Is there a way to execute CP/M binaries on a modern Linux computer

Question

I have a few old programs/games which I'd like to run today. As there is Wine for running Windows programs, I wondered if there is a compatibility layer for CP/M. Obviously it would need to implement some kind of Z80 emulation too. Output would ideally be to the console so something like a ZX Spectrum emulator is not what I'm looking for.

I have a computer running a recent Linux. Happy to compile the thing myself if need be.

One of the things to consider is if you need to work on virtual diskettes which is seen as a single file to the host operating system or you want the emulator to present host directories as disks losing some low level diskette features instead but you can work directly on the files. — Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen, Feb 03 '23 at 20:01
@ThorbjørnRavnAndersen Five year ago now, but I think I would have preferred for it to map CP/M files to native ones. Like WINE does. — Omar and Lorraine, Feb 04 '23 at 17:54
as always on stack overflow questions answers and comments are not only for the asker, but also for future readers. — Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen, Feb 04 '23 at 20:47

score 13 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 25 '18 at 17:16

13

jhallen/cpm is pretty close to a compatibility layer via emulation. It runs in a terminal and maps the current CP/M drive to the current Linux directory.

answered Apr 25 '18 at 17:16

scruss

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I've not tried this, but if you need 8-bit character support without a UTF-8 terminal complaining, this might be a useful wrapper: keaston/cp437: Emulates an old-style "code page 437" / "IBM-PC" character set terminal on a modern UTF-8 terminal emulator.. I've seen it recommended for 8086tiny users – scruss Jun 27 '21 at 17:19
Just kicked the tires. ZEXDOC did not pass :-/ – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Feb 05 '23 at 17:55
@ThorbjørnRavnAndersen - thankfully, most real CP/M software doesn't use all those weird opcodes. There's real Zilog silicon that ZEXDOC complains about, after all. This is a quick way to run CP/M programs under Linux, not a Z80 testbench – scruss Feb 06 '23 at 15:18
yes. Been using runcpm for a while - it passes zexall – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Feb 06 '23 at 18:06
well, good for you. Only 8080 compatibility is required – scruss Feb 06 '23 at 23:53
as always it depends on your needs. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Feb 10 '23 at 19:54

score 10 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 25 '18 at 16:20

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There are numerous Z80 simulators out there. The Z80 simulator community is robust and mature.

Z80Pack is a solid first one stop shopping place to get started, but there are lots of others.

answered Apr 25 '18 at 16:20

Will Hartung

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score 6 · Answer 3 · answered May 02 '18 at 21:38

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You can take a look at my project RunCPM. Just go to https://github.com/MockbaTheBorg/RunCPM It builds on Windows, Linux, Mac, Arduino (DUE), etc. It doesn't require a disk image, keeping all the files on the host operating system filesystem, which makes things easier, I believe. Feel free to give it a try. I would love to hear back with test results.

answered May 02 '18 at 21:38

Mockba the Borg

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Ran well for me using MacOS. – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen Jun 27 '21 at 15:17

score 5 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 25 '18 at 16:36

Because you're running code for a different CPU family (8080/Z80) as opposed to running code compatible with the CPU you are actually running, a compatibility layer will not do. You need to emulate.

Depending on your primary operating system, there are several different CP/M emulators available. This answer on another Stack site discusses a good choice if you want to run under Linux, for example.

Is there a way to execute CP/M binaries on a modern Linux computer

4 Answers4