Oct 23, 2026, 12:22 AMFriends, I have some urgent and very timely information for you: Here is how to install an app on your Commodore 64. https://anildash.com/2026/10/08/install-an-app-commodore-64/
- Oct 23, 2026, 12:22 AM
Replies
Taran Rampersadknowprose@mastodon.socialOct 23, 2026, 12:26 AM@anildash nicely done. I walked down memory lane. 🙃
Janne Morenjannem@fosstodon.orgOct 23, 2026, 12:31 AM@anildash
This is how I and my friends learned 6502 machine code: We didn't have an actual assembler, so we learned the hex or decimal codes for each opcode and parameters and POKE'd in our programs directly from BASIC.I *think* 174, 0 is "LDX #0", but it's been years and I may misremember.
Writing Slowlywritingslowly@micro.blogOct 23, 2026, 5:40 AM@jannem I did that too - not quite so useful these days, but it was fun while it lasted.
- Janne Morenjannem@fosstodon.orgOct 23, 2026, 6:56 AM
@writingslowly
The 6502 ISA is so simple/barebones/lacking that a group of motivated 13-year olds really can get started in a few evenings.No pipelines, no wait states, no packed instruction formats. The entire ISA can be summarized on a single page (in fact it was, on the back page of the CBM BASIC book we had).
I'd never even try that with a modern CPU.
famousringofamousringo@mstdn.caOct 23, 2026, 4:17 AM@anildash just swap floppies at your local SCUG meetup (not a sex thing, I swear)
Oct 23, 2026, 4:26 AM@anildash of course there’s a mention of Prince in your post
- Oct 23, 2026, 2:11 PM
@nep 🫡
OkunaOkuna@social.tchncs.deOct 23, 2026, 6:15 AM@anildash good old days
random thoughtshittitezombie@mastodon.me.ukOct 23, 2026, 6:35 AM@anildash Life was much simpler back then, especially as a 10y old with a Spectrum 48k. I didn't even have to worry (much) about the mad MAD world.
Oct 23, 2026, 7:01 AM
Robee? Na! 🌈robeeshepherd@torturedsouls.comOct 23, 2026, 7:02 AM@anildash “But if you tell kids today that… they’ll say where’s the MCP interface?”
aliengasmaskaliengasmask@mas.toOct 23, 2026, 9:07 AM@anildash wow so many amazing music options for me to choose from at the good mall.
(This is great, i dont usually fall into nostalgia but you got me)
Oct 23, 2026, 10:28 AM@anildash wow.
I believe that around here there was quite a bit of community of people with stereos with double cassette decks, that was a significantly more convenient way to install apps!
(if possibly not always *completely* legal)
MaksiSanctum he/himMaksiSanctum@zeroes.caOct 23, 2026, 11:23 AM@anildash The C-64 first used tape drives and then floppy disks to install programs. Manually typing in a program usually took 2-3 of us working through the code. It was a fun learning experience and the games were simple yet fun. I now have a C-64 emulator and can use the online ones to play my old games for nostalgia's sake.
Paul MorrissPaulmorriss@mastodon.socialOct 23, 2026, 12:40 PM@anildash I got some of my programs for ZX81 and Spectrum published by magazines. I don't think I was particularly brilliant, just early to the party.
tweaktweak@ohai.socialOct 23, 2026, 7:33 PM@anildash so many hours of typing... was worth it at the time.
