCombs The GPL does not forbade donations. Interestingly though, it is Carmelo Maiolino who is in violation of the license as he is taking GPL licensed code and making it available only to those who donate. That's him trying to skirt around the fact that he is selling something he has absolutely no right to sell. He also fails to make the source code publicly available. It's great that you like Combian and you're giving the author a shout-out but he's an intellectual property thief.
It's tricky to say the least. The GNU license allows for variations. But I see your point. Is the fee for VICE or the service to streamline the Combian 64 distro. More research needed. Good conversation.
@@retroCombs He's doing the same thing with his DOSBIAN 'distro'. He's taking open source software, rebundling it, charging for it, and not providing sources. It isn't just VICE or DOSBOX. He's using the Linux kernel and all sorts of other open source software in clear violation of the GPL. I hate to be a grinch but what he's doing is wrong.
For VICE, the PgUp key serves as the RESTORE key. Hold the Raspberry Pi Key and the Arrow Up. Hope that helps! Sorry for the delay. Just noticed your comment.
Great question. Carmello (the Combian maintainer) will have to answer that one. Remember, the current Combian version (3.2) number is not tied to the VICE version (3.5). It's likely if he does include VICE 3.5, it might be in Combian version 3.3. That's not confusing at all! 😄
Apologies. Some people like that I don't dwell and move quickly. In later videos I try to find a happy balance. You are the second person to make a similar comment.
@@retroCombs yeah....i thought :"waaaaaaiiiiiiiitttt.....not so fast!" it was way too fast. And you should have given all informations about the setup instead of linking to a homepage. Otherwise it was very interesting
This was early in my video days and there were many recommendations to not linger so I tried to speed this one up. Oh well. And the info is a simple click away. For that I don't apologize. Almost all of my videos have a companion blog post that provides more info. That's a feature! 😂 Thanks for the feedback. Check out some of my newer content and I hope you'll find that I found a balance.
@@retroCombs No problem, you don`t have to apologize. It`s your video and you can do whatever you want :) Sometimes (for me) it's just better to see something than to read. Because in the end, not everything worked for me and i thought I missed something. Had heavy audio stuttering (in more demanding games). No idea if my Pi 400 is somehow different. Even overclocked I was not so happy with the result. I had to let everything at standard (200ms audio buffer and standard resolution) to get a better result. Now it`s >98% fine.
Interesting. Admittedly, I've not used this computer for awhile and I wonder if a later version of Combian has issues. I'm working on a variant that I think will end up being a better solution. Be on the lookout for that one. How's that for a teaser. Again, thanks for the great conversation.
When I saw the Pi 400 release I knew I wanted to get one for a retro project. I haven't yet but I will. My idea was to make it the ultimate 8/16-bit system. I want to set up Vice like you have but also install UAE, Hatari, Linapple and other such emulators. I never thought to do keycap labels like this but I like it. I especially like the labels you made yourself. Happy new subscriber :D
Thanks for the sub and best of luck for your project. Please let me know when you create.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that looked at the Pi400 and thought, "that really looks like a Commodore."
I'm sure the Commodore and other 1980s computers were an inspiration. I have to imagine the ZX Spectrum also inspired the design. I purchased another one and have other plans with this form factor.
I'm exceptionally impressed by your efforts with this Steven, this project must have taken days to get 'just right', let alone the shooting and editing up! Total respect to you sir, it looks like a fun and rewarding project! (Smiled at the Anglepoise and the LP making background appearances too!)
This one was fun, but as you say, very time consuming. But that's mainly because I am still getting familiar with all the tools (which in itself is a blast). Glad you had a smile! As always, much appreciate you, Chris!
@@retroCombs indeed! The learning is the best bit! 😊
I'm a big fan of my C64 mini and just a USB keyboard personally.
That works. The only thing not supported is VIC-20 mode. Since that was my first, I love it is included on the Maxi units.
This is an amazing project 👍. Pretty sure that it would get great support on KickStarter so that every Commodore freak could pledge and get their own package ready out of the box !
Thanks so much! Glad you like it. This is really and easy project for most folks.
@@retroCombs I’ll take it as a challenge 🥵
You got this. Let me know how it turns out.
Seconded. Laminate the decals onto the keys and I'd buy one!
@@ronaldgoyette5807 you must be the only creator who actuall makes the effort to answer every single question and acknowledge all posts in some way.
