need to get started

[peens]

Hey. Can anyone tell me what would be the essentials needed to start coding for the dreamcast? hardware, software, and what i would need to know about doing it? i really want to get started coding, just need to know what i need. thanks.

[ACID]

I think you have to start up by saing what you know. Any C/C++ experience

[Darksaviour69]

if your new to coding fenix would be a good place to start

[peens]

i dont know any C++ but i know how it works, i just dont know any codes or commands. where can i get fenix? will i need a coders cable right away or can i do some basics without?

[OneThirty8]

If you code in C or C++ rather than Fenix, you can do just about everything except debug without a coder's cable. I don't use one, and I just figure out different ways to figure out where crashes occur (draw text to the screen rather than the console, change the color of the screen, stuff like that).

The only hardware you need is a computer with a CD burner and a Dreamcast. For software, you need GCC, binutils, Newlib, and KOS. If you're a Windows user, use fackue's DCDev ISO. It should get you set up with a Cygwin environment, all the compilers you need, as well as a fairly recent KOS snapshot. If you'd rather develop under Linux, it's really not that hard to get set up. There are instructions on the KOS website--I believe the url is http://cadcdev.sourceforge.net

I not at all familiar with Fenix, but I doubt that a coder's cable would be incredibly useful. Isn't it an interpreted language? You could just test your code on one of the other platforms supported by Fenix.

[Darksaviour69]

http://atari.vg-network.com/dcfenix.html

for fenix info

[Christuserloeser]

http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/index.php/Main/Scene#Development

[peens]

which is more versatile and user friendly? C/C++ , or fenix? or would they both just have their fair share of ups and downs?

[hiplikebadass]

learn c if anything. it'll be easier than gradually go to c++ otherwise your code will be crap. personally i recommend you stick with c unless your willing to devote alot of time at this. use the dcdeviso.

[quzar]

http://consolevision.com/?Dreamcast:Development:Under_Windows

[peens]

learn c if anything. it'll be easier than gradually go to c++ otherwise your code will be crap. personally i recommend you stick with c unless your willing to devote alot of time at this. use the dcdeviso.

but i am willing to spend some fair amount of time on it, so i mays well just go for the C++.. who knows.
i just wanna the basics, and hopefully work my way up to some bigger things. i would like to go to school for it later on as well.

[peens]

also if i were to hook a DC up to my computer, what all would i need? vga box and coder cable? or just the coder cable?

[quzar]

all you need to hook it up to a computer is a coder's cable or BBA. for video output though, you need either a tv or a monitor and vga box.

[peens]

if i am correct a coder cable lets you play try your programs while still on the computer correct? of do you still need to burn them..

better yet..what exactly does a coder cable let you do?

[Darksaviour69]

yeah you can send stuff over coders cables,the same way you can with a bba, but its very slow.

for coding for the dc

BBA>Coderscables>CDRs multi session

[SiZiOUS]

yeah you can send stuff over coders cables,the same way you can with a bba, but its very slow.

for coding for the dc

BBA>Coderscables>CDRs multi session
You can use the Chankast emulator too ... before buying your coders cable :D

[peens]

i was gonna try to use chankast once... but there was a lot of stuff i had to download to use it, and it seemed quite complex......uggh i have a lot to learn...

[SiZiOUS]

i was gonna try to use chankast once... but there was a lot of stuff i had to download to use it, and it seemed quite complex......uggh i have a lot to learn... All you need is to download (ftp://download.emunova.net/emulateurs/ChankastAlpha025.rar) the Chankast emulator.

You need the Dreamcast BIOS too (but don't ask for it here, you must find it yourself).

After doing that, use the following command:

Run an unscrambled bin :
chankast.exe -file:binary.bin

Starting the emu directly :
chankast.exe -file:binary.bin -nogui

Starting the emu directly and use an iso image :
chankast.exe -file:binary.bin -iso:image.iso -nogui

Good luck ;)

[peens]

thanks very much... any reason why it cant be said here? like illegal, or against forum rules?

