Install and run CommodoreOS in qemu

[jhonnaker]

You can install CommodoreOS in qemu. VirtualBox and VMWare won't work for me since I use a ARM64 MacBook Pro. Here is the command:

qemu-system-x86_64 -M q35,vmport=off,hpet=off -m 4G -cpu max -accel tcg,thread=multi,tb-size=1024 -global ICH9-LPC.disable_s3=1 -smp cpus=4 -device ide-cd,bus=ide.0,drive=cdrom,bootindex=0 -drive if=none,media=cdrom,id=cdrom,file.filename=CommodoreOS-20231213.iso,file.locking=off,readonly=on -device virtio-blk-pci,drive=hdisk1,bootindex=1 -drive if=none,media=disk,id=hdisk1,file.filename=commodoreos.qcow2,discard=unmap,detect-zeroes=unmap -rtc base=localtime -device ac97 -net nic,model=virtio-net-pci -net user -device cirrus-vga

Takes several hours to install

After install, you can remove the CDROM stuff:

qemu-system-x86_64 -M q35,vmport=off,hpet=off -m 4G -cpu max -accel tcg,thread=multi,tb-size=1024 -global ICH9-LPC.disable_s3=1 -smp cpus=4 -device virtio-blk-pci,drive=hdisk1,bootindex=1 -drive if=none,media=disk,id=hdisk1,file.filename=commodoreos.qcow2,discard=unmap,detect-zeroes=unmap -rtc base=localtime -device ac97 -net nic,model=virtio-net-pci -net user -device cirrus-vga

If you happen to have a host system with an Intel processor, you can use -accel kvm instead of tcg to use virtualization and run faster.

Have Fun!

[LeoNigro]

Thanks for that....

It would be doing this through intel emulation.

What's the performance like?
Do you get the Compiz graphics?

MacOS is kinda nice. I'm flattered you would want to run Commodore OS on it, but it would be at a severe disadvantage given the emulation.
I'm not sure how well supported Linux is even supported on M chips to even make it possible to port Commodore OS some time in the future.
Certainly a Pi ARM64 port is the next priority after COS3.0 release, and I really, really would like a Raspberry Pi 5 based C64x in the future. Even a super low cost pi zero 2 based one would be interesting.

It's a pity we never quite got to the point of releasing a laptop at Commodore USA. After the C64x we were focused on then trying to get AMIGA branded media box and bigger box gaming PCs out, whilst trying to design an original retro futuristic Amiga keyboard computer. After the Amiga mini, we came really close to releasing a beautiful sleek silver or black A1000x(similar to a CDTV) complete with garage keyboard. But ultimately it got caught up in supplier hell and I felt the prototypes weren't good enough at the time to release. I still have a sample in a closet somewhere....I should set it up and post pictures some time.
We didn't have the Commodore license rights to a laptop sadly, but oddly enough, we had the rights to do a Commodore netbook which were all the rage circa 2011. There was one in particular I was keen on OEM branding, that was a lovely beige/gold and had a display you could fold to make it a tablet sorta like the yoga laptops. I thought that tablet mode made it kinda cool, although by today's standards it would be laughably weak and I think it was barely multi-touch back then.