Your channel should snag the algorith soon! Surf the wave of celebness ... Start trending beause there are loads of people out there who NEVER SEEN EMULATIONand knw nothig...
But soon as they do see it they will convert and join the 8Bit militia
I have three of these badboys! ! Absolutely love it cant get enough of micros :)
I have two. One is still in a box for a future video that's on my list. Retro-related, of course.
Love the idea. Would be sweet somehow to hook up a datasette or floppy drive to the gpio... thanks for the video.
That gets me thinking. I have another video planned with the Raspberry Pi 400. I just need to find time. Happy Holidays and thanks for watching and commenting!
Sounds intriguing. Looking forward to what you do next. Have got my pi 400 etc... and Happy new year!
@@graemejohnson6489 And a Happy New Year to you too!
This is really pretty cool. A way to hook a 1541 up to the GPIO pins would really rock.
Or a pi1541! Two Pi's. 😁
@@retroCombs Now that is genius lol
Genius may not accurately describe me, but thanks for today's confidence booster. 😂
I prefer the Berryboot version so i can run Multiple Operating Systems. I did the Amiga too but didn't like that as much. There is just something special about the C64. I can't wait for Sam's Journey to come to the NES this year. Great C64 Game. Glad it's getting the port. Check it out along with Piopow and Orange Island. Sorry I get off track sometimes but that thing does it all. I am getting the Orange Pi 800 and running Android 12 next. Keyboard PC'S are back!!!!!
Berryboot would be a great option! Thanks for the reminder and thanks for the game suggestions. Might have to give those a try on the MEGA65 using the C64 core V5 during a livestream.
the correct word you were looking for is "Commodorish"
Example of use:
"what the world badly needs are Commodorish keyboards for connecting to C64 emulators and FPGA C64 cores"
I like it, "Commodorish!"
Wrong!
The latest Combian distro has pi400 support built in. The power-led working as a drive light has been a little weird for me- seemed to work initially, now doesn't work.
Yes and glad he's kept it updated. Drive light still works for me, at least has been working.
I very much liked the remote loading. My vice on my PC is a mess lol
It is pretty slick and I commend Carmelo for all his work on the Combian 64 project. Thanks for commenting!
Excellent video! I love the fast pace with the blog backup! Is it possible to make the modifications if you don't have a Pi4 and only a Pi400? Can you post your image?
Not currently. You need access to a Pi 4. I'd share my image, but since Carmelo requests support for his work, I don't want to step on his project's toes.
@@retroCombs According to the web site it will run on any Pi including the Pi0 with only the Pi400 needing updating before it will work. It should be possible to use a Pi 3 or an even earlier version to update the SD card.
For version 2.8 and below that is the case. According to Carmelo, "Combian64 V3 won’t work on the new Raspberry Pi 400 unless you update the distro in a regular Raspberry Pi 4 first. If you don’t have a Raspberry Pi 4, you need to wait until a newer version of Combian is released."
It would be nice to see an unedited boot sequence. 6 more seconds in a 20 minute video wouldn't have hurt. By the way, next time you're feeling flush, treat yourself to a vinyl cutter. That way you can do things like make your own key labels. I'm sure you'll have more projects in the future that could use one.
Noted for both, although, I do have another video on my list that will showcase the boot time. It's a ways down the list but hopefully soon. If it weren't for this work thing. 😁
As a starter, why not making the final Pi400 Sd Card image available via a download link ( even adding a paypal donate link to make the final Pi400 image download link available ) ?
Don't want to step on Carmelo's toes. He was very helpful and is keeping Combian 64 alive and updated. All credit goes to him for that piece. Get your download at cmaiolino.wordpress.com/
Thank you 👍
This is very cool, though since I have a TheC64 all set up as well as a Pi400 with Pimiga installed probably won't do this - but those emulated disk sounds are awesome I am gonna have to hack something together that sounds like that!!
I always had DF0 and DF1 and was furiously swapping until the second one just died and starting sounding like barb wired was scraping through it!! Lol it was 4 years old! My dad threw it out to spite me when I was expelled from school :(
Pimiga. Not familiar with that distro but now really curious. Had a 500 back in the day and have a TheA500 on preorder. I've been so obsessed with 8-bit computers, I've not dove back into my second favorite computer of all time, the A500.
