Welcome to x48 - 0.5.0 alpha/beta (GTK+ revision) !!!


Authors:	Eddie C. Dost (edc@dressler.de)			original	
		Iņigo Serna Robledo (imaseroi@bi.ehu.es)	current

Tuesday, June 30th. 1998



1. INTRODUCTION
   ------------    
    
    This is a new release of 'x48', *THE* HP48 S(x)/G(x) emulator for
X Window Systems. It is based in the last version released by Eddie C.
Dost (the original author of the program), 0.4.0.
Of course, this package is under GPL Copyright, read COPYING file for
more information about it.

NOTE:	This current release is under development by now, consider it a	
	beta version (or even alpha), so don't expect total performance
	of it. I repeat, this is mainly for developers, the program needs
	a bit of work to be ready for the simple user.
	Of course, there is *NO WARRANTY* of any kind, use this program
	and sources at your own risk.


2. INSTALLATION
   ------------

    This version is based on Gtk+ library, so you need it to compile the
program. VERY IMPORTANT: get version 1.0.0 as minimum.
You can find Gtk+ in ftp://ftp.gimp.org/gtk or in any mirror.

    The configuration, compilation and installation is very easy, but first
you have to copy the HP48 S(x) and G(x) rom files in 'data' directory with
the names 'rom.48s' and 'rom.48g' (if you don't have them, read doc/README).
Then just type in the root directory of the package:

	./configure
	make
	make install

and to run emulator:

	x48-0.5.0
or
	x48-0.5.0 -initialize

the first time you execute this version of the emulator.

If you want help type:
	
	 x48-0.5.0 -help

NOTE:	you can get help about the configuration process (such as the
	directory in which install x48) typing './configure --help'
	prior to compilation ('make' step). Default is '/usr/local'.


3. DIFFERENCES WITH v0.4.0
   -----------------------
   
   * Uses Gtk+ library, so it has new look and feel
   * New data directories hierarchy
   * Some addings: load/save objects, new args and configuration file ...
   * Some losses (just by now): debugger, ...

NOTE:	Parts of the new included code has been adapted from Sebastien
	Carlier's Emu48. The Hp48's bitmaps are also taken from there
	and, if I remenber good, were made by Casey Patterson; they
	have been edited with 'Gimp' for x48.


4. BUGS OR SIMILAR
   ---------------
   
   * The emulation isn't as good as in previous version
   * Comms don't work
   * By now, just LINUX supported in the configuration/installation
   * 'x48 -sx -initialize' doesn't work if no '~/.x48/hp48.48s' file
     is present. Can somebody find the bug?
   * Load and Save object don't work always, surely due to the emulator
     is executing an interrupt when the action is invoked (this has
     been partially fixed, but, as it seems, not totally)
   * Gtk+'s Toolbar doesn't work because the main loop doesn't use
     'gtk_main()', so a 'self-made' one was used by the moment until
     a better solution be find (maybe with threads ...)


5. TODO LIST
   ---------
   
   * Correct bugs
   * Fine emulation
   * Threads to speed-up emulation
   * Support for internationalization
   * Graphical debugger
   * Better documentation: HTML, PS and TXT formats


6. LAST WORDS
   ----------
   
   I coded this on three weeks in March and April 1998, but then I left it.
Today, June 30th, I have just adapted the code to support 'configure' and a
better installation (until yesterday 2 or 3 shell variables were needed
to reach rom and pixmaps files !) to avoid people to get mad trying to
compile continuosly without success.

    I have no much interest in continuing this (yes, I'm very lazy ;-), but
perhaps I do continue a bit of time this summer to correct the known bugs
(such as that which makes sometimes crashes the program when loading an
object). I think the best way to improve x48 is by a team of 3 or 4 persons
who continue this work, so ... do you want to be one of them?


    Any question / remark / bug fix / ... to next email address:

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