# AmiMasterGearCLI RC4
Command-line adaptation of AmiMasterGear 0.81
Original emulator by Juan Antonio Gomez Galvez
CLI adaptation by C.R.A.N.E (TecniMan)
Contact: amigacrane@gmail.com
## ABOUT
AmiMasterGearCLI is an unofficial command-line adaptation of
AmiMasterGear, the Sega Master System and Game Gear emulator for
AGA Amigas originally designed and programmed by Juan Antonio
Gomez Galvez.
This version is based on the publicly released AmiMasterGear 0.81
assembly source.
The goal of AmiMasterGearCLI is not to replace or redesign the
original emulator. The original emulation core has intentionally been
kept as close as possible to AmiMasterGear 0.81.
The main purpose of this adaptation is to remove the original graphical
frontend and make AmiMasterGear easier to launch from AmigaDOS, scripts,
frontends and WHDLoad environments.
## REQUIREMENTS
* Amiga with AGA chipset
* 68020 or better
* AmigaOS 3.x environment
* Sufficient memory for the selected ROM
## INSTALLATION
Copy:
AmiMasterGearCLI
wherever you want on your Amiga.
Optionally copy:
AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs
to:
S:AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs
and edit it with any text editor.
## USAGE
Basic usage:
AmiMasterGearCLI <ROM>
Example:
AmiMasterGearCLI DH1:ROMs/SMS/Sonic.sms
AmiMasterGearCLI can also use command-line options to override
preferences.
Examples:
AmiMasterGearCLI Sonic.sms JOY1=AMIGA
AmiMasterGearCLI Sonic.sms VIDEO=NTSC REGION=JP
AmiMasterGearCLI Sonic.sms WHDLOAD
## EXIT AND PAUSE KEYS
RC4 adds configurable pause and exit keys.
They can be defined in AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs:
PAUSEKEY=P
EXITKEY=F10
Supported configurable keys include:
DEL
P
F1-F10
ESC
HELP
SPACE
ENTER
RAWxx
RAWxx can be used to specify an Amiga raw key code directly.
The original AmiMasterGear exit keys remain available as safety exits:
ESC
HELP
This means AmiMasterGearCLI can now provide its own configurable
QuitKey without requiring WHDLoad.
For example:
PAUSEKEY=P
EXITKEY=F10
WHDLOAD=NO
allows P to act as the Master System Pause button and F10 to exit
directly back to AmigaDOS.
## PREFERENCES
AmiMasterGearCLI does not use the original binary AmiMasterGear.prefs
file.
Instead it uses a simple human-readable text file:
S:AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs
Example:
TYPE=AUTO
VIDEO=PAL
REGION=EU
VLINES=289
JOY1=AMIGA
JOY2=OFF
SWAP=NO
SPEED=REAL
GFX=1
SPR=1
BORDER=BLACK
SHOWFPS=NO
LOADBAT=YES
SAVEBAT=YES
RTSCROLL=YES
RTPALETTE=NO
PAUSEKEY=P
EXITKEY=F10
WHDLOAD=NO
The supplied AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs can be used as a starting
point.
Command-line options override values from the preferences file.
## MAIN CHANGES FROM AMIMASTERGEAR 0.81
* Command-line-only launcher.
* Direct ROM loading from AmigaDOS.
* Original GadTools graphical frontend removed from the runtime build.
* No frontend dependency on GadTools, Intuition or ASL.
* New human-readable AmiMasterGearCLI.prefs text configuration.
* Configurable Master System Pause key through PAUSEKEY.
* Configurable emulator exit key through EXITKEY.
* Pause/NMI handling corrected so the Master System Pause input works
independently of VDP interrupt state.
* Duplicate NMI generation from keyboard/joystick Pause input avoided.
* Optional WHDLoad-friendly interrupt/VBR handling so WHDLoad QuitKey
can remain active.
* Clean return to the AmigaDOS shell.
* Original Z80, VDP, PSG, AGA/Copper and general emulation architecture
intentionally retained.