@@retroCombs Aww man it is amazing, so,e dude made a SD card image called Pimiga which is UAE plus about 14,000 ROMs so its all set up like an A1200 with several upgrade, plus virtual DF0 to add your own stuff from an 2nd SD... It's pretty amazin!
@@retroCombshahah you are not wrong 8bit micros are sexual :D
@@DailyCorvid I'll be checking that out at some point. Thanks for the tip.
great video. I am kind of puzzling if I want this route or Keyrah v2 + RPI since I have junk C64..
For ease of use, this is the way to go. If you want to keep that old school feel, the Keyrah is a fun solution but expect some tinkering.
@@retroCombs yes, sir. today's problem is there are many options and I have to make a decision LOL! I may end up doing both solution... just like I have a real NES & lots of emulators, Mister, RetroPie AND NES mini.
I was considering C64 MAXI which is not released in US yet because I feel little limited by playing with C64 MINI(no keyboard). then I found video about Keyrah & your video. or in worst case scenario: I would try to repair my broken c64 and buy Pi1541 zero, which is very interesting to me at this moment.
It is all about nostalgic impulse driven retro fiasco. :)
It's a great time to be alive and a retro-computing/gaming fan! Keep me up to date.
looks good! now i wish there will be a raspberry pi 400 black keyboard for my project :D
Black would be a cool option! What project are you working on?
@@retroCombs I want to make a dedicated ZX spectrum with the pi400 :) definitely the 48k (distro avail) but hopefully i'll find the new ZX Spectrum Next distro eventually.(kickstarter2 sold out 1st day so i'm looking at options)
I was able to snag a ZX during the last Kickstarter. I'm looking forward to it. Didn't have one back in the day so it will be a brand new experience for me. There's a ZX core for the MEGA65 now. I might try that, but would love to see what you come up with using the Pi 400.
i saw that on the mega65, will buy that for sure if it ever shows up!! (it's been so long waiting) i must admit i really dislike the disk drive on the side (aesthetically and practically because those disks are hard to find and riddled with R/W errors by now) would have preferred a small SD/TF and/or USB thumbdrive there
Good news. Two SD cards built in to the MEGA65. The drive on the DevKit is actually kinda awesome. Even if you load software from the SD card, it makes sounds (optional). Since the MEGA65 is a recreation of a prototype C65, I think it appropriate they include the drive for aesthetics. Development is moving along briskly now that those of us with DevKits are providing feedback. Hopefully some news soon.
Is it true that Combian 64 has a key input delay? When I installed v3.5 vesterday I had this problem. Also, when I quit VICE and it goes into the command line I try to use the "menu" command but this does nothing.
Because its emulation, there is always a lag; however, it doesn't impact my experience. Great question! Sorry for the delay in responding.
Amazing !!
Thanks so much. Glad you like it.
Very nice project ! was wondering if i can go for a PI400 with French Keyboard and remap the Keys in combian 64, then use the Key stickerds you have used to have a true c64 US keyboard. Thanks.
That should not be an issue. I'm not sure how to do this but Carmelo might have the solution on his blog. If I find some time, I'll do some digging myself and add to my blog post (coming soon).
I looked today and French was not one of the supported languages in the VICE emulator. Not to say it can't be done, but I didn't see an easy way.
@@retroCombs Thanks, Not a big deal, I guess my french PI400 will work anyway, It's just that the keyboard won't match. And basically it's all about considering A is Q, Z is W and W is Z :) There has never been French keyboard on C64 as far as i remember, it always came as Qwerty. Anyway, I forgot to tell you that your video as weel as the detailed explainations (and your project) are mind blowing. I love so much when things are not done the half way. Congrats ! ;)
There are evidently key binding files for VICE. There has to be someone who has done this. The search continues. Thanks again for the kind comments.
Question about this running on the Pi 400. Can you access the Internet through the emulator to connect to BBS's?
You can. Since this is running VICE, you can configure VICE to access the Wi-Fi. I've not done this yet, but should try it and I need to update this unit. Not enough hours in my day! Great question.
I was looking to put this on a Pi Zero W 2. Is this image not supported by it? I would imagine a Pi 4 to be way overkill for a simple C64 emulator. The Zero W 2, even. But more affordable.
Here's the Combian 64 support page:
cmaiolino.wordpress.com/combian-64-support-page/
A few lines down it says, does not support the Pi Zero. But you are correct, it would be more affordable and might lead to a handheld model; however, I have to say, using it on the Pi 400 with built-in keyboard is SWEET!
