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MEGA65 / open-roms

A project to create unencumbered open-source ROMs for use on selected retro computers
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Create a build config to mix original BASIC v2 ROM with open kernal? #73

Closed ssuukk closed 1 year ago

ssuukk commented 1 year ago

Implementing the whole BASIC might still take some time. Would it be possible to create a build config that would instead build only the kernal and glue the smaller part to existing BASIC v2 ROM?

FeralChild64 commented 1 year ago

You can already make such ROMs for Commodore 64 and Ultimate 64, try make test_hybrid or make test_hybrid_u64. But you won’t be able to legally distribute such ROMs due to licensing issues (Kernal actually contains some portions of BASIC). You will lose some features, though, like the DOS Wedge.

For MEGA65 native build, such a ROM is IMHO a bad idea - you really want the GO64 command to work :) Also, the only challenging part of BASIC 2.0 left to implement is a floating point library (it’s partially done):

Commands and functions themselves are typically easy to implement.

ssuukk commented 1 year ago

OK, honestly I don't give a duck about legally distributing and so on. I'd be more than happy to copy paste original ROM code to fill in the gaps. Is there any piece of documentation how to do it in a least painful way?

gcasa commented 1 year ago

OK, honestly I don't give a duck about legally distributing and so on. I'd be more than happy to copy paste original ROM code to fill in the gaps. Is there any piece of documentation how to do it in a least painful way?

Sorry if I am interfering in this conversation but I feel obliged to say that you should give a "duck" because when all is said and done, it's better to have a completely free (legally) ROM than it is to have a legally compromised one.

ssuukk commented 1 year ago

Well, even if you reported me to copyright police, I still doubt they would care that in the cooolnes of my home I infriged a copyright (that nobody cares about) of a 50-year ROM (than nobody cares about). So, no. It isn't better, just goofier.

gcasa commented 1 year ago

Well, even if you reported me to copyright police, I still doubt they would care that in the cooolnes of my home I infriged a copyright (that nobody cares about) of a 50-year ROM (than nobody cares about). So, no. It isn't better, just goofier.

I have no intention of reporting you, don't be silly. You'll find that, when it comes to such things there is always SOMEONE who does care. Generally, you don't have much to worry about... you're right. But it is always better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.

All of that being said it is likely okay to consider the original ROM as "inspiration". :) In the spirit of what Franklin did with the Apple ROM. In the long run it's the better way to go.

For instance, I am the lead of a project known as GNUstep which is an implementation of the Cocoa (macOS) APIs. At one point a dev on my team copied a few headers DIRECTLY. While you could make the argument that "no one would care" that falls pretty flat when someone takes you to court over it which is a risk if you copy.

I handled the situation by removing and rewriting the header. It wasn't hard. If you have any talent as a developer it should be easy to rewrite it rather than copy it.

At any rate. Up to you. But, like I said, better safe than sorry.

gcasa commented 1 year ago

Well, even if you reported me to copyright police, I still doubt they would care that in the cooolnes of my home I infriged a copyright (that nobody cares about) of a 50-year ROM (than nobody cares about). So, no. It isn't better, just goofier.

Oh and it is MUCH goofier to infringe someone else's work and dismiss it as not being important. Much MUCH goofier because you're needlessly risking exposing both yourself and the work done by others to legal repercussions.

ssuukk commented 1 year ago

Don't worry, I'll delete all tracking cookies on my C64 with this naughty ROM. No Commodore lawyer will notice anything!

gcasa commented 1 year ago

Don't worry, I'll delete all tracking cookies on my C64 with this naughty ROM. No Commodore lawyer will notice anything!

Except maybe this thread. Suit yourself. 😂 Whatever

gcasa commented 1 year ago

Don't worry, I'll delete all tracking cookies on my C64 with this naughty ROM. No Commodore lawyer will notice anything!

If you were part of my project I would not allow you to contribute legally questionable code back into the project. Speaking only for myself, of course. But, I'm out. I only intended to make a quick comment and it has become more than that.

Copyright laws are important whether you happen to think they are or not. If you're doing it for yourself that's one thing, have at it... gleefully. If you're contributing it to a public project that is an entirely different affair. But, as I said, not my project... not my concern. In the US I have learned to be more careful about such things. Over and out. GC

FeralChild64 commented 1 year ago

Closing - what @ssuukk wants can't be done due to legal reasons.