CS/IT Resources

Hello, World! with BDS C

Follow these steps to compile your first BDS C program on Altair Z80 SIMH.

1. Download the OldSchoolC.tgz and extract the archive (% tar xzvf OldSchoolC.tgz).
2. To get around the restriction on running a file downloaded with a web browser, Turner has created a little Python script you will find in the UTILS subdirectory named turnerfix.py. Copy this to the CPM2 directory and run % python3 turnerfix.py. This will copy altair8800mac2 to altair8800mac. Remove altair8800mac2 after this completes.

3. You can now launch the emulator with our new CP/M configuration with:

   % ./altair8800mac cpm2
   

   You'll have four floppy disks (A-D) and two hard disks (I-J). Take a few minutes to explore what is on each of them.

4. Change to the I drive and use the pip command to copy the following files from drive C to drive I:

   I>PIP I:=C:CC.COM
   I>PIP I:=C:CC2.COM
   I>PIP I:=C:CLINK.COM
   I>PIP I:=C:C.CCC
   I>PIP I:=C:DEFF.CRL
   I>PIP I:=C:DEFF2.CRL
   I>PIP I:=C:STDIO.H
   

5. Using your favorite text editor (ED of course! ;-) create a file named HELLO.C in the I drive with the following contents:

   #include <stdio.h>
   
   main()
   {
       printf("hello, world!\n");
   }
   

6. Compile and link your program with:

   I>CC HELLO
   I>CLINK HELLO
   

7. Finally, run your program with:

   I>CLINK HELLO
   

   Then Run:

   I>HELLO
   

   and you should see:

   hello, world!
   

Congratulations! You've just written and compiled your first BDS C program. Wasn't that easy?