Re: [GNU-linux-libre] Emulators

[Matt Lee]

On 12/14/10 16:08, Sam Geeraerts wrote:

> I see. That seems to mostly involve either hex editing or disassembling.
> In any case, I haven't heard of ROMs with a free license.

Look into how Debian distributes games like "Flight of the Amazon Queen"
-- they're ScummVM games, being distributed under a free license I think
(I might be wrong) which are similar.

Not all emulators use 'ROMs' as such -- others use tape or disk images.
Some authors have allowed their games to be distributed, and even in
some cases modified, commercially.

>> There's even GUI tools to modify them. Plus, emulators often require a
>> copy of the BIOS, which is not usually licensed for distribution.
> 
> I thought you could just do "$emulator game.rom" and start playing. If
> the emulators are broken even with the ROMs then that's an additional
> reason to get rid of them.

Some do, but many many emulators need a BIOS.

For example, MESS... which I believe is NC licensed.

http://www.emunews.eu/?page_id=10 << all BIOS ROMS needed to play games.

I think the whole emulation scene is at best, a non-commercial mess, and
very proprietary and dubious legality in many cases.