Description

This bounty aims to build on top of "Port AROS to run on Windows/Cygwin", introducing support for RetroPlatform extensions.

RetroPlatform extensions allow an emulation or other independent environment to work side by side with other environments and benefit from a set of common features such as startup, shutdown, smooth mouse handover, saved state, screen capture, joystick integration, full keyboard mapping, etc.

In practice, this would allow the Windows port of AROS to run smoothly in Amiga Forever. RetroPlatform Extensions are maintained by Cloanto, and the required shared source code files are available under the GPL 2. They can easily be added to an existing project without disturbing stand-alone operation, as already showcased with both WinUAE and VICE. Additional ports are in progress, and more sample code is available.

Cloanto is available to assist with documentation questions, providing a sample RetroPlatform development and testing environment for Windows, and creating the non-AROS Windows side glue code. It is encouraged to ask questions and materials before the bounty is assigned, to avoid later misunderstandings about roles and objectives. If the bounty is assigned and completed in 2009, Cloanto promises to release the required files as a free update to Amiga Forever 2009 users.

Specific requirements for the bounty release:

• Extensions must support the full set of features as already working on WinUAE and VICE, including secondary display and full-screen support, but optionally excluding window scaling ("2X" etc.) Media support should include Windows directories mounted as AROS volumes, so as to make it possible to share files with the host environment. Support for hard disk, CD and floppy disk images would be welcome, but is optional.
• The resulting code ought to be a modern, "well-behaved" application (passing Application Verifier and following the nine requirements outlined in the "Compatible with Windows 7" self-testing guidelines), as is already the case with other RetroPlatform ports and components.
• The final test will include starting the AROS environment in RetroPlatform player 2 or higher (as in Amiga Forever 2009 and higher) on Windows 7 x64, using the Windows mouse and keyboard, opening http://aros.sourceforge.net with the Orygin web browser and visiting a few pages, saving the session, resuming the state, switching from windowed mode to full-screen mode on the secondary display and back by holding down the user-configured escape key, and finally shutting down AROS using the player controls.