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SPECCY EMULATORS FOR UNIX/LINUX |
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This page last updated on 14 August 2001
[DOS]
[Windows]
[UNIX/Linux]
[OS/2]
[Mac]
[Archie]
[Amiga]
[Psion 5]
[Windows CE]
[ST/TT]
[Java]
[Playstation]
[Dreamcast]
[QL]
[Other Platforms]
[Benchmarks]
9 emulators listed:
[Fuse]
[SimCoupe]
[SpectEmu]
[Spectrum]
[Unnamed Spectrum Emulator]
[x128]
[xz80]
[xzx]
[XZX-Pro]
[zxsp]
- Emulates the 48K, 128K, +2 and +2A Spectrums.
- Loads from 48K and 128K .SNA snapshots, and from .TAP tape files.
- Saves to .SNA snapshots.
- No real tape support.
- Requires glib and either X or svgalib.
The X version can optionally use GTK+
for a nicer user interface.
- Runs at normal Speccy speed on this PII-233.
- GPL.
- Still not many good points, but significantly better than previous versions.
- No sound except under Linux. Generally lacking features and 'polish'.
- Disclaimer: written by the same person who maintains this FAQ.
- Available from the Fuse Home Page or World of Spectrum.
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- Emulates 48K Spectrum and the SAM Coupé (as you may have guessed
from the name!).
- Spectrum emulation has no loading ability (Coupé can load from
images of SAM disks, or the Linux version from real disks).
- Spectrum emulation has no saving ability (Coupé can save to either
images of SAM disks, or the Linux version to real disks).
- No real tape support.
- Requires X or VGAlib.
- Speed?
- Freeware.
- Good points?
- Bad points?
- The above is a bit unfair, as this is a Coupé emulator first,
and a Spectrum emulator second. Also available for DOS.
- Available from the SimCoupe homepage or World of Spectrum (version 0.72).
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- Emulates 48K Spectrum.
- Loads .Z80 and .SNA snapshots, and from .TAP tapefiles.
- Saves .Z80 and .SNA snapshots.
- Real tape emulation either via emulated I/O ports or .TZX files.
- Requires X11 (also uses MIT-SHM if available) or SVGALIB
for Linux console support. Soundcard for sound emulation.
- Z80 emulation is very fast on intel machines, because it is
written in assembly (on Linux console it uses on average 3%
of a P90 CPU). It is also quite fast on non-Intel machines.
- Copyright under the GNU General Public Licence.
- Good sound emulation (Linux and Sun). Sound with tapefile
loading. Good screen emulation. Border stripes are emulated
correctly, and screen timing sensitive programs look better
than on other emulators (e.g. BC's Quest for Tires). Good keyboard
I/O port emulation (e.g. Gunfright)
- Poor user interface. Does not emulate either 128K or IF1
- Distribution includes a full size picture of the ZX Spectrum
keyboard, and a utility to write .TAP or .TZX files to real tape.
- Available from SpectEmu homepage,
or World of Spectrum (as a
source distribution,
Linux binary or
Solaris binary).
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- Emulates 48K and 128K Spectrums.
- Loads from .SNA and .Z80 snapshots.
- No saving.
- No real tape support.
- Requires Linux and the Allegro WIP.
- Runs at real Speccy speed on this PII-233.
- Freeware.
- Most programs work.
- Display sometimes corrupts briefly.
- Attempts to map PC keys to Speccy equivalents (eg Shift+8 on your PC goes to Symbol Shift+B). Also available for DOS.
- Available from the Unnamed Spectrum Emulator Home Page.
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- Emulates 48K Spectrum.
- Loads .SNA and .Z80 snapshots.
- Saves .SNA snapshots.
- No real tape support.
- Requires X-Windows (X11) and Linux with an 80386 processor (or above)
because the emulation code is written in assembler.
- Apparently runs at full speed on a 486DX2/66.
- Public domain. Author allows modification, just wants to retain his
credit as the original author, and wouldn't say no to a postcard.
- Sound support for Linux via /dev/audio.
- Imperfect emulation; Rhino in Sabre Wulf problems (see the Technical Information
section) and some large BASIC programs don't work. Author doesn't know why.
Poor user interface.
- All messages in French.
- Available from World of Spectrum.
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- Emulates 48K/128K Spectrum, Kempston/Sinclair/Cursor joysticks, Multiface 128.
- Loads .SNA, .Z80 and .SLT snapshots, and from Z80's .TAP tape files.
- Saves .Z80 and .SLT snapshots.
- Real tape support via .VOC files.
- Requires X-Windows (X11). MIT-SHM extension also a very good idea.
- Rather slow; about 25-35% of real Spectrum speed on a 486SX/25 Linux box.
- Freeware.
- Hi-res emulation of screen and left & right border allowing colours
in an 8x1 block (rainbowing). Has a nice file selector and Z80-like
user interface.
