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MosaiK8

MosaiK8 is a framework for retro console development built around mosaik, a modern, high-level programming language. The mosaik compiler has two C backends — GBDK and cc65 — that together target nine consoles from one language and one set of source files.

  • GBDK backend (default) — emits GBDK C, linked by the GBDK-2020 toolchain (lcc/sdcc) into Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Analogue Pocket, Mega Duck, Sega Master System, Game Gear, and NES ROMs.
  • cc65 backend — emits cc65 C, linked by cc65 (cl65) into Atari Lynx (.lnx) and PC Engine (.pce) ROMs.

The lexer, parser, type-checker, and all logic codegen are shared; only the prelude and standard-library lowering differ per backend. Programs that stay within the portable stdlib subset (text, input, timing, sound, sprites) build for every console unchanged.

File extensions

  • .mos — mosaik source files
  • .c — generated C (intermediate build output)
  • .gb / .gbc / .pocket / .duck / .sms / .gg / .nes — GBDK ROM output
  • .lnx / .pce — cc65 ROM output (Atari Lynx / PC Engine)

🎮 Features

  • Modern Syntax: Familiar syntax inspired by Lua/Python for retro console development
  • Nine Consoles: Game Boy / Color / Pocket / Mega Duck, SMS, GG, NES (GBDK) and Atari Lynx, PC Engine (cc65) — one language, two backends
  • Portable Core: Structs, enums, modules, control flow, and the portable stdlib subset compile identically on every target
  • Capability Gating: Calling a stdlib function a console lacks is a clear compile-time error — not a silent no-op or link failure
  • Standard Library: Built-in helpers for video, input, sprites, text, sound (a portable beep channel on all nine consoles), scrollable background tilemap (all nine consoles — hardware tilemap on GBDK targets, VDC BAT on the PCE, a composited Suzy background sprite on the Lynx), window (GB family), and draw primitives (Lynx)
  • Asset Pipeline: PNGs listed in mosaik.toml (or passed with --asset) become tile data on every console — no hex arrays in source
  • One-shot Setup: setup_tools.py downloads the toolchains and test emulators for you

For a precise, status-tagged list of what the language implements today versus what is still planned, see docs/mosaik_lang_spec.md.

📋 Requirements

  • Python 3.7+ with the toml package
  • GBDK-2020 — installed by setup_tools.py into gbdk/; also auto-detected via GBDK_HOME or PATH
  • cc65 — installed by setup_tools.py into cc65/; also auto-detected via CC65_HOME or PATH (needed only for Lynx/PCE targets)
  • PyBoy — Python Game Boy emulator, optional, for running GBDK ROMs (see below)
  • libretro.py + Lynx cores — optional, for headless Atari Lynx testing

One-shot setup

setup_tools.py downloads and installs everything into the folders the build tool expects (all of them gitignored):

python setup_tools.py            # install everything that is missing
python setup_tools.py --check    # report what is installed, change nothing
python setup_tools.py --only gbdk,cc65     # just the toolchains
python setup_tools.py --only cores,python  # just the test emulators
python setup_tools.py --force    # reinstall even if already present
Component Installs Used for
gbdk GBDK-2020 (latest GitHub release) → gbdk/ building all GBDK-backend consoles
cc65 cc65 Windows snapshot → cc65/ building Atari Lynx / PC Engine
cores Handy + Beetle Lynx libretro cores → emu/libretro/ headless Lynx testing
python pyboy, libretro.py, pillow, toml (pip) build tool + emulator harnesses

Notes:

  • cc65 binary snapshots exist for Windows only; on Linux/macOS install cc65 from your package manager and set CC65_HOME.
  • The Beetle Lynx core needs the real Lynx boot ROM (lynxboot.img, 512 bytes, copyrighted — not downloadable). Drop it into emu/libretro/ yourself; without it the harness falls back to the Handy core, which boots homebrew BIOS-less.

