New year release: GEMDOS drive, real-time clock

Happy new year! It has been quite some time without any zeST release, so let’s celebrate this new year with a new release! On the menu: a brand new GEMDOS drive, real-time clock implementation, improvements around network connectivity and joystick/gamepad management and some driver updates.

A new GEMDOS drive

The GEMDOS drive is a new way of implementing a hard disk drive on zeST. It maps the contents of a directory on the local Linux system to a logical disk drive on the Atari.

It makes things easier to transfer files between your PC and the zeST, removing the need to use hard disk image files, as well as allowing the use of a networked drive as the Atari’s disk.

Everything you need to know about it is in the documentation.

The RTC clock

zeST now implements an “equivalent” of the Mega ST’s real time clock.

It actually is a read-only device that allows the Atari to access the Linux system clock. If the clock is set up properly on the Linux side (enabling networking is enough to have the clock correctly set), then your Atari will have the correct date and time.

However, since the Linux system clock is UTC, you’ll have to properly set your time zone in the zeST Tools menu.

Other improvements

  • Additional drivers for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices have been added on the Linux system. This allows zeST to support more of these devices. Also a driver for the Ethernet port of the TE0726 board has been added, so that port is now working.
  • Joystick/game controller management has been reworked. There should be better compatibility with USB and bluetooth devices.
  • Various bug fixes in the full screen GEM resolution driver.

That’s all folks!

Thank you for reading this release report.

As usual, download and installation instructions are available on the getting started page.

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