Getting Started with XRoar: Install, Configure, and Run Classic Software

Getting Started with XRoar: Install, Configure, and Run Classic Software

What XRoar is

XRoar is an open-source emulator for Dragon and Tandy/CoCo (Color Computer) systems that reproduces the hardware and behavior of those 8-bit machines, letting you run classic disks, tapes, cartridges, and software on modern platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux).

Platforms and downloads

• Windows: Use prebuilt binaries from the official XRoar site or package repositories (MSYS/Mingw builds or Windows ports).
• macOS: Homebrew provides xroar (brew install xroar) or use a compiled binary.
• Linux: Available in many distributions’ repositories (apt, dnf, etc.) or compile from source.

Installation (defaults assumed)

1. Windows: download the ZIP, extract, and place xroar.exe in a folder. Optionally add that folder to PATH.
2. macOS (Homebrew): brew install xroar.
3. Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): sudo apt install xroar (or build from source: clone repo, ./configure, make, sudo make install).

Required ROMs and BIOS

• XRoar requires system ROM images (e.g., Dragon or CoCo ROMs). These are not distributed with the emulator due to copyright. Obtain ROMs legally from your own hardware dumps or licensed sources and place them in XRoar’s ROM directory (or specify path with command-line options).

Basic configuration

• Configuration file: xroar.cfg in the same folder or in user config directory; command-line flags override settings.
• Important config entries:
  • machine — set to dragon32, dragon64, coco, etc.
  • rompath — directory for ROM files.
  • video — choose video driver (SDL is common).
  • sound — enable/disable audio device.
  • disk/tape paths — default media directories.

Example minimal xroar.cfg:

Code
Copy CodeCopied
machine dragon32 rompath /home/user/xroar/roms video sdl sound on 

Running XRoar

• GUI/CLI: Run xroar or xroar –config /path/to/xroar.cfg.
• To load a disk image: xroar -disk1 /path/to/disk.dsk
• To load a tape image: xroar -cass /path/to/tape.cas
• To load a cartridge: use the emulator menu or -cartridge /path/to/cart.rom.

Saving, snapshots, and state

• Use Save State / Load State (usually via menu or hotkeys) to snapshot the machine. Common hotkeys: F5 (save), F7 (load) — check your build’s keymap.
• Disk/Tape images are read from files; write operations may modify image files unless using read-only flags.

Controls and input

• Keyboard emulates original machine keys; map host keys if needed in the config.
• Joystick/gamepad support via SDL; configure joystick in settings.

Common troubleshooting

• “No ROM found” — ensure ROM filenames and rompath are correct.
• Poor audio/video — try different video drivers (SDL/opengl) or disable vsync.
• Controller not recognized — ensure SDL joystick driver is available and mapped.

Useful tips

• Keep separate folders for ROMs, disks, and tapes.
• Use legally obtained ROMs only.
• Check the XRoar README and help (xroar –help) for build-specific options and hotkeys.
• Look for frontend GUIs or scripts if you prefer a graphical launcher for media.

Resources

• XRoar official site and repository for downloads and source.
• Dragon/CoCo user communities for ROMs, disk/tape archives, and configuration examples.

If you want, I can provide an example xroar.cfg for a specific OS, exact command lines to run a particular disk image, or a short hotkey cheat-sheet—tell me which.