4.1 Quick installation walk-through

If you want to install OpenCBM as fast as possible, but you are not interested in the details, just use the instructions from this section and ignore the rest of this chapter unless you encounter any problems.

If you are more interested for a clean installation, skip this section and read the rest of this chapter.

Linux installation with pre-built packages

Before trying to build OpenCBM on your own, you can have a look if it is supported by the pre-built packages at https://software.opensuse.org/download.html?project=home%3Astrik&package=opencbm.

At the time of this writing, there are DEB packages available for Debian 8, 9, 10 (which should also install on Ubutu), as well as Raspbian 9 and 10. Furthermore, RPM based openSUSE package are available, too.

These packages are rebuilt as soon as there are changes to the OpenCBM sources. If you use these packages, you do not need to manually compile and install OpenCBM.

In order to run OpenCBM, you need the package: opencbm-XXX, with XXX being one of xa1541, xu1541 or xum1541. It will install the necessary packages, too.

If you want to mix multiple variants (e.g., you have an xum1541 and an xu1541 device), then you can install both of them (opencbm-xum1541 and opencbm-xu1541). Note that the first device that is installed is the default.

Additionally, there is also a nibtools package available (it is called opencbm-nibtools on RPM based distributions).

Linux installation walk-through

Perform the following steps to install OpenCBM on your Linux machine:

• Get the sources from the tarball at https://spiro.trikaliotis.net/Download/opencbm-0.4.99.104/opencbm-0.4.99.104.tar.bz2.
• Unpack them into a directory (i.e., ~/opencbm-0.4.99.104, with 0.4.99.104 being the version number of OpenCBM).
• cd into the directory: cd ~/opencbm-0.4.99.104
• Compile OpenCBM and the appropriate plugin: make -f LINUX/Makefile opencbm plugin-XXX, with XXX being one of xa1541, xu1541 or xum1541, depending upon which adapter you are using:
  • XUM1541 + Zoomfloppy only: make -f LINUX/Makefile opencbm plugin-xum1541
  • XU1541 only: make -f LINUX/Makefile opencbm plugin-xu1541
  • XA1541 + XM1541 only: make -f LINUX/Makefile opencbm plugin-xa1541
• Now, install the OpenCBM package. You must perform this as root, either by using sudo, or by explicitly becoming root with su. The following command assumes you are using sudo: sudo make -f LINUX/Makefile install install-plugin-XXX, with XXX being the same one of xa1541, xu1541 or xum1541 as above:
  • XUM1541 + Zoomfloppy only: sudo make -f LINUX/Makefile install install-plugin-xum1541
  • XU1541 only: sudo make -f LINUX/Makefile install install-plugin-xu1541
  • XA1541 + XM1541 only: sudo make -f LINUX/Makefile install install-plugin-xa1541
• Connect your cable (XU1541, XUM1541, XA1541, XM1541) to your CBM IEC device:
  • XUM1541 + Zoomfloppy + XU1541 only: Plug your XU1541 or XUM1541 into the USB port
  • XA1541 + XM1541 only: Plug your XA1541 or XM1541 cable to the parallel port
• Switch on your CBM IEC device.
• XA1541 + XM1541 only: Load the kernel module:
  • sudo /sbin/depmod -a
  • sudo /sbin/modprobe parport (this one might fail if you have the parallelport compiled into the kernel instead of being a module)
  • sudo /sbin/insmod cbm
  • Now, check the file /var/log/messages if your cable was correctly recognized.
• You are almost done. Check if the command cbmctrl reset resets your drive, or if the command cbmctrl detect prints out your device with your device number. If this works, you are done! If not, please proceed:
• If you are using an USB based cable (XU1541, XUM1541, ZoomFloppy), unplug the device, wait a second and replug it. This should be necessary only once and only if the device was connected to the PC while OpenCBM was not installed yet.
• If you get an error message that libopencbm cannot be found, you must add it to your linker path. In order to do so, enter the command make -f LINUX/Makefile ldconfig
• Now, everything should be working, and you should be able to use the OpenCBM tools even as non-root.

Mac OS X installation walk-through

Please check the instructions at http://lallafa.de/blog/c64-projects/opencbm-on-mac/ available on the blog of Christian Vogelgsang, who actually ported OpenCBM to the Mac. His site should be your primary source for instructions.

Windows installation walk-through

You need the Windows binaries from https://spiro.trikaliotis.net/Download/opencbm-0.4.99.104/opencbm-0.4.99.104.zip in order to install OpenCBM.

USB driver installation

For Windows, you have to install the USB drivers first if you want to use the ZoomFloppy, XUM1541 or XU1541 devices.

Previous versions of OpenCBM demanded you to install the USB drivers first. You had to fiddle around with the driver signature enforcement in order to get this done, or you had to use an external tool (zadig.exe) to install the USB driver.

This release of OpenCBM included the necessary parts in order to install the USB drivers without manual intervention. When you install the tools (cf. below), you are asked if you want to install the USB drivers.

If you have had any previous versions of OpenCBM installed, you should answer with YES so your drivers will get updated!

Note that this will *not* work for Windows 2000. For this, a separate driver installation package will be provided in the near future, if there is some demand. Just ask me for it.

OpenCBM tool installation

In order to install OpenCBM, proceed as follows:

• Download the OpenCBM package binary for Windows from https://spiro.trikaliotis.net/Download/opencbm-0.4.99.104/opencbm-0.4.99.104.zip Note that unlike previous versions of OpenCBM, v0.4.99.104 now contains one package for all supported architectures (i386 vs. amd64, 32 bit vs. 64 bit). You do not have to choose which one to get.
• Unpack it into a directory of your liking
• Go to the directory where you unpacked the OpenCBM installation package (with the "cd" command)
• For Windows XP: Enter
  • ZoomFloppy only: install -xp zoomfloppy (this is also default, that it, it suffices if you enter install only)
  • XUM1541 only: install -xp xum1541
  • XU1541 only: install -xp xu1541
  • XA1541 only: install -xp xa1541
• For Windows 7 and above: Enter
  • ZoomFloppy only: install zoomfloppy (this is also default, that it, it suffices if you enter install only)
  • XUM1541 only: install xum1541
  • XU1541 only: install xu1541
  • XA1541 only: install xa1541
• Windows will start the installation procedure. If needed (Windows 7 and above), it will give you the UAC prompt in order to get additional rights for installation. You must allow this, or OpenCBM will not install successfully. On Windows XP, it will ask you for your administrator password. Again, you must give it, or OpenCBM will not install successfully.
• Afterwards, it will ask you if you want to install the USB drivers. Note that OpenCBM 0.4.99.104 uses other drivers than previous versions of OpenCBM, and it will not work reliably with the old drivers! Thus, if you are upgrading or installing for the first time, answer "yes" here.
• The installation program will add a link to a command line console on the Desktop of the current user. That link can be used to use the OpenCBM tools. For this, the directory where OpenCBM was installed is added to the path, but only on that console window!