## COMPATIBILITY
Game compatibility should generally be comparable to the original
AmiMasterGear version on which this adaptation is based.
AmiMasterGearCLI does not attempt to fix or redesign the historical
emulation core. If a game did not work correctly in the original
AmiMasterGear, it may also fail in AmiMasterGearCLI.
## PAUSE / NMI HANDLING
The Sega Master System Pause button is connected to the Z80 NMI input
rather than being part of the normal controller input.
AmiMasterGearCLI RC4 includes corrected Pause/NMI handling based on the
RC3.2 implementation.
Pause input is processed independently of VDP interrupt state and only
one NMI is generated for each Pause activation.
The Pause key can now be selected from the preferences file:
PAUSEKEY=P
This also makes it possible to choose a convenient keyboard mapping
when AmiMasterGearCLI is launched directly from AmigaDOS or from a
frontend.
## WHDLOAD
AmiMasterGear takes direct control of Amiga hardware while emulation is
running.
AmiMasterGearCLI includes an optional WHDLoad compatibility mode that
preserves WHDLoad's interrupt/VBR handling so the configured WHDLoad
QuitKey can remain functional.
Enable it either in the preferences file:
WHDLOAD=YES
or from the command line:
AmiMasterGearCLI Sonic.sms WHDLOAD
RC4 no longer requires WHDLoad in order to provide a configurable exit
key. EXITKEY can be used while running AmiMasterGearCLI directly from
AmigaDOS.
For normal use the recommended configuration is:
PAUSEKEY=P
EXITKEY=F10
WHDLOAD=NO
During testing, WHDLOAD=NO provides the most reliable keyboard and
controller response.
With WHDLOAD=YES, some systems/configurations may exhibit delayed
button response or directional keys remaining active longer than
expected.
WHDLoad mode is therefore retained mainly for installations where
WHDLoad integration and its own QuitKey behaviour are specifically
desired.
## DEDICATION
Dedicated to my life partner, Daphne Baelemans (La Guiri),
to my daughter Alicia Maria (PolloHacker), and to my son Jens Rembrandt,
who will be born this November.
## CREDITS AND ORIGIN
Original AmiMasterGear emulator:
Juan Antonio Gomez Galvez
Original source header credits:
"Disenado y Programado por: Juan Antonio Gomez Galvez"
"1997 (c) RED Soft S.L. Barcelona, Spain"
AmiMasterGearCLI adaptation:
C.R.A.N.E (TecniMan)
amigacrane@gmail.com
AmiMasterGearCLI is based on the AmiMasterGear 0.81 source publicly
archived on Aminet.
This adaptation does not claim ownership of the original AmiMasterGear
emulator, its emulation core, algorithms, graphics, documentation or
historical design.
## AI ASSISTANCE
The AmiMasterGearCLI adaptation was developed with assistance from
OpenAI ChatGPT.
ChatGPT was used for source-code analysis, CLI refactoring, debugging,
vasm/Devpac compatibility work, WHDLoad integration, the plain-text
preferences system, Pause/NMI handling and documentation.
Project direction, testing, Amiga/WHDLoad validation and release
decisions were carried out by C.R.A.N.E (TecniMan).
This AI-assistance disclosure applies only to the AmiMasterGearCLI
adaptation and not to the original AmiMasterGear project.
## DISTRIBUTION AND COPYRIGHT
The original AmiMasterGear source and documentation remain the work of
their respective authors and copyright holders.
AmiMasterGearCLI is an unofficial derivative/adaptation.
No Sega ROM images, BIOS images or copyrighted game data are included
with this distribution.
Users must provide ROM images they are legally entitled to use.
This package does not attempt to relicense the original AmiMasterGear
code under GPL, MIT, BSD or any other modern open-source licence.
## VERSION
AmiMasterGearCLI RC4
Based on AmiMasterGear 0.81 source
CLI adaptation by C.R.A.N.E (TecniMan)
Developed with assistance from OpenAI ChatGPT
17-Aug-2026
|
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