EDIT: i have chankastalpha02a, i forgot i still had it. is it any different from the one you linked? the link didnt work for me by the way.

[Darksaviour69]

yes, its illegal to distribute the bios, but its legal to get the bios of the dreamcast that you own.

[SiZiOUS]

thanks very much... any reason why it cant be said here? like illegal, or against forum rules?

EDIT: i have chankastalpha02a, i forgot i still had it. is it any different from the one you linked? the link didnt work for me by the way. The version i posted is the last, the 0.25 (the project seems to be dead, nullDC, the sucessor is still in developpement). The link doesn't work ? Ok then I uploaded it here (http://sbibuilder.free.fr/explorer/.dirsys/list.php?0=dev&1=chankast).

For the BIOS, it's because the BIOS is copyrighted by SEGA as DS69 said.

[peens]

what is all the stuff about daemon tools and the virtual drive? thats only to play adreamcast game correct? or do i still need a virtual drive for homebrew and apps?

also is it possible to get the BIOS of my own DC? thanks very much, sorry for the annoying questions

[JKKDARK]

1_ Daemon Tools is a program. It is a virtual drive, where you mount your images (iso's, nrg's, cdi's..).
I don't recommend homebrew on chankast, it doesn't run.

2_ Yes, it is in your Dreamcast. There is not other way.

[SiZiOUS]

I don't recommend homebrew on chankast, it doesn't run. It can. Not really good because the Chankast Team had developped this application based on commercial games, that why i said you can use Chankast before buying your Coders Cable ;)


what is all the stuff about daemon tools and the virtual drive? thats only to play adreamcast game correct? or do i still need a virtual drive for homebrew and apps? For homebrews the way to run them is here (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=241706&postcount=18). ^^


also is it possible to get the BIOS of my own DC? thanks very much, sorry for the annoying questions Yup, all you need is a Coders Cable. Then use it with DC-TOOL (and DC-LOAD) and enter following commands :

Dump BIOS : dc-tool -d dc_bios.bin -a 0x0 -s 0x200000
Dump Flash : dc-tool -d dc_flash.bin -a 0x300000 -s 0x20000

The size of the dc_bios.bin is exactly 0x200000 bytes long, so 2 097 152 bytes (~2MB), and the dc_flash.bin is exactly 0x20000 bytes, 131 072 bytes (~128KB).

PS : DC-TOOL and DC-LOAD are programs to use with coders cable. DC-TOOL is the PC program and DC-LOAD, the Dreamcast program, you must burn it on a selfboot CD-ROM. Also, I made a GUI for DC-TOOL called DC-TOOL GUI (http://sbibuilder.dc-france.com/index.php?mod=archives&ac=cat&id=DC-TOOL+GUI) (very original isn't it ? :D). You can dump your BIOS/FLASH with the 2.0 version, the 3.0 b1 has this feature removed at this time.

You can find both original commands line programs on the official site (http://adk.napalm-x.com/dc/dcload-serial/).

[I_Highway]

Oh, finally I learned what are DC-TOOL and DC-LOAD!!! Thank you very much, SiZious!

And peens, continue on asking, they are getting more and more easy to understand!

[ßüboni¢ $oñic]

if i may ask this question why was the coder's cable ever made anyway by sega and how can a bba be used to get a game image or w/e? never got it or its point.

[quzar]

if i may ask this question why was the coder's cable ever made anyway by sega and how can a bba be used to get a game image or w/e? never got it or its point.

Sega didn't make the coder's cable. We can't discuss how to rip games.

[peens]

ok so i downloaded some BIOS that i found over the internet, and i have no idea what to do with them. i got the emulator to work though, i posted another thread about how it doesnt run proplerly in the help forum , lol. also does anyone know where i can get a coders cable? i was going to get one from lik-sang.com, but they just recently shut down and i dont know of many other sites.
haha the more questions i ask the more confused i get :S