Building FujiNet-PC

FujiNet-PC is the POSIX/desktop implementation of FujiNet. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL), providing the full FujiNet experience without any hardware. Combined with a platform emulator such as Altirra (Atari) or AppleWin (Apple II), it creates a complete virtual retro computing environment.

As of 2024, the FujiNet-PC codebase is integrated into the main fujinet-firmware repository. The same build.sh script handles both firmware and FujiNet-PC builds.

Architecture Overview

flowchart LR
    subgraph Desktop Machine
        A[Platform Emulator<br>Altirra / AppleWin] <-->|Bridge Protocol<br>netsio / SmartPort| B[FujiNet-PC]
        B <--> C[Network / SD / Config]
        D[Web Browser] -->|WebUI| B
    end

Dependencies

Linux / WSL

Install the required packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install git curl build-essential cmake \
    libpython3-dev python3-venv libmbedtls-dev pip -y
sudo pip install Jinja2

macOS

Ensure you have Xcode command line tools, CMake, and Python 3 installed:

xcode-select --install
brew install cmake python3 mbedtls
pip3 install Jinja2

Building FujiNet-PC

FujiNet-PC is built using the -p flag with build.sh. You must specify the target platform (the retro computer being emulated).

Build for Atari

cd ~/code/fujinet-firmware
./build.sh -cp ATARI

Build for Apple II

./build.sh -cp APPLE

The -c flag triggers a clean build (recommended for the first build). Subsequent builds can omit it:

./build.sh -p ATARI

Build Output

A successful build produces output similar to:

[100%] Built target fujinet
[100%] Preparing dist directory
[100%] Built target dist
Built PC version in build/dist folder

The compiled application and all required files are placed in the build/dist directory.

Running FujiNet-PC

cd build/dist
./run-fujinet

You should see startup output like:

Starting FujiNet
14:46:46.292954 >
14:46:46.296816 > --~--~--~--
14:46:46.296857 > FujiNet v1.3 2024-04-26 06:08:28 Started
14:46:46.296910 > Detected Hardware Version: fujinet-pc
14:46:46.296944 > SPIFFS mounted.
14:46:46.298056 > SD mounted (directory "SD").

Once running, access the FujiNet WebUI by opening a browser to:

http://localhost:8000

Using with Emulators

Altirra (Atari)

FujiNet-PC for Atari uses the netsio bridge to connect to Altirra. On Linux, Altirra runs via Wine.

1. Start FujiNet-PC (it listens for netsio connections automatically).
2. Launch Altirra.
3. In Altirra, configure the SIO device to use the network SIO bridge.

AppleWin (Apple II)

FujiNet-PC for Apple II connects directly to AppleWin (a native Linux port is available).

1. Start FujiNet-PC for Apple.
2. Launch AppleWin.
3. Configure AppleWin to use the FujiNet SmartPort device.

FujiNet Virtual Machine

For the easiest way to try FujiNet-PC without manual setup, a pre-built VirtualBox appliance is available. The FujiNet Virtual Machine includes:

• Debian 12 Linux with XFCE 4 desktop
• Altirra (via Wine) and AppleWin (native Linux port)
• FujiNet-PC pre-configured for both Atari and Apple II
• netsio bridge for Altirra connectivity
• Epiphany web browser for WebUI access

Download the VM appliance (~3.6 GB): https://mega.nz/folder/4L03hKRL#L1GOblpv8xbHROaKIPb1xg

For detailed VM usage instructions, see the official FujiNet VM documentation.

FujiNet-PC Build Process

flowchart TD
    A[Clone fujinet-firmware repo] --> B["build.sh -cp PLATFORM"]
    B --> C[CMake generates build system]
    C --> D[Compile FujiNet-PC]
    D --> E[Prepare dist directory]
    E --> F[build/dist/run-fujinet]
    F --> G{Platform?}
    G -->|ATARI| H[netsio bridge to Altirra]
    G -->|APPLE| I[SmartPort bridge to AppleWin]

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

• Build Environment Setup – prerequisite installation details.
• Building Firmware – building firmware for physical FujiNet hardware.
• Firmware Versioning – how FujiNet version numbers work.