@@retroCombs i was thinking more along the lines of a bluetooth keyboard and joystick. That would be awesome.
@@androxilogin Yes and with something like this form-factor (amzn.to/3uTHv6s) #ad. I'm not sure what the technical difficulty is using a Pi W, but with Raspi 4's hard to find, it is a shame this is not an option. Now there is BMC (accentual.com/bmc64/) which has an option for the Pi W. This is on my list of videos to produce (not enough time in the day).
@@retroCombs nice! Bookmarked.
This may not be the place but I need some help. I am running Retro Pi with a generic xbox-pad. It works and I have no issues. I am now also creating a combian64 to just have as a standalone Commodore 64. I can not get the gamepad to be detected at all. I am not very familiar with commands but when I type 'sudo xboxdrv' it comes up with no controller detected. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
So sorry. I don't have any experience with the Xbox controller. Maybe someone else can assist.
@@retroCombs do you have a recommendation for an awesome controller?
I like a good retro style joystick and I've found two modern USB connector replacements that have become my favorites (affiliate links below):
amzn.to/3JWLD9M
amzn.to/3Op0zks
Hyperkin even sells a model with a 9-pin DIN connector for original 8-bit computers such as Commodore and Atari.
amzn.to/3k9t7AF
All set up as per instruction on my Pi 400, but I'm getting gritty audio on all emulators. What did I miss?
Hmmm...when you say gritty, assume you mean lots of static. Did you by chance review this document: www.stevencombs.com/combianpi400/combian-vice-configuration.pdf
@@retroCombs Audio sounds granulated. Done all the settings as I mentioned, I did notice something strange in that PDF though; A custom resolution has been entered (1920x1080), yet resolution is set to automatic; seems redundant. Anyway, I degress... Since the issue is showing up on all emulators, I'm thinking it's maybe something bad in the raspi-config?
@@LektroiD Are you running audio through 3.5mm or HDMI and is that selected in raspi-config?
@@retroCombs RasPi 400 has no 3.5mm, so HDMI. However, I managed to sort it by turning off Double Size, Double Scan and Full screen in video size settings, also reduced the audio bitrate down to 22kHz. It's not perfect, but near enough. That said, it was more a bit of fun setting up as it's probably not something I'd use per say as I have around 15 actual Commodore machines (don't ask why lol).
@@LektroiD That's correct! I'd forgotten about that but sounds like you worked it and thanks for sharing here. Not sure why I didn't experience the same issue.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the comment, kind words, and for watching.
RE: The GPIO port looking like a C64 cartridge port? I can tell you that it would be awesome if you could use that to send interrupts and other messages to the VICE emulator to facilitate the functionality of super snapshot or similar carts which trigger the interrupt line. Not only would this facilitate game cheats but also assembly language development. Check out the 8-Bit show and Tell guy's youtube channel and what he does.
Love Robin's channel and your suggestion. Hmmm. 🤔
Does anyone know how to get into the raspberry pi config menu?
All the instructions on the companion blog post: www.stevencombs.com/combianpi400-1#configure-combian-64
I am wondering what is the difference between Combian 64 vs. BMC64 for the Raspi 400 ...
Great question. Combian is VICE running on a trimmed down version of Linux. Bare Metal Commodore 64, or BMC64, Is still VICE but doesn't have the Linux overhead so it runs and boots faster. BMC64 is on my radar for a future video.
@@retroCombs I was planning to use the Pi400 for a Commodore emulator but at the end I preferred my old Pi3 with the BMC + two joystick connectors to the GPIO. Too bad BMC64 is not compatible with the Pi400 :(
It's not? I thought they now had a version. I'll have to research. Might be another video there.
@@retroCombs I also had in mind (after I wrote my comment above) that there's no BMC64 for the newest Raspi 4 / 400. ...unless they made an update meanwhile...
@@MiccaPhone I'm gonna check it out. Could be a really cool project.
Anyone know why the latest version of combian isn't opening into c64 like all the documentation and videos say it will. I get the Combian splash screen, then I'm in shell with some version notes about the project at the top of the screen. If I type menu it shows the splash screen again, then returns to a prompt. This is on a Raspberry Pi 4 model B.
Sounds like a bad install or a corrupt script. Assume you have the latest version?