- Some changeable options require re-compilation, and the Multiface 128 ROM
is not included due to copyright problems.
- Also available for Amiga,
DOS, OS/2
and OS/2 XFree86.
- Available from the x128 homepage or World of Spectrum.
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- Emulates 48K Spectrum and ZX Printer (via .XBM image files!).
- Loads .SNA and .Z80 snapshots with level-loader support, tape files
from disk or from Z80's .TAP files.
- Saves .SNA snapshots and tape files to disk or to Z80's .TAP files.
- Real tape support by direct tape input if your machine is fast enough
(e.g. P150 running Linux works fine) or via an audio file.
- Requires X-Windows (X11) or SVGALib (for Linux console version). MIT-SHM
extension also probably a good idea.
- The Linux console version runs at about 35% real Spectrum speed on
a 486SX/25. True-speed emulation without hogging the CPU on fast
machines.
- GPL.
- Realistic sound output via /dev/audio. Emulates 'stripey border' effect - very important ;-)
- Poor user interface; e.g. no file selector - you have to move to your
terminal window and type in name of snapshots to load/save.
- Version 0.1d is the most recent 'complete' version available; 0.1e only available as source code.
- Available from author's homepage or World of Spectrum (version 0.1d).
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- Emulates 48K/128K/+3 Spectrums, Kempston joystick (with keys).
- Loads .SNA and .Z80 snapshots with level-loader support, tape files from
UNIX files.
- Saves .SNA and .Z80 snapshots, tape files to UNIX files.
- No real tape support.
- Requires X-Windows (X11). Makes heavy use of the MIT-SHM X11 extension,
and works a good deal slower without it.
- Needs approx 486/33 to run at the correct speed (this is from general
impressions, not exact timings). Sparc 10 or DEC Alpha will run it very
fast.
- Freeware.
- Sound support for Sparc and NEC EWS workstations via /dev/audio.
Sound support for Linux via direct speaker manipulation. X server bell
audio for most X servers (traps ROM BEEP routine only).
- Poor user interface; e.g. no file selector - you have to move to your
terminal window and type in name of snapshots to load/save.
- Author has resurfaced from the cold wastes of a job without internet access, but
is no longer maintaining or updating xzx. See Erik's modified version, below.
- Available from NVG
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- Emulates 48/128/+2/+3, Pentagon and Scorpion (Russian Spectrum
clones) and Didaktik-M (Czech clone) with Multiface 128, Multiface 3,
Interface 1 and Microdrive, Kempston Joystick, Betadisk/TR-DOS, +D and
Kempston Mouse (in Russian modes).
- Loads .SNA, .Z80, .SLT (LLT also) snapshots, from .TAP, .TZX and
.VOC tape files, .MDR microdrive files, Hobeta, .DSK, .FDI, .IMG,
.MGT, .SCL, and .TRD disk images and .POK poke files.
- Saves to .SNA, .Z80, .SLT, .TAP, .MDR, .DSK, .IMG, .MGT and .TRD files.
- No real tape support.
- Requires X11 and Motif; /dev/audio needed if you want AY emulation other
than on SunOS/Solaris, AIX, HP-UX and NAS which have native support;
uses the Open Sound System to give sound support on a large number
of platforms (including Linux).
- Runs at full Speccy speed on a P100 with a 8bpp X server.
- Shareware: registered version has more features.
- By far and away the best emulator for Unix, and one of the best
emulators available for any platform. Speccy joystick can take input
from your joystick under Linux and FreeBSD.
- Some changeable options require re-compilation.
- More information from the official XZX home page.
Pentagon, Scorpion, Multiface 3, Multiface 128 and TR-DOS ROMs are not
included due to copyright problems. Shareware version has no support
for +D or disks under TR-DOS, but the rest of TR-DOS does
function. Version 2.1.3 also available for Windows,
and version 2.0.4 for BeOS.
- Source code, pre-compiled binaries and RPM-packages are available
from the official XZX homepage;
Source code (including the rom images)
and contrib file are also
available from World of Spectrum.
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- Emulates the 16K, 48K and 128K Spectrums.
- Loads .SNA and .Z80 snapshots, and from .TAP tape images (Qt version only).
- Saves to .SNA and .Z80 snapshots, .TAP tape images (again, Qt only) and to .SCR screen shots.
- No real tape support.
- Correct Speccy speed on a 486/133 or better.
- Comes in two versions, both for Linux with X11; zxsp requires the Qt library and is available only for i386 machines, whereas zxsp-x is free from these restrictions. Both need OSS for sound.
- BSD-ish license.
- Good points?
- Bad points?
- No other comments.
- Available from the author's Spectrum pages.
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This FAQ is maintained by the Cabal;
distribution is permitted only under the conditions specified in the
copyright notice.
Primary site
for this FAQ: http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~pak21/cssfaq/index.html.