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GSSquared v0.9.0

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@jawaidbazyar2 jawaidbazyar2 released this 10 Jul 00:08
v0.9.0
b8cb3ea

GSSquared v0.9.0

I am pleased to announce the release of GSSquared v0.9.0.

GSSquared is an Apple II series computer emulator.

Supported platforms

  • Apple ][
  • Apple ][ Plus
  • Apple //e
  • Apple //e Enhanced
  • Apple //e Enhanced with 65816 CPU and Super Hires Video
  • Apple IIgs ROM 01

Pre-built binaries

  • macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
  • Windows 10+
  • Linux AppImage (should run on many Linux distros; tested on Ubuntu 22)

This release is about making GSSquared yours: build custom machine profiles, edit them in-app, and launch them like first-class systems. It also brings smoother GS/OS mouse tracking, optional CRT post-processing, SecondSight VGA card support, and better high-DPI display handling.

Features

  • Custom system profiles. Define a machine in a .gs2 TOML config — platform, slot cards, storage, video, and more — then load and boot it from System Select. You can also drag/drop a profile, use Open With, or choose Launch Config… from the menu. A2Fusion Settings.txt files are supported too.

  • In-app config editor. Create and edit custom hardware setups without leaving the emulator: name, description, platform, cards in slots, and pre-mounted disks. Use + for a new profile or Edit… for an existing one. On macOS, .gs2 files are recognized as a proper document type in Finder and save/open dialogs.

  • GS/OS mouse tracking. Pointer sync for GS/OS is much more reliable, including correct mapping when the CRT bezel or letterboxing is present, and smarter behavior when the Control Panel or a modal dialog is open.

  • CRT post-processing. Optional GPU-based CRT effects (current MacOS only) for a more authentic look. The shader can be enabled at boot from the CLI, with a clean fallback if the GPU renderer isn't available.

  • SecondSight VGA card. Initial emulation of the SecondSight card for the Apple IIgs, including VGA text mode and 8/16/24-bit graphics.

  • High-DPI / Retina. The OSD and UI scale correctly on high-DPI displays, and fullscreen uses a borderless window instead of exclusive mode, meaning fullscreen engages and disengages faster and with less disruption to other apps.

  • Web build (proof of concept). Early scaffolding to run GSSquared in the browser via Emscripten — not a full product yet, but the foundation is in place.

Accuracy

  • Ensoniq sound chip interrupt handling and register read behavior are closer to real hardware, which should help IIgs audio titles that were misbehaving. Rastan and a number of other games are now working.

  • Cold start / reset now properly resets attached devices (including KeyGloo), so the GS ROM runs its full power-on reset path as expected.

  • Double hi-res and II/II+ video scanner edge cases cleaned up; double-lo-res switch labeling fixed.

Bug Fixes

  • Switching audio output devices no longer leaves you with a runaway audio buffer / reset loop, and SpeakerFX volume is reported correctly, fixing the Apple IIgs bonk sound.

  • KeyGloo mouse sync is more accurate in 320-mode.

  • Concurrent Disk II and IWM drives no longer collide on shared floppy timing events.

  • Fixed a PDBLOCK3 ROM checksum write that could stomp guest memory.

Internals

  • New declarative config system (TOML + Settings.txt) replaces ad-hoc platform setup, with device metadata for which cards can go in which slots.

  • Slot and drive UI is built dynamically from the live config.

  • CRT shader pipeline loads from assets/shaders/ at runtime; display docs updated.

  • Documentation expanded for configs, the config editor, SecondSight, mouse, Emscripten, and more.

Assets 5
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