OK, sorry for asking a dumb question. I am RPI noob, I bought RPI 400 for PiAmiga just a couple of days ago. So, please, could you explain to me why I need PI 4, couldn't all this be done on a PI 400? Again, sorry for a noob question...
It can now. Originally, Combian didn't support some of the RPi 400 hardware and would not boot. An update fixes this issue.
@@retroCombs Thank you so very much! I'm gonna burn the C64 SD card along PiAmiga.
I have subscribed to your chanell and am looking forward to more content!
Does the SD card have to be FAT32? Sorry if you mentioned this in the video and I missed it.
When you burn the Combian image, it formats the drive for you.
@@retroCombs Thanks a lot 😊
👍🏻
Combian now states: "Works on Raspberry Pi 400"
Install it first on a PI4 is no longer needed?
Finally! Thanks for letting us know. That will make this project plug and play now.
Is it possible to attach two usb joysticks to the combian 64 to support simultaneous 2-player-games like pitstop II, Tennis, Pong, Kung Fu etc.? I am asking because all Videos that I see only show one joystick that can be selected in emulator's menu to be mapped to port 1 or 2.
Great question and something I've not tried. If I get some time, I'll give it a go. Maybe others can help. I know you can assign one port to a USB joystick and the other joystick port emulated with the keyboard but never tried two USB joysticks. 🤔🕹️🎮
Silly question, I know, but presumably, you can just use the emulator on a Rapi 4, as is, once you've updated and upgraded?
You can! And not a silly question.
Where can I get printable keyboard stickers for Raspberry Pi 400 to use Combian64? (I have a "QWERTZ" Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard in Hungarian.)
In the U.S. I get them here: amzn.to/3ApprDF
@@retroCombs Thank you very much. I also found this, but they do not deliver to Hungary.
In the end, I have to make the printable version myself. :)
Once it's done, I'll share it with you.
I look forward to seeing your design!
Very well :-) thank you!
Glad you enjoyed.
Why did you put the commodore key logo over the control key instead of the Raspberry logo where it would normally go?
Because the CTRL key is the keybinding for the C= key in VICE. I could change it in VICE; however, I like to keep it consistent since I move back and forth between the Combian pi/400 and VICE on my Mac. Great question!
@@retroCombs I love that you had the same idea I had -- "how do I make it look more C64-ish?" I am going to explore that myself and it may come in the form of PAINT on the case and keyboard along with clear stickers (white letters on brown painted keys) finished with a hard clear coat.
I'm starting to think vinyl stickers for ALL things but I would much prefer white printing on transparent stickers in general.
I saw where someone was using Combian on the "400" and that may be the way to go as part of what I want to do is run XC-Basic on the Linux side and inject my compiled code into disk images for the emulator to run.
In any case, I just decided the expression shouldn't be "C64-ish." It should be "Commodorable!"
I too would prefer transparent vinyl stickers on the keyboard but that would mean removing the stamps on the keys. Not sure the best way to do that. Painting would be interesting. If you go down that path, please let me know. I'd love to see how it turns out. You have some great ideas.
I am enjoying Combian on this device. I also love that I can swap out SD cards and put a different OS in the device. "Commodorable!" I love it!
@@retroCombs I have ordered my Pi400 from Adafruit. It will be delivered soon. I will explore various methods of removal of the existing printing on the keys but I may go straight into printing. I feel like I might be able to get away with carefully applied putty to limit where the paint goes. If I could get white printing on transparent vinyl, apply it and then apply hard clear coating, it will probably achieve the look I want.
There have been some updates to the BMC64 load and it no longer says "for Pi 2 or 3" as it relates to the C64 emulation but it still says so for the other versions. And since I don't yet have a Pi400 to test I can't confirm that it's now supported.
I'm amused by those key cap stickers, wonder do they have Amiga ones...
Yep! amzn.to/3m25OZB
Do you have an SD image of your pi400 version for people who don't have access to a pi4 for the upgrade process?
Carmelo has asked that I not share my SD image. Sorry. He's committed to get an update out ASAP. In the meantime, have any close friends who have or have access to Raspberry Pi 4?
I'd also recommend you grab one (amzn.to/2KPZshK)(#ad). I'm sure you'll find uses for another one. I'm already planning other projects with mine.
