CraftOS vs SDK85

CraftOS-PC is a fantasy terminal that allows you to write and run programs inside an ‘80s-style text console. CraftOS-PC emulates the popular Minecraft mod "ComputerCraft", which adds programmable computers to Minecraft using the Lua programming language. CraftOS-PC takes this experience outside Minecraft to allow you to run the same programs anywhere you go. CraftOS-PC provides a set of functions (called APIs) that make it super easy to do simple tasks such as write text to the screen, read files, and more. The simplicity of these functions makes CraftOS-PC great for new programmers, but their power makes it possible to write all sorts of complex programs with less code. If you aren’t ready to write programs yet, there’s already a large number of programs for ComputerCraft that will work in CraftOS-PC, ranging from simple games to whole graphical operating systems. These can be downloaded through the built-in Pastebin and GitHub Gist clients. • Full Lua 5.2+ scripting environment and command-line REPL • 16-color text-based terminal display • Expansive virtual filesystem for program and data storage • Built-in shell with syntax similar to most desktop shells • APIs to easily access terminal, filesystem, Internet, event queue, and more • Built-in programs make it easy to navigate & edit files without a single line of code • Plenty of help documents to assist programmers • Compatibility with thousands of existing ComputerCraft programs • Over 3x faster than Minecraft mod and comparable emulators • Emulation of all peripherals available in ComputerCraft • Easily access configuration from inside CraftOS • Exclusive graphics mode providing up to 256-color, pixel-based screen manipulation • Edit Lua scripts from CraftOS or other code editing apps • Open-source app makes it easy to suggest and contribute changes Documentation on all of the APIs that ComputerCraft provides are available at https://tweaked.cc, and CraftOS-PC’s unique APIs are described at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/docs/. Join the CraftOS-PC community at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/discord!

An emulator of the SDK-85 System Design Kit issued by Intel in the mid-seventies. The kit featured an 8085 micro processor, some basic IO chips, and a UI comprised of a hexpad and a six-digit seven-segment display. There was also a ROM plugged onto the board which contained a monitor program to enter and execute machine code on the 8085. The app emulates an 8085 and executes the monitor (shippment granted by Intel as long as the app is free and educational). The original kit leveraged the serial IO pins of the 8085 to connect a TTY as a somewhat more comfortable alternative to the hexpad/ display UI used by the monitor on startup. A wipe-left gesture shifts in a simple terminal and the monitor switches to TTY mode. To use the app one needs to get a copy of the original SDK-85 System Design Kit User‘s Manual (ask Google) and work it thru. Some knowledge of the 8085 and its instruction set is helpful as well, and being a boomer nerd who loved to program micro computers when young (and still does) is key. Intel designed the monitor to run in a loop that keeps the CPU constantly busy (on a single thread). To prevent the battery from draining the app suspends executing after 15 seconds indicated by a slightly blurred display. Tapping the centered play-pause button resumes the monitor or any other program in execution. Timeout and a few other options can be changed in the app‘s entry in Settings.