C64 ROMs Library

by · Published · Updated

These are the kernal ROMs we’ve got to play with. Information is sparse (or outright non-existent) for many of them, but wherever useful information can be found, it is brought here for archival backup, or at least linked-to. A few will have references, but no downloads, either because one has not been located, or it is still commercially active, such as is the case with JiffyDOS. Each has been spun up and at least viewed in VICE for some beauty shots, which I feel has been lacking with most other collections I’ve found around the Web.

All ROMs will have as much documentation about them as I can find through scouring web forums and legacy storefronts (bless you, Web Archive!) and good old fashioned Google searches. As English is my own primary language, where I find manuals and supporting information only in other languages, I’ll link to that original information, then translate and correct it to the best of my ability for storage here, also linked with the ROM it addresses. Where documentation is found in scanned original format only, I’ll also try to translate those to textual, searchable format for more easy consumption in today’s digital world.

The kernal ROMs will fall into four primary groups:

  • Stock
    • Various versions and languages as developed and released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM).
  • Fastloaders (parallel)
    • Accelerating disk operations through the use of modified kernals and dedicated specialty hardware. Usually also include some useful key- and DOS shortcuts.
  • Fastloaders (serial)
    • Accelerating disk operations through modified kernals only, also usually have those handy shortcuts in one form or another.
  • Vanity / Convenience
    • Takes an existing release -stock or otherwise, hence all the “clones”- and makes minor changes, usually in the boot color scheme and initial starting text, but doesn’t offer any functional changes otherwise.
    • There could be many reasons for any particular individual clone to exist, but none found so far are actively malicious or anything. They’re the same train car underneath, they just have different graffiti on the outside. 😀 The advent of more modern computers made comparing these different kernals much easier, and therefore the process of ferreting out the turnkeys from the version they came from far more trivial.

The clones will be presented underneath the kernal they were originally sourced from (where known), prefaced with underscores (“____”) to make them stand out better.

If you know something about one of the ROMs I don’t have documented, or even have a ROM dump I can add to the library here, let me know!

A general comparison of the different fastloaders can be found here.

Now, on with the showcase!

BASIC

KERNALS

STOCK

Name

Notes

Screenshots

The original first version.  Kind of rare, not found on many stock machines still running in the wild.

More common, 2nd most deployed version.

The Big One.  Most common, most deployed version, found on most C64's sold during the system's height of popularity.


Japanese variant, most useful for systems actually in use by someone familiar with the language (works best with the stock JP charset too)


The Swedish variant, again most useful to somebody most comfortable with the language.  There is a matching Swedish charset as well.


Another Swedish variant, the differences with the other one are not clear yet.

For the ill-fated attempt to compete with Apple in the classrooms, this kernal was meant for the PET64, which was basically a C64 in a PET chassis with a monochrome screen.  (https://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/ced64s.html

Stock BASIC and Kernal ROMs intended for use in the C64GS.  Not of much use on other hardware, since this system was pretty much a Commodore Atari, meant to support a cartridge and joysticks. The end.

EXOS AND CLONES – 64 ONLY

These are a ROM patch that introduce some additional disk commands and achieve some improvements in load speeds -usually with simple actions like blanking the screen- but the effects don’t extend to other ops like SAVE, NEW or VERIFY.

NAME

NOTES

SCREENSHOT

NOTE: EXOS v1 clone, V1 itself not found available.

[ DOCS ]
CREATOR: J. Schemmel

[ DOCS ]
CREATOR: ?? (originated in Yugoslavia) 
NOTE: EXOS v3 clone

[ DOCS ]
CREATOR: J. Schemmel

SPEEDDOS AND CLONES – HARDWARE REQUIRED

These achieve enhanced disk transfers using permanent mod installations, composed of ROM chip replacements on both C64 and 1541 sides, custom cables, and interface cards connected to the C64 userport. The fast disk ops don’t work without the dedicated hardware, which will either need to be purchased secondhand, or built from documentation and reverse-engineering efforts.

NAME

NOTES

SCREENSHOT

CREATOR:
Elektronik Service – Christoph Dichte
[ SITE ]

NOTE:
Requires parallel cable for full functionality

Looks like a simple boot text edit of SpeedDOS

SpeedDOS clone (only startup changed)

SpeedDOS clone (only startup changed)

SpeedDOS Expert clone

SpeedDOS Expert clone

SpeedDOS Expert clone

SpeedDOS v1 clone

SpeedDOS v1 clone

HARDWARE REQUIRED

Same as SpeedDOS and friends above, these require dedicated interface hardware to work as designed, though the