@@retroCombs Having 2 Pi3s 1 3b+ and now the pi400, I think I would be killed by the wife if I bought another one right now. I have spoken with Carmelo and he's kindly provided the V3, which I'm going to run through my 3b+ to see if I am able to get it to a pi400 working state. If not, I'll stick with my 3b+ and a keyboard until a pi400 version is released. :)
Oh, now I completely understand! 😅
@@retroCombs are you using the 3.2 image thats been updated w/ support for 400?
Per the video and companion blog post, I used the previous version which requires an install on a Raspberry Pi 4 first.
How about making a donation to the VICE tream seeing as they've done all the real work here?
Good point. And while Carmelo has done a great job with Combian, the VICE folks also deserve our support. I'll add that info to the companion blog post. Thanks for the reminder!
I did my research and took a look at the VICE site. "VICE is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version." Given the license, there is no support option.
@@retroCombs The GPL does not forbade donations. Interestingly though, it is Carmelo Maiolino who is in violation of the license as he is taking GPL licensed code and making it available only to those who donate. That's him trying to skirt around the fact that he is selling something he has absolutely no right to sell. He also fails to make the source code publicly available.
It's great that you like Combian and you're giving the author a shout-out but he's an intellectual property thief.
It's tricky to say the least. The GNU license allows for variations. But I see your point. Is the fee for VICE or the service to streamline the Combian 64 distro. More research needed. Good conversation.
@@retroCombs He's doing the same thing with his DOSBIAN 'distro'. He's taking open source software, rebundling it, charging for it, and not providing sources.
It isn't just VICE or DOSBOX. He's using the Linux kernel and all sorts of other open source software in clear violation of the GPL.
I hate to be a grinch but what he's doing is wrong.
Where's the Restore key?
For VICE, the PgUp key serves as the RESTORE key. Hold the Raspberry Pi Key and the Arrow Up. Hope that helps! Sorry for the delay. Just noticed your comment.
The blog post is not available yet... bummer
Hope to have it up today. I'll post a comment in the community. Make sure to subscribe so you get the alert.
@@retroCombs I am waiting too. Thanks!
Steven Combs - I failed to say, very good video. I wanted to try and install Combian64 on a laptop - just don’t know how successful I’ll be.
It's live now!
It's live!
When Combian 3.5 coming out ? 3.2 is a Really Old Vice Emulator
Great question. Carmello (the Combian maintainer) will have to answer that one. Remember, the current Combian version (3.2) number is not tied to the VICE version (3.5). It's likely if he does include VICE 3.5, it might be in Combian version 3.3. That's not confusing at all! 😄
@@retroCombs Oh i see , please forgive my ignorance , I thought the numbers matched Vice's numbers. Thank You
No apologies necessary.
No! It is most definitely not a word.
I'm sorry, SpeccyMan, what's not a word???
"turning off scanlines". Aaaaand press stop and ALT-F4 on this vid...
Sorry you didn't enjoy. I noticed you tried to post this same comment twice. You must have really not liked it! 😂
@@retroCombs 🤣
You`re much to fast. I can`t really follow you.☹
Apologies. Some people like that I don't dwell and move quickly. In later videos I try to find a happy balance. You are the second person to make a similar comment.
@@retroCombs yeah....i thought :"waaaaaaiiiiiiiitttt.....not so fast!" it was way too fast. And you should have given all informations about the setup instead of linking to a homepage. Otherwise it was very interesting
This was early in my video days and there were many recommendations to not linger so I tried to speed this one up. Oh well. And the info is a simple click away. For that I don't apologize. Almost all of my videos have a companion blog post that provides more info. That's a feature! 😂 Thanks for the feedback. Check out some of my newer content and I hope you'll find that I found a balance.
@@retroCombs No problem, you don`t have to apologize. It`s your video and you can do whatever you want :) Sometimes (for me) it's just better to see something than to read. Because in the end, not everything worked for me and i thought I missed something. Had heavy audio stuttering (in more demanding games). No idea if my Pi 400 is somehow different. Even overclocked I was not so happy with the result. I had to let everything at standard (200ms audio buffer and standard resolution) to get a better result. Now it`s >98% fine.
Interesting. Admittedly, I've not used this computer for awhile and I wonder if a later version of Combian has issues. I'm working on a variant that I think will end up being a better solution. Be on the lookout for that one. How's that for a teaser. Again, thanks for the great conversation.