FUTURE_IDEAS.md

Future Tools & Ideas

This document contains a list of tools and libraries that were previously in the scripts/_future directory. They are candidates for future integration into KOSAIO.

Libraries

• AICAOS (DONE)

  • Description: A small library for the Dreamcast AICA sound subsystem.
  • URL: https://github.com/pcercuei/AICAOS.git

• libdreamroq (DONE)

  • Description: Library for playing RoQ videos.
  • URL: https://github.com/dreamcastdevs/libdreamroq.git

• libevmu

  • Description: Accurate, full-featured VMU emulation library.
  • URL: https://github.com/gyrovorbis/libevmu.git

• dreamhal

  • Description: Hardware abstraction library (HAL) for Dreamcast/SH4.
  • URL: https://github.com/sega-dreamcast/dreamhal.git

• SDL (DONE — 4 variants available as sdl2, sdl3, sdl2-dc, sdl3-dc)

  • Description: SDL with updated Dreamcast code.
  • URL: https://github.com/DreamcastSDK/SDL.git

• raylib4Dreamcast

  • Description: raylib port for Dreamcast.
  • URL: https://github.com/raylib4Consoles/raylib4Dreamcast.git

• libfastmem (Already in kos-ports)

  • Description: Memory management and performance optimization library for Sega Dreamcast.
  • URL: https://github.com/sega-dreamcast/libfastmem

Tools & Utilities

• cim2gdi

  • Description: Tool for converting Dreamcast CIM files to GDI.
  • URL: https://github.com/RedRingRico/cim2gdi.git

• dc-ftpd

  • Description: FTP server for the Dreamcast (lwIP based).
  • URL: https://github.com/zeldin/dc-ftpd.git

• dc-mboot

  • Description: Universal Dreamcast boot disk.
  • URL: https://github.com/zeldin/dc-mboot.git

• dc-reloader

  • Description: Simple loader for indie compilations.
  • URL: https://github.com/kilgariff/dc-reloader.git

• dc-virtcd

  • Description: CD virtualization system (load files over network).
  • URL: https://github.com/zeldin/dc-virtcd.git

• neoIP

  • Description: Customizable bootloader for embedding within IP.BIN.
  • URL: https://github.com/mrneo240/neoIP.git

• spvr2png

  • Description: PVR to PNG converter.
  • URL: https://github.com/nextgeniuspro/spvr2png.git

• texconv

  • Description: Texture converter tool (GUI) for PVR format.
  • URL: https://github.com/tvspelsfreak/texconv.git
  • Dependencies: qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev libqt5svg5-dev etc.

Profiling & Debugging

• dcprofiler

  • Description: Profiling library for Sega Dreamcast.
  • URL: https://github.com/Dreamcast-Projects/dcprofiler.git

• dcprof (Simulant)

  • Description: gprof compatible sampling profiler.
  • URL: https://gitlab.com/simulant/dcprof.git

• vmu-profiler

  • Description: Real-Time VMU Profiler.
  • URL: https://github.com/gyrovorbis/vmu-profiler.git

Engines & Media

• Prism

  • Description: 3D game engine for Sega Dreamcast.
  • URL: https://github.com/CaptainDreamcast/prism.git

• Dreamcast Media Center

  • Description: Multi-Media Player.
  • URL: https://github.com/PH3NOM-PRO/dreamcast-media-center.git

System Utilities / Generic

• libtool

  • Note: Found as a placeholder requirement.

• unzip

  • Note: Found as a placeholder requirement.

Infrastructure

• Config-driven tool system — user-editable .conf files per tool, replacing hardcoded defaults.

  • Location: configs/tools/<tool-id>.conf (e.g. configs/tools/sdl2-dc.conf)
  • Format: bash sourceable variables

  # === BUILD OPTIONS ===
  KOSAIO_TOOL_ARGS=(
      "-DSDL_PTHREADS=ON"
      "-DSDL_OPENGL=ON"
      "-DSDL_HAPTIC=ON"
      "-DSDL_TESTS=OFF"
  )
  
  # === SOURCE CONTROL ===
  # KOSAIO_TOOL_BRANCH="dreamcastSDL2"
  # KOSAIO_TOOL_TAG="v2.0.0"
  
  # === INSTALLATION ===
  KOSAIO_TOOL_INSTALLATION_FOLDER="${KOS_BASE}/addons"
  KOSAIO_TOOL_INSTALLATION_LIBDIR="lib/dreamcast"
  KOSAIO_TOOL_INSTALLATION_INCLUDEDIR="include"
  
  # === COMPILER/LINKER FLAGS ===
  KOSAIO_TOOL_FLAGS=(
      "-O2"
      "-ffast-math"
  )
  
  # === CONTAINER ENVIRONMENT ===
  KOSAIO_TOOL_ENV=(
      "KOS_BASE=/opt/kos"
      "KOS_PORTS=/opt/kos/ports"
  )

  • Precedence (last wins): config file < CLI flags
  • New subcommands:
    • kosaio config <tool> — opens configs/tools/<tool>.conf in $EDITOR
    • kosaio rebuild <tool> — uninstall + install with current config
  • Remove hardcoded defaults from existing tool scripts (sdl2-dc.sh, sdl3-dc.sh, etc.)
  • Future considerations:
    • Generic tool type sdl-cmake to share logic across similar tools
    • KOSAIO_TOOL_PATCHES for post-clone patches
  • Status: PENDING