Pointing at your own toolchains

If you already have GBDK-2020 or cc65 installed elsewhere, set an environment variable instead of running the installer:

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:GBDK_HOME = "C:\path\to\gbdk-2020"   # for GBDK consoles
$env:CC65_HOME = "C:\path\to\cc65"        # for Lynx / PC Engine

# Linux / macOS
export GBDK_HOME=/path/to/gbdk-2020
export CC65_HOME=/path/to/cc65

Search order for each toolchain:

  1. The GBDK_HOME / CC65_HOME environment variable
  2. A gbdk-2020/ or gbdk/ / cc65/ folder next to mosaik8.py (what setup_tools.py creates)
  3. The system PATH (lcc / cl65)

Running ROMs (optional, for verification)

MosaiK8 only builds ROMs — it has no run command, so it never depends on an installed emulator. To see a build working, open the ROM in any emulator directly.

PyBoy is the recommended way to verify Game Boy ROMs: it's a Python-based emulator that can run headless and expose the rendered screen and memory, so you can assert that something actually drew (see Testing).

pip install pyboy
pyboy samples/build/gameboy/bounce.gb            # GBDK ROMs

Atari Lynx and PC Engine ROMs run headlessly through the bundled libretro harness:

python emu/libretro/run_lynx.py samples/build/lynx/pong.lnx 300 --png out.png
python emu/libretro/run_lynx.py samples/build/pce/pong.pce 300 --core mednafen_pce_fast --png out.png

Any GUI emulator that accepts a ROM path works too (BGB/mGBA for .gb/.gbc, Mednafen for .lnx/.pce/.sms/.gg/.nes, …).

🚀 Quick Start

1. Initialize a New Project

python mosaik8.py init my_game
cd my_game

This creates:

my_game/
├── mosaik.toml       # Project configuration
└── src/
    └── main.mos      # Main source file

2. Write Your First Game

Edit src/main.mos:

module "main" {
    import "platform.video"
    import "platform.input"
    
    var player_x: u8 = 80
    var player_y: u8 = 72
    var frame_count: u8 = 0
    
    function update_player() {
        if input.pressed(INPUT_LEFT) and player_x > 0 {
            player_x -= 1
        }
        if input.pressed(INPUT_RIGHT) and player_x < 152 {
            player_x += 1
        }
        if input.pressed(INPUT_UP) and player_y > 0 {
            player_y -= 1
        }
        if input.pressed(INPUT_DOWN) and player_y < 136 {
            player_y += 1
        }
    }
    
    function main() {
        video.enable_lcd()
        
        loop {
            frame_count += 1
            update_player()
            video.wait_vblank()
        }
    }
    
    export main
}

3. Build and Run

# Build for Game Boy (uses mosaik.toml in the current directory)
python mosaik8.py build

# Build for Game Boy Color
python mosaik8.py build --platform gameboy_color

# ...or any other supported console
python mosaik8.py build --platform nes
python mosaik8.py build --platform sms
python mosaik8.py build --platform lynx samples/hello.mos

# To see a build run, open the ROM in an emulator directly (no `run` command):
pyboy samples/build/gameboy/bounce.gb                       # Game Boy
python emu/libretro/run_lynx.py samples/build/lynx/hello.lnx # Atari Lynx (headless)

Supported --platform values: gameboy, gameboy_color, analogue_pocket, megaduck, sms, gamegear, nes (GBDK backend), and lynx, pce (cc65 backend). Each links a native ROM (.gb, .gbc, .pocket, .duck, .sms, .gg, .nes, .lnx, .pce).

Two backends, one language: GBDK consoles are linked by GBDK's lcc; the cc65 consoles (Atari Lynx, PC Engine) are linked by cc65's cl65. The lexer/parser/typechecker and all logic codegen are shared — only the standard-library lowering differs. A program that stays within the portable stdlib subset (text, input, timing, sound, sprites) builds for all nine consoles unchanged; size the world with the per-target SCREEN_WIDTH/SCREEN_HEIGHT constants and it behaves right everywhere too (see samples/bounce.mos). What each console supports is recorded in a capability registry; calling something a console lacks (the window layer outside the Game Boy family, graphics.draw outside the Lynx, GB REG_* registers elsewhere, ...) is a clear compile-time error — gate such code with if platform == "...". See docs/cc65-backend-plan.md and docs/platform-support-plan.md.

