RTM/Z80 is a multitasking kernel, built for Z80 based computers, written in Z80 assembly language, providing its users with an Application Programming Interface (API) accessible from programs written in the C language and the Z80 assembly language.
It is intended to be a simple and easy to use learning tool, for those who want to understand the tips and tricks of the multitasking software systems.
This is certainly not the only hobby operating system for Z80-based computers, but the more the merrier.
That’s really neat! I don’t see much on the github page or online, so I assume this is a command line only OS.
About one year ago I started making a Game Boy game in assembly language. I hadn’t used assembly since college, but I remember liking it, and it has been a LOT of fun getting back into it! I don’t know much about processors, but from what I understand the Game Boy has a modified subset of a Z80 processor that this project is written for.
It’s hard for me to put into words, but doing assembly language programming for a processor with so few instructions really makes me feel close to the hardware, and has been a really enjoyable experience so far. It’s a special challenge knowing that every instruction, every cycle, and every byte counts!
I know it’s a different processor but, on one of the retro game development forums people were recently discussing programming modern games for MS-DOS, which for whatever reason never registered in my brain as a “retro system” before that. People talk about programming for the NES or Commodore 64 but not so much for DOS. It brought back good memories of when I was trying to make a DOS game in the late 90s. Good old “mode 13h”.
drcouzelis,
Yes, it was the easiest to use thanks to 1byte = 1pixel and it fit into a single 16bit segment without having to use bitmasks or swap planes. There was also a non-standard “Mode-X” that increased resolution 320×240 as I recall that also fixed the aspect ratio. Super vga modes were a big improvement both visually while still being fast & easy to program assuming you could use 32bit modes with the appropriate VESA VGA extensions.
Alas, these advances mostly came when developers were moving away from DOS, so a lot of DOS software doesn’t use it. Still, DOS providing extremely extremely valuable programming experience for learning & practicing low level development: direct hardware access, interrupts, memory management, TSRs, etc. Modern development has become extremely abstracted. Many developers today may be glad they don’t have to do low level development, I kind of miss it sometimes.