BBC BASIC for Windows
General >> General Board >> BBC Basic for mac http://bb4w.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&num=1324913852 BBC Basic for mac
Post by MarkLaeven on Dec 26th, 2011, 2:37pm
Hi I'm Mark and I am new to this site.
I have been programming in BBC BASIC for years on my IYONIX computer running RISC OS 5. Although my IYONIX pc runs fine at the moment, I would like to explore the possibilities of migrating to a new operating system. The most important thing is that i can keep programming in BBC BASIC and transfer all my projects that took years to make to my new system. I already have an imac computer, so it would be ideal to transfer all my programs over to that computer. I know that this forum is targeted towards "Windows users" but this was the only forum i could find. I thought the solution was brandy BASIC but I have no idea how to install that on my pc. If anyone can help me that would be great.
With regards,
Mark Laeven
Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by JGHarston on Sep 9th, 2012, 3:27pm
If somebody can provide a simple step-by-step guide to getting a working Mac emulator working on a Windows PC, I could give advice. Last month I spent several hours unsuccessfully trying to get Mac emulation to work on my Windows XP PC.
I deleted the files in frustration, so can't remember what I was trying to install. (After 30 years I've very much grown into the position of "if you go out of your way to /not/ work, then I'm going to hit the nuclear button and scrub you completely from my system"). Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by Ken Down on Jun 14th, 2013, 11:33am
Though in this case, surely, what is required is a Windows emulator on a Mac rather than the other way round?
Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by afarlie on Jun 28th, 2013, 11:44pm
Hi I'm Mark and I am new to this site. <snip> I already have an imac computer, so it would be ideal to transfer all my programs over to that computer. Mark Laeven
Many years there was a BBC BASIC for Classic Mac's (around 1990) or so, but it's very rare now I think.
Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by admin on Jun 29th, 2013, 08:45am
But because it is running in an Apple environment (e.g. Apple file system) this will require assumed much more effort to get everything running smoothly.
No. CrossOver is a customised version of Wine, so whilst the issues of Wine's compatibility with Windows are relevant (and they can certainly affect BB4W) the fact that the host OS is MacOS rather than Linux ought not to result in any additional effort.
In case you didn't realise, CodeWeavers (who market CrossOver) are the leading contributors to Wine:
I checked its behavior and it is in my opinion probably less straight forward than using a Microsoft Windows virtual machine
Please read my message again; it had nothing whatever to do with the use of a virtual machine.
Richard. Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by admin on Jun 30th, 2013, 10:49pm
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Just look at the list of supported programs by CrossOver. Just a handful. BBCBASIC for Windows is not part of that either
The degree of compatibility of BB4W with Wine is well known (it is good, except for one issue involving compiled EXEs with resources stored in a sub-directory). That it is so much better than it used to be is thanks to CodeWeavers!
As far as virtual machines are concerned, of course their compatibility is 'virtually' perfect - because a genuine copy of Windows is being run. But that isn't really running BB4W on a Mac at all: it's running BB4W on Windows on a Virtual PC on a Mac! You can't just launch a BB4W EXE under MacOS in the way CrossOver does. For most people (especially considering the cost involved) it's not a practical option.
Anyway, as far as I know nobody is interested in running BBC BASIC on a Mac (this is a stale thread, started about eighteen months ago).
Richard.
Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by admin on Jul 4th, 2013, 2:45pm
At the moment of this writing as far as I know no such thorough testing of CrossOver with BBCBasic for Windows has been performed.
As you are well aware, BB4W has been tested under Wine, and CrossOver is simply a custom version of Wine tailored to MacOs rather than Linux (which are very similar). So if, as you keep asserting, CrossOver is not an acceptable method of running BB4W on a Mac, presumably you also believe that Wine is not an acceptable method of running BB4W under Linux.
Even if I were to accept that argument, it is equally true that no "thorough testing" of BB4W has taken place under several other Operating System variants, such as Windows 8. Do you therefore believe that nobody should be attempting to use BBC BASIC under Windows 8 until such testing has taken place?
All this just reinforces my opinion that BBC BASIC has no future and that BB4W should be abandoned.
Richard.
Re: BBC Basic for mac
Post by admin on Jul 4th, 2013, 6:14pm
I stated earlier in this thread that "The degree of compatibility of BB4W with Wine is well known (it is good, except for one issue involving compiled EXEs with resources stored in a sub-directory)" so you were already aware of it.
Quote:
Issues should have already been reported then long since, because at least some or even many users have been running BBCBASIC for Windows on Microsoft Windows 8.
But you stated "thorough testing"; there is no way that a user can do that - only I have any chance of doing 'thorough' testing of BB4W, and no such testing has been attempted on Windows 8. In any case I have no evidence that anybody is routinely running BB4W under Windows 8.
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I would always vote for the continuing development of this fantastic computer language.
You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I do not share it.