GoKawiil
Tech News
A new system converts original DOS demoscene productions into web-compatible formats by emulating the x86 architecture within a browser. It records the demo's CPU activity, translates it into C code with precise timing, and compiles it into WebAssembly, replicating hardware components like the VGA and Sound Blaster. The demos' original loaders and effects operate unchanged, preserving their authentic experience.
A project called BootLife implements Conway's Game of Life entirely within a 512-byte x86 boot sector, using VGA memory to display the simulation grid. It's shared on GitHub as a Show HN post, built with NASM and runnable via QEMU, with source code and a Makefile provided for building and testing.
Developers have released FRANK 386, a firmware project built on Tiny386 that emulates an i386 (with partial i486/i586 and optional x87 FPU) PC on Raspberry Pi Pico 2-based RP2350 boards. It supports VGA/HDMI video, SD card storage, PS/2 and USB input, NES gamepads, and multiple sound cards including AdLib and Sound Blaster 16, letting it boot DOS, Windows 3.x/95, and Linux.