Commodore 64 Runs Again On the iPhone

Hugh Pickens writes "Stephen Williams reports in the NY Times that the app recreating some of the Commodore's seminal retro games, including Le Mans, Dragons Den and Jupiter Lander, has been re-issued after being pulled in September. The app features SID sound emulation, auto-save to continue where you left off, and a realistic joystick with a beautifully crafted C64 keyboard. Apple originally rejected the program for violating the SDK agreement, which dictates that 'no interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s).' After disabling the controversial feature, Apple published the app in September, but days later it was pulled and the developer was asked to remove, rather than just disable, the BASIC interpreter from the program, which would have allowed unscrupulous users to run unlicensed, emulated code on the iPhone or iPod Touch. 'The road was bumpy, but we remained persistent and made the changes Apple was looking for. Ultimately, BASIC has been removed for this release; however, we hope that working with Apple further will allow us to re-enable it,' the company wrote on its blog."

Comments

GPL violation?

[Anonymous Coward]

This App is based on Frodo, a GPL licensed C64 emulator. While it offers, upon request, to email the Frodo source code to you (which can also be downloaded straight from the web site), it doesn't offer to send the source code of the complete App.

The Frodo source code is an integral part of the app, obviously, so I suspect this app will land them in choppy waters soon.

Re:GPL violation?

[mysidia]

Indeed, if true, that would be a GPL violation. Distribution upon request is acceptable, provided section (3) of the GPL is met, which provides the option:

b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

However it doesn't mean the part of the source code you got under the GPL. The requirement is to distribute complete source code of the entire modified package based on GPL code.

That would mean all code in the app, including compilation scripts.

And (in the case of the GPLv3), any encryption keys required to install a modified copy of code.

The app's BASIC really wasn't that usable anyway

[rubenerd]

I downloaded it before it got taken down the first time and had fun entering BASIC command for a couple of seconds before I lost interest. Touch screen keyboards are fine for quick SMS messages or email but I couldn't imagine being such a masochist that I'd want to enter entire programs in with one! I suppose someone with enough resolve could do some amazing stuff and create an alternative interface to the iPhone with 8bit PETSCII glory. Actually that would be kinda cool.

Anyway despite that, I kept the application and won't be upgrading, if only just to (Mr Burns voice) honk off my Apple masters :).

Re:Can you actually do anything useful?

[Dusthead Jr.]

You know, the Apple II had color back when Commodore had the monochrome PET.