ZX Docker

This is a simple container for developing BASIC or assembly software on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. It contains the ZEsarUX emulator, 6809 pasmo, and zmakebas - a basic->tap converter.

It has only been tested on Linux.

Docker creation

First, you need to create a container which can be done by running the script:

./0-build.sh

WARNING: This also opens your xhost on local to accept graphic traffic from the container

Secondly, with a valid container run:

./1-run.sh

You will then be dropped into a (root) shell in the Docker container.

Doing ZX stuff

There are a couple of sample progams in src which can be build, and automatically run under the emulator with:

./doasm.sh

for a simple 'dump graphics to the screen' assembly program, held in src/asm/test. Pass a filename to this program to assembly other code. The resultant binary is written to out/src/asm/test/main.asm.tap

./dobas.sh

to convert a plain text BASIC program into a TAP file, written to out/src/bas/test.tap.

And finally, run any existing .tap files with the wrapper script of:

./dotap.sh

Because the container mounts a directory on the host machine, you can edit the source using whatever tools feel good, without having to install them into the container.

Working with Z88dk

If you're wanting to try C development with your Spectrum, then my approach (FWIW) is to use the docker (detailed at https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk/wiki/Docker-Usage) and build your code there, and copy the results across to the ZXDocker container. (They use Alpine Linux which doesn't contain any of the packages I use so, being the efficient/lazy developer that I am, didn't spend time to munge the two together.)

The xfer.sh script will copy a .tap file from the /src/examples/spectrum folder from the z88dk container, into the /home/user/zx/src/tap of zxdocker.

Passing a filename of ls will list the files.

Interacting with the container

The Docker Docs contain all you need. For cheaters....

Copying a file from the container to the host

Determine the ID (or name) of the running container

r$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE         COMMAND       CREATED          STATUS          PORTS     NAMES
9ce1fcb8585c   emulates/zx   "/bin/bash"   21 minutes ago   Up 21 minutes             upbeat_engelbart

Issue a copy command, indicating the source (in container) snd destination (on host)

docker cp 9ce1fcb8585c:/root/zx/out/src/bas/test.tap host_local_file.tap

Ending the session

Remove the xhost access rights with

./2-end.sh

alperbek / ZXDocker