# Build the same source for a GBDK console and both cc65 consoles
python mosaik8.py build --platform gameboy samples/hello.mos
python mosaik8.py build --platform lynx    samples/hello.mos
python mosaik8.py build --platform pce     samples/hello.mos

🏗️ Build Modes

The build tool has exactly two modes, chosen by what you pass to build. There is no "scan the whole tree" mode — you always point it at one source file or one project.

Single-file mode — build <file.mos>

Pass a single .mos file. A build/ folder is created next to that file, and the generated .c and ROM are named after the source file.

python mosaik8.py build samples/text_simple.mos
# -> samples/build/gameboy/text_simple.c
#    samples/build/gameboy/text_simple.gb
#    samples/build/gameboy_color/text_simple.c
#    samples/build/gameboy_color/text_simple.gb

# Limit to a single platform:
python mosaik8.py build --platform gameboy samples/bounce.mos

Project mode — build <mosaik.toml>

Pass a mosaik.toml (or a directory containing one, or nothing to use ./mosaik.toml). The tool reads the project file, compiles the .mos files in the [source] folder, writes output to the [build] output_dir, and names the .c and ROM after [project] name. Target platforms come from [project] target_platforms.

# Any of these build the projects/game project:
python mosaik8.py build projects/game/mosaik.toml
python mosaik8.py build projects/game        # directory containing mosaik.toml
cd projects/game && python ../../mosaik8.py build   # uses ./mosaik.toml
# -> projects/game/build/gameboy/game.c
#    projects/game/build/gameboy/game.gb

There is no run command — open the built ROM in an emulator directly (PyBoy for GBDK consoles, the libretro harness for the Lynx).

Note: TOML string values must be quoted. Use folder = "src/", not folder = src/. A malformed project file is reported as an error rather than silently ignored.

📁 Example Project Structure

my_project/
├── mosaik.toml              # Project configuration
├── src/                     # Source files (.mos)
│   ├── main.mos             # Main module
│   ├── player.mos           # Game modules
│   └── enemies.mos
├── assets/                  # Graphics, audio, data
│   ├── sprites/
│   └── backgrounds/
└── build/                   # Build output
    ├── gameboy/
    │   └── my_project.gb   # Game Boy ROM
    └── gameboy_color/
        └── my_project.gb   # Game Boy Color ROM

Multi-file programs (cross-file module linking)

All .mos files of a build are compiled together into one program: in project mode every file under [source] folder, in single-file mode the given file plus everything it (transitively) imports — import "player" loads player.mos next to the importing file (import "game.utils" → game/utils.mos). Use the last segment of a module's name to reference it, and remember only exported names are visible:

-- src/main.mos                          -- src/player.mos
module "main" {                          module "player" {
    import "player"                          var x: u8 = 80
                                             function update() { ... }
    function main() {                        export update, x
        loop { player.update() }         }
    }
    export main
}

Calling a function a module doesn't export, importing a module no file defines, or defining the same module twice are clear compile-time errors. See projects/multifile for a working example.

⚙️ Configuration

Project Configuration (mosaik.toml)

[project]
name = "my_game"                              # names the output .c and ROM
version = "1.0.0"
target_platforms = ["gameboy", "gameboy_color"]

[source]
folder = "src/"                               # where .mos sources live (relative to this file)

[assets]
sprites = ["assets/sprites.png"]              # PNGs converted to tile data at build time

[build]
optimization_level = 2
debug_symbols = true
rom_size = "32KB"
ram_size = "8KB"
output_dir = "build"                          # build output (relative to this file)

[platforms.gameboy]
features = ["save_support"]
memory_layout = "standard"

[platforms.gameboy_color]
features = ["save_support", "color", "speed_switch"]
memory_layout = "expanded"

[dependencies]
stdlib = "1.0"

🎨 Assets (PNG → tiles)

