Open Source And Legal Xbox SDK Compiles Doom

BlueMoon writes "After almost 2 years of silence a new version of OpenXDK (the open source, free and legal development kit for the Microsoft Xbox) has been released. It has now a complete libc replacement, multimedia support (video, joysticks and event handling) using the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) and it migrated to a GCC-based toolchain. To demonstrate the capabilities of the framework, the SDL port of Doom is able to be compiled and executed."

Docs ?

[noselasd]

Are there _any_ docs here ? What compiler/platform do I use to compile things ? How do I transfer/run things on an Xbox ?

Re:Docs ?

[Student_Tech]

The OpenXDK download seems to have docs in the docs directory. At least the CVS view, it shows the docs.

It seems to use a GCC toolchain, and the docs mention using Cygwin.

You will likely need a modded Xbox(unless they can get the stuff signed, highly unlikely) and then you will probably run stuff just like you would anything else, either burn it to a optical media with the executable called "default.xbe" or place it in a directory on the HD where the dashboard replacement scans.

Re:Wait....

[Ford Prefect]

How is that proving the capabilities of anything?

A slightly more impressive version of 'Hello World', complete with real-time audio mixing and high-speed graphics?

Yes, it's hardly cutting edge, but it's significantly better than just a few bytes of text, and shows that everything actually works...

Re:Wait....

[HoneyBunchesOfGoats]

Well, they've just completed an SDK for a gaming platform... it makes sense that they would want to test it by using it with a game already known to compile and run properly. That way, if anything goes wrong they can narrow down the variables that could have caused problems.

Re:Wait....

[Rie Beam]

I would be inclined to agree, except the the article states:

"To demonstrate the capabilities of the current OpenXDK framework, the SDL port of Doom (without sound or networking) is able to be compiled and executed. You will need to find a DOOM1.WAD (shareware) and put it in the root of your XBOX's C drive."

So, the demonstrate the capabilities of this new technology, they ported an 8+ year old shareware game, couldn't get the sound working, and this is somehow suppose to impress us? I'm all for legal XBox

Re:Wait....

[MikeFM]

Don't be silly. If it can run Doom then it can run just about anything. The real question isn't if the audio and networking is working yet but if the code produced will run at a comparable speed and stability as games compiled with Microsoft's tools. Audio and network drivers will be added in a matter of time as long as people can see something worth building on.

Re:Wait....

[nathanh]

Do you mean THE Doom? The original one from the mid-90's? How is that proving the capabilities of anything?

It's bloody awesome news. If Doom works then that means OpenXDK can read the gamepad inputs plus generate 2D output. There are a number of otherwise free Xbox utilities that need nothing more than that but because of the Microsoft Xbox SDK licensing, the authors are unable to distribute those Xbox utilities. So even though the source code is GPL, by linking with Microsoft's Xbox SDK you forego your publishing rights. That sucks, don't you agree? These people are forced to "warez trade" their own utilities that they wrote!

For example, go to xs.com [xbox-scene.com] and count how many utilities cannot be distributed due to XDK licensing. The very worst example is Xbox Media Center; an absolutely outstanding piece of Xbox software (built around Python and Mplayer) that is encumbered by the Microsoft XDK.

Now with OpenXDK at least some of these free and open-source utilities can be published on websites. It is great news for the Xbox developer scene.

Re:Wait....

[kisrael]

If they can get the neworking goin...I remember thinking I would gladly have given up the original SOCOM for a decent straight port of DOOM and DOOM II...

capabilities

[Anonymous Coward]

Quit trolling, they're demonstrating the abilities of thier tool-chain, not the capabilities of the platform. A complete GCC toolchain, a full libc replacement and completed SDL port is not anything to scoff at.

I guess they're still working out sound and network support, but thats not a fault of the toolchain or libc. Possibly it could be lacking support in the SDL port, but it may be something not understood about the hardware, or maybe the SDL port of doom wasn't using SDL for sound or networking.