Rockbox simulator binaries for MacOS (ARM64)

[chris_s]

Simulators can be built and run on MacOS again. Apparently, this hasn't been possible for a while.

Puzzles and the SID codec aren't included for now, and there are issues with Lua even on arm64-based Linux, but the rest seems fine so far.
 
If you're interested in test-driving the latest changes, I put together a self-contained app bundle for arm64 that wraps simulator binaries for iPod4g, iPod video, Fiio M3k, and supporting files, giving you a way to test themes or plugins, and listen to music without having to compile or install any additional software.  

Shout, if you want to provide feedback of any sort, encounter something unexpected, or would like to see other targets included in the app bundle.

Download rbsim-macos-arm-fd84006fa6-230824.zip (v 1.2)

Corresponds to the latest dev build (03d326f) with the following patches applied, if you want to compile it yourself:

• 5278 Make simulator compile on MacOS
• 5279 Fix simulator crashing on MacOS
• 5282 iPod simulator: Adjust buttonmap
• 5285 Simulator: Migrate to SDL2 on MacOS
• 5286 Reopen audio device after adjusting sample rate
• 5287 SDL2: Fix deadlock when changing sample rate

Known issues

• After waking your Mac from sleep, playback in the Simulator may not resume.  Quit and relaunch the app as a workaround
  
• Lua and Lua-based plugins, such as boomshine or pixel-painter, will crash at launch.

Notes

• To get past Apple's warning message that appears when trying to launch unsigned apps, you can  right-click and select "Open" from the context menu. Subsequent launches do not require this.
  
  
• The simdisk (for an iPod video) is located at ~/Library/Application Support/Rockbox Simulator/ipodvideo
  
  A default .rockbox folder containing system files will be automatically copied there when you select a target for the first time, during app launch, unless one already exists in the destination. Any themes that you may want to download and other changes to the installation go in that location as well.
  
  Don't directly modify the contents of Rockbox Simulator.app instead!
  
  
• Command line output will not be visible if you're launching the app normally.
  In case you do want to see it:
  
  - Open the app bundle as a folder by right-clicking it and selecting Show Package Content.
  - Drag the icon for the executable file rbsim in the subfolder Contents/MacOS to a new Terminal window
  - Press Enter (with the Terminal window in the foreground) after, optionally, appending a target name to the command, separated from it with a space, such as ipodvideo, fiiom3k or ipod4g. Otherwise, the last-used will be picked or you'll be presented with a list of choices.
  
  The main executable, rbsim, is a shell script that can be opened in a text editor to see what it's doing.
  
  
• To navigate the iPod simulator using a keyboard without a numpad, :
  
  - MENU: Backspace or Escape
  - PLAY: Spacebar
  - SELECT: Enter
  - UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT: Cursor keys, as usual
  - SELECT + PLAY: Space Bar + Enter, or F6 (used for WPS and File Browser Shortcut)
  
  When holding down the function key, a Mac's media keys (F7,F8,F9) can alternatively be used for LEFT/PLAY/RIGHT while the app is in the foreground.
  
  I would recommend Bilgus's keyremap plugin if you prefer an experience closer to the original iPod's firmware where MENU instead of LEFT can be used to go up a menu level, which I find a lot more intuitive.

In version 1.2, you can disable the background for all simulators by executing this command in Terminal (replace true with false to undo):

Code: [Select]

defaults write org.rockbox.sim nobackground true
When executing rbsim from the command line, parameters accepted by each one of the target binaries can now also be passed through to them:

Code: [Select]

/path/to/rbsim ipodvideo --nobackground --debugwps --zoom 2
Don't forget to include the name of a target as the parameter provided to rbsim in your command, such as ipodvideo before appending any other parameters.
To see a list of available parameters, execute

Code: [Select]

/path/to/rbsim ipodvideo --help
Since version 1.1, when launching the app, you're presented with a choice of simulators.  To prevent this list from showing and instead always open the last-used simulator, execute the following command in Terminal (replace true with false to undo):

Code: [Select]

defaults write org.rockbox.sim skiplist true

Changelog

1.2 (230824)

Fixed: Playback sounded too slow when frequencies other than 44.1 kHz were selected

Fixed: App was unresponsive after adjusting sample rate when paused or playing

Changed: .debugwps and .nobackground files in simdisk folder are now ignored – see last note above


1.1 (230822)

SDL2 is now used instead of the SDL-1.2 compatibility layer

Enables hardware-accelerated rendering with vsync, which eliminates screen tearing that may have previously appeared within the app or in the rest of the system while the simulator window was visible.

SDL2 respects your Mac's key repeat rate, which can be adjusted in System Settings if necessary.

This should also fix the issue where the simulator window initially didn't gain focus when launched from the command line.

In addition to iPod video, binaries for iPod4g and Fiio M3K are included now

Additional fonts have been removed

Download the latest set from here (link near top of the page) instead, and manually add it to a simdisk, if required by a theme.

1.0  (230818)

Initial Release

[rockbox_dev123]

Thank you very much for providing this.

I had previously tried to compile the simulator on my 13" M1 2020 and given up.

This should make any upcoming theming work much easier!

[chris_s]

Good to hear there's other people interested in this.

A new, SDL2-based, version is now available for testing, by the way – the post above has been updated.

[chris_s]

Uploaded version 1.2, see changelog above.

[Darthagnon]

Anyone wondering whether there are Windows builds available, there are some outdated binaries available here: http://rasher.dk/rockbox/simulator/

[rockbox_dev123]

I accidentally left my latest iPod classic on a train last week... RIP.

Oh well, an iPod should be treated as "cattle and not a pet" as the music is replaceable. I resurrected an iPod video from my parts bin.

While waiting for replacement parts (finally making the switch from mSATA to SDXC now that rockbox has matured to handle SD well) I setup another external HDD and began transcoding my FLAC library to ogg, rsyncing my MP3 files and reapplying ReplayGain to all of the set.

36 hours later and I'm done. I'm ready to sequentially transfer these "proxies" to an SD card without fragmentation!

I'm using the simulator now to initialize the database on this external disk. I actually very rarely ever use the database and prefer .m3u or file browsing, but I'm restless until I can get my new iPod working.

Thanks for the detailed instructions - I modified the rbsim shell script to set:

SIMDISKDEST="/Volumes/IPOD"

Next up is to get my fork compiling for ipodvideo instead of the ipod6g!

EDIT: Rough calculations show that by transcoding FLAC to ogg at ​112kbps I am getting an 87% reduction in disk usage.

[chris_s]

I accidentally left my latest iPod classic on a train last week... RIP.

sorry for your loss

I'm using the simulator now to initialize the database on this external disk. I actually very rarely ever use the database and prefer .m3u or file browsing, but I'm restless until I can get my new iPod working.

One word of warning – after trying this myself - with regard to special characters used in filenames:

The simulator on MacOS seems to store filenames as decomposed Unicode in the database (even with a FAT filesystem underneath). When attempting to use that same database on device, it expects the precomposed form and thus won't find these files.

E.g. the letter é is represented as hexadecimal C3 A9 (letter e with acute accent)  for a database built on device, but as 65 CC 81 (letter e and combining acute accent) when built using the simulator.


I don't know and haven't looked into the reasons for that or how it can be fixed yet, but it should be added to the list of known issues.

NB: Same thing applies to the database tool compiled on MacOS