Instead of embedding hex tile arrays in source, list PNGs under [assets] (project mode) or pass --asset file.png (single-file mode). The build converts each PNG to Game Boy 2bpp tile data and injects it into the program as two ready-to-use constants, named after the file:

assets/sprites.png  ->  sprites_tiles        (const u8 array, 16 bytes/tile)
                        sprites_tile_count   (number of 8x8 tiles)

sprite.set_data(0, sprites_tile_count, sprites_tiles)

GB 2bpp is the interchange format on every console: the GB family uploads it directly, the NES and Game Gear/SMS convert it in GBDK's set_sprite_data compatibility layer, and the Lynx sprite engine converts it for the Suzy blitter — so one PNG serves all targets.

Authoring rules (see mosaik_assets.py for details):

  • The image must be a multiple of 8 pixels each way; it is cut into 8×8 tiles left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
  • An indexed PNG with a palette of ≤ 4 entries maps each palette index straight to the GB colour value 0–3 (exact control; index 0 = transparent for sprites).
  • Anything else maps per pixel: transparent (alpha < 128) or near-white → 0, then light → 1, dark → 2, black → 3 by luminance.

The projects/shmup project is the worked example: projects/shmup/assets/sprites.png is the pregenerated sheet (regenerated by projects/shmup/assets/gen_sprites.py), and projects/shmup/src/shmup.mos ships a complete game on top of it.

🔧 Build Commands

Basic Commands

# Build a single source file (build/ created next to it)
python mosaik8.py build samples/text_simple.mos

# Build a project (reads mosaik.toml)
python mosaik8.py build projects/game/mosaik.toml
python mosaik8.py build              # uses ./mosaik.toml

# Restrict to one platform / add debug symbols
python mosaik8.py build --platform gameboy_color samples/bounce.mos
python mosaik8.py build --debug projects/game

# Clean build artifacts (project-mode build/ in the current directory)
python mosaik8.py clean

# Show version
python mosaik8.py version

Note: clean removes the project-mode build/ directory. In single-file mode the output lives next to the source, e.g. samples/build/.

🧪 Samples & Tests

Building the sample programs

The samples/ folder contains ready-to-build mosaik programs:

Sample What it shows
text_simple.mos Static text rendering
text.mos Variables, counters, text.print_number
text_complex.mos Nested conditions, multiple counters
bounce.mos Structs, signed math, input handling; sized by SCREEN_WIDTH/SCREEN_HEIGHT, so it uses the whole screen on every sprite-capable console
pong.mos A small game loop, same screen-geometry portability
beep.mos platform.sound: the portable beep channel (A/B play tones; builds for all 9 consoles)
cross_platform.mos Per-platform conditional compilation + the SCREEN_* constants; builds for all 9 consoles
hello.mos The portable Tier-1 subset (text/input/timing), one source for both backends
draw.mos The Lynx-only graphics.draw TGI primitives, platform-gated
graphics_showcase.mos Sprites, background, window HUD, palette registers (Game Boy family)
novascape.mos A complete game port (Game Boy family)

Build any one of them in single-file mode (output goes to samples/build/):

python mosaik8.py build samples/bounce.mos

Full project examples live in projects/ and are built in project mode:

python mosaik8.py build projects/game        # Box Runner     -> projects/game/build/<console>/game.*
python mosaik8.py build projects/shmup       # Starfall shmup -> projects/shmup/build/<console>/starfall.*
python mosaik8.py build projects/background  # scrolling bkg  -> projects/background/build/<console>/background.*

projects/shmup (Starfall) is a vertical shoot'em up for Game Boy, Game Gear and Atari Lynx from one source, with all graphics pregenerated from a PNG via the asset pipeline (see Assets above). projects/background scrolls a 32×32-tile world with graphics.bkg and walks an animated sprite on top — one source for all nine consoles, including the Lynx (no tilemap hardware; the backend composites the map into one big Suzy background sprite) and the PC Engine (real VDC tilemap + scroll registers).

See a built ROM run by opening it in an emulator directly:

pyboy samples/build/gameboy/bounce.gb                        # Game Boy
python emu/libretro/run_lynx.py samples/build/lynx/hello.lnx # Atari Lynx (headless)

Running the tests

Unit tests live in tests/. Run the whole suite (and optionally rebuild every sample end-to-end) with the test runner:

# Run all unit tests
python tests/run_all.py

# Run all unit tests AND compile every sample to a ROM, for every console it
# supports (derived from the capability registry — ~90 builds), plus the
# projects/game and projects/shmup projects
python tests/run_all.py --samples

# Optional behavioral checks: drive the built ROMs in emulators
# (PyBoy for Game Boy; --lynx also screen-diffs the Lynx shmup through the
# libretro harness)
python tests/verify_roms.py --lynx

You can also run an individual test directly:

python tests/enum_test.py
python tests/test_fixes.py

Each test prints a PASS/FAIL line; run_all.py exits non-zero if anything fails, so it is suitable for CI.

📚 Language Guide

Basic Syntax

module "example" {
    import "platform.video"
    
    -- Comments use double dashes
    var health: u8 = 100
    const MAX_SPEED: u8 = 5
    
    type Position = struct {
        x: u8,
        y: u8
    }
    
    enum Direction {
        UP = 0,
        DOWN = 1,
        LEFT = 2,
        RIGHT = 3
    }
    
    function move_player(pos: Position, dir: Direction) -> Position {
        if dir == UP and pos.y > 0 {
            pos.y -= 1
        }
        return pos
    }
    
    export move_player, Direction
}

Control Flow

function control_flow_demo() {
    var i: u8 = 0

    -- if / else if / else
    if i == 0 {
        i = 1
    } else if i == 1 {
        i = 2
    } else {
        i = 3
    }

    -- Infinite loop (compiles to `while (1)`); use `return` to leave it
    loop {
        i += 1
        if i >= 10 { return }
    }

    -- Conditional loop with break / continue
    while i < 20 {
        i += 1
        if i == 15 { continue }
        if i == 18 { break }
    }

    -- switch with multi-value labels and an optional default arm.
    -- Each case auto-breaks; list values to share one body.
    switch i {
        case 0 { i = 1 }
        case 1, 2, 3 { i = 2 }
        default { i = 9 }
    }

    -- Numeric range for-loop: `for <var> in <start>..<end>` (end is exclusive)
    for n in 0..8 {
        i += n
    }
}

-- `local function` marks a function private to its module.
local function helper(x: u8) -> u8 {
    return x + 1
}

Operators: arithmetic + - * / %, comparison == != < > <= >=, logical and or not, and assignment = += -=. Integer literals may be written in decimal, hex (0xE4), or binary (0b1010). for only iterates numeric ranges (not arrays).

Parameters — including structs and arrays — are passed by value (there are no pointer/reference types yet), so a function mutating a struct argument changes only its local copy.

Type System

-- Primitive types
u8      -- Unsigned 8-bit (0-255)
i8      -- Signed 8-bit (-128 to 127) 
u16     -- Unsigned 16-bit (0-65535)
i16     -- Signed 16-bit (-32768 to 32767)
bool    -- Boolean
addr    -- Memory address

-- Array types
array[u8, 160]     -- Array of 160 bytes
array[Position, 32] -- Array of 32 positions

-- `const` arrays become real C `const` tables (great for tile/map/music data):
const TILE: array[u8, 8] = [0x3C, 0x42, 0x42, 0x42, 0x42, 0x42, 0x3C, 0x00]

-- Struct types
type Sprite = struct {
    x: u8,
    y: u8,
    tile: u8,
    flags: u8
}

Platform-Specific Code

module "graphics" {
    import "platform.video"
    
    -- Conditional compilation
    if platform == "gameboy_color" {
        function set_palette(colors: array[u16, 4]) {
            -- GBC-specific palette code
        }
    } else {
        function set_palette(colors: array[u16, 4]) {
            -- DMG grayscale fallback
        }
    }
    
    export set_palette
}

The platform == ... condition is evaluated against the build target, so each ROM links only the matching branch. Conditions may combine ==, !=, and, or, not over platform and string literals (including else if chains); the literal matches the canonical name or an alias ("gbc" ≡ "gameboy_color"). Both branches are always parsed, so syntax errors surface on every target, and an unresolvable condition falls back to the then branch.

mosaik targets all nine supported consoles via --platform:

# GBDK consoles
python mosaik8.py build --platform sms  samples/cross_platform.mos
python mosaik8.py build --platform nes  samples/cross_platform.mos
# cc65 consoles
python mosaik8.py build --platform lynx samples/hello.mos
python mosaik8.py build --platform pce  samples/hello.mos

See samples/cross_platform.mos for one program that builds for all nine consoles. See samples/hello.mos for a program portable across both backends.

Standard Library

These built-in modules resolve at compile time and map to platform C helpers. Which calls are available on which console is enforced by the capability registry (a clear compile-time error is raised if you call something a target doesn't support — no silent failures).

Import Provides
platform.video enable_lcd(), disable_lcd(), wait_vblank(), show_sprites(), hide_sprites(), show_background(), show_window(), hide_window(), and the per-target screen geometry constants SCREEN_WIDTH/SCREEN_HEIGHT (pixels) and SCREEN_COLS/SCREEN_ROWS (text cells)
platform.input pressed(button), held(button), and INPUT_A/B/SELECT/START/RIGHT/LEFT/UP/DOWN
platform.hardware write(address, value), read(address), and REG_DIV/REG_NR10/REG_BGP/REG_OBP0/REG_OBP1 (the REG_* constants are Game Boy addresses and exist only on the GB family)
platform.system delay(ms), random(), seed_random(seed)
platform.sound beep(freq, frames), stop() — one portable square-wave channel on every console (GB-family APU, SMS/GG PSG, NES APU, Lynx Mikey, PCE PSG). beep is non-blocking; the duration counts down in wait_vblank ticks (60 ≈ 1 s; 0 = until stop())
graphics.sprite set_data(first, count, data), set_tile(id, tile), get_tile(id), set_prop(id, prop), move(id, x, y) — screen-pixel coordinates, (0, 0) = top-left of the visible screen on every console — FLIP_X, FLIP_Y
graphics.bkg set_data(first, count, data), set_tiles(x, y, w, h, tiles), scroll(dx, dy), move(x, y) — a 32×32-tile scrollable background with u8 wrap-around on every console: the GBDK targets and the PCE scroll their tilemap hardware; the Lynx (no tilemap layer) composites the map into one large Suzy background sprite re-blitted with wrapped offsets each frame (see projects/background)
graphics.window set_tiles(x, y, w, h, tiles), move(x, y)
graphics.text print_string(x, y, text), print_number(x, y, n), clear_area(x, y, w, h) 
video.enable_lcd()
if input.pressed(INPUT_A) { text.print_string(2, 2, "A pressed") }
text.print_number(2, 4, score)
video.wait_vblank()

platform.hardware is the escape hatch for memory-mapped I/O the higher-level modules don't cover yet — sound registers, palettes, the divider, etc. It maps to raw volatile byte access at a 16-bit address:

import "platform.hardware"

hw.write(REG_BGP, 0xE4)       -- set the background palette
var seed: u8 = hw.read(REG_DIV) -- the divider makes a cheap RNG source

The graphics.* and platform.system modules wrap GBDK's sprite, background, window, and utility calls:

import "graphics.sprite"
import "graphics.bkg"

sprite.set_data(0, 2, SHIP_TILES)   -- upload two 8x8 tiles
sprite.set_tile(0, 0)
sprite.set_prop(0, FLIP_X)          -- mirror it horizontally
sprite.move(0, 84, 78)

bkg.set_data(0, 3, BKG_TILES)
bkg.set_tiles(0, 0, 20, 18, screen) -- fill a region of the tilemap
bkg.scroll(1, 0)                    -- nudge the background each frame

See samples/graphics_showcase.mos for a runnable demo (scrolling starfield, an animated ship you can fly around, a window HUD, and palette cycling).

🎯 Examples

Simple Pong Game

module "pong" {
    import "platform.video"
    import "platform.input"
    
    var paddle_y: u8 = 72
    var ball_x: u8 = 80
    var ball_y: u8 = 72
    var ball_dx: i8 = 1
    var ball_dy: i8 = 1
    
    function update_paddle() {
        if input.pressed(INPUT_UP) and paddle_y > 0 {
            paddle_y -= 2
        }
        if input.pressed(INPUT_DOWN) and paddle_y < 128 {
            paddle_y += 2
        }
    }
    
    function update_ball() {
        ball_x += ball_dx
        ball_y += ball_dy
        
        -- Bounce off walls (SCREEN_* adapt to the build target)
        if ball_y <= 0 or ball_y >= SCREEN_HEIGHT {
            ball_dy = -ball_dy
        }
        
        -- Reset if ball goes off screen
        if ball_x <= 0 or ball_x >= SCREEN_WIDTH {
            ball_x = SCREEN_WIDTH / 2
            ball_y = SCREEN_HEIGHT / 2
        }
    }
    
    function main() {
        video.enable_lcd()
        
        loop {
            update_paddle()
            update_ball()
            video.wait_vblank()
        }
    }
    
    export main
}

Sprite Animation

module "animation" {
    import "platform.video"
    
    type Animation = struct {
        frames: array[u8, 8],
        frame_count: u8,
        current_frame: u8,
        timer: u8,
        speed: u8
    }
    
    function create_animation(speed: u8) -> Animation {
        var anim: Animation = {
            frames: [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7],
            frame_count: 8,
            current_frame: 0,
            timer: 0,
            speed: speed
        }
        return anim
    }
    
    function update_animation(anim: Animation) {
        anim.timer += 1
        if anim.timer >= anim.speed {
            anim.timer = 0
            anim.current_frame += 1
            if anim.current_frame >= anim.frame_count {
                anim.current_frame = 0
            }
        }
    }
    
    export Animation, create_animation, update_animation
}

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

GBDK Not Found

Error: GBDK tool 'lcc' not found
  • Run python setup_tools.py --only gbdk to download and install GBDK-2020 into gbdk/
  • Or set GBDK_HOME to an existing install: $env:GBDK_HOME = "C:\path\to\gbdk-2020" (PowerShell) or export GBDK_HOME=/path/to/gbdk-2020 (bash)
  • Or add the GBDK bin/ directory to your PATH

A .gb ROM was treated as a source file

Error: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 ...
  • Source files must use the .mos extension; .gb is reserved for compiled ROMs
  • The discovery step only picks up .mos files and skips build/ folders

Compilation Errors

Compilation failed: Unknown type: 'MyType'
  • Check type definitions are declared before use
  • Verify imports are correct
  • Review syntax for typos

ROM Size Issues

If a program is too large, the error comes from the GBDK toolchain (sdcc/makebin) during linking, not from mosaik — the rom_size/ram_size keys in mosaik.toml are accepted but not currently enforced by the build tool.

  • Split work into smaller functions / reuse buffers
  • Let SDCC optimize; keep data tables compact
  • For larger programs, GBDK ROM banking applies (handled by the toolchain)

Debug Mode

# Build with debug symbols
python mosaik8.py build --debug

# This passes -debug to lcc and generates:
# - .map files with memory layout
# - .sym files with symbol information

🤝 Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Add tests if applicable
  5. Submit a pull request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • GBDK-2020 Team - For the excellent multi-console development kit
  • cc65 Team - For the cc65 toolchain powering the Atari Lynx and PC Engine backend
  • libretro / Handy / Beetle Lynx - For the cores powering headless Lynx testing
  • Retro Development Community - For resources and inspiration across all platforms
  • Lua and Python Communities - For syntax inspiration

📞 Support

  • Issues: Report bugs and request features on GitHub Issues
  • Documentation: See the docs/ directory for detailed guides
  • Community: Join the retro console development Discord/forums

Happy Retro Console Development! 🎮✨