VICE Manual - 2 Invoking the emulators (2024)

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The names of the available emulators are:

  • vsid, the SID player
  • x64, the fast C64 emulator
  • x64sc, the accurate C64 emulator
  • x64dtv, the C64DTV emulator
  • x128, the C128 emulator
  • xvic, the VIC20 emulator
  • xpet, the PET emulator
  • xplus4, the PLUS4 emulator
  • xcbm2, the CBM-II emulator (CRTC models)
  • xcbm5x0, the CBM-II emulator (VIC-II models)
  • xscpu64, the SCPU64 emulator

You can run each of them by simply typing the name from a shell or by configuringyour window manager for example to use them to open disk images.

If you want to look at the log output run them from a terminal window such as xterm or rxvt. For example, you could do

xterm -e x64sc

2.1 Command-line options used during initialization

There are several options you can specify on the command line. Some ofthem are used to specify emulation settings and will be described indetail later (see section 5 Settings and resources for a complete list). Theremaining options are used only to give usage information or toinitialize the emulator in some way:

-help
-?
List all the available command-line options and their meaning.
-version
Show the program name and version.
-features
List all compile time features
-default
Set default resources (see section 5 Settings and resources). This willoverride all the settings specified before, but not the settingsspecified afterwards on the command line.
-config <filename>
Specify config file
-addconfig <filename>
Specify extra config file for loading additional resources. This can be used toadd "patch sets" for various configurations.
-dumpconfig <filename>
Write the complete config into file. Normally only resources that have beenchanged from their default value would be written to the config file, howeverwith this option you can see all resources and their current values.
-settings-node <path>
Activate settings dialog at node <path> after starting the emulator (Gtk3 only).Meant for use during development, the <path> is string pointing to a node in thesettings tree (see src/arch/gtk3/uisettings.c).
-logfile <name>
Specify log file name(LogFileName).
-verbose
Enable verbose log output.
-silent
Disable all log output (except errors).
-no-redirect-streams
Disable stream redirection on Windows. Stream redirection is used on Windowsto reconnect stdin, stdout and stderr to VICE, so options like -help work asone would expect on a sane OS. Stream redirection is disabled when running froman msys2 shell, or when VICE is compiled with --enable-debug.
-seed <value>
Set the random seed (for debugging).
-keybuf <string>
Put the specified string into the keyboard buffer.
-console
Console mode (for music playback, or for running the emulator test programs)
-limitcycles <cycles>
Automatically exit the emulator after a given number of cycles.
-chdir <directory>
Change the working directory.
-autostart <name>
Autostart <name> (see section 2.2 Autostarting programs from the command-line).
-autoload <name>
Attach and autoload tape/disk image <name>
-1 <Name>
Attach <Name> as a tape image file.
-2 <Name>
Attach <Name> as a tape image file for datasette #2 (PET)
-8 <Name>
-9 <Name>
-10 <Name>
-11 <Name>
Attach <Name> as a disk image to device 8, 9, 10 or 11.
-8d1 <Name>
-9d1 <Name>
-10d1 <Name>
-11d1 <Name>
Attach <Name> as a disk image to the second drive of a dual-drive device 8, 9, 10 or 11.
-attach8ro
-attach9ro
-attach10ro
-attach11ro
Attach disk image for drive #8-11 read only(AttachDevice8d0Readonly=1, AttachDevice9d0Readonly=1, AttachDevice10d0Readonly=1, AttachDevice11d0Readonly=1)(all emulators except vsid).
-attach8d1ro
-attach9d1ro
-attach10d1ro
-attach11d1ro
Attach disk image for second drive of a dual-drive #8-11 read only(AttachDevice8d1Readonly=1, AttachDevice9d1Readonly=1, AttachDevice10d1Readonly=1, AttachDevice11d1Readonly=1)(all emulators except vsid).
-attach8rw
-attach9rw
-attach10rw
-attach11rw
Attach disk image for drive #8-11 read write (if possible)(AttachDevice8d0Readonly=0, AttachDevice9d0Readonly=0, AttachDevice10d0Readonly=0, AttachDevice11d0Readonly=0)(all emulators except vsid).
-attach8d1rw
-attach9d1rw
-attach10d1rw
-attach11d1rw
Attach disk image for second drive of a dual-drive #8-11 read write (if possible)(AttachDevice8d1Readonly=0, AttachDevice9d1Readonly=0, AttachDevice10d1Readonly=0, AttachDevice11d1Readonly=0)(all emulators except vsid).
-exitscreenshot <name>
Specify name of a screenshot file that will be written when the emulator exits.(ExitScreenshotName).
-exitscreenshotvicii <name>
Specify name of a screenshot file that will be written when the emulator exits.(ExitScreenshotName1). (x128)

2.2 Autostarting programs from the command-line

It is possible to let the emulator autostart a disk or tape imagefile, by simply specifying its name as the last argument on thecommand line, for example

x64sc lovelygame.d64

will start the C64 emulator, attaching `lovelygame.d64' as adisk image and running the first program on it. You can also specifythe name of the program on the fisk image by appending a colon(`:') the name itself to the argument; for example

x64sc "lovelygame.d64:run me"

will run the program named `run me' on `lovelygame.d64'instead of the first one.

Using the command-line option -autostart is equivalent; so the sameresult can be obtained with

x64sc -autostart "lovelygame.d64:run me"

Note that if you specify a raw CBM or P00 file, the emulator will load the file,and after doing so revert all settings to what they were before autostarting.

If you want to allow the started program to access the host file system, you willhave to enable "virtual device traps". If you want the autostart logic to disabletrue drive emulation temporarily to speed up the autostart, then enable "handleTDE at autostart.

See section 4.5 Using disk and tape images. for more information about images andautostart.

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VICE Manual - 2  Invoking the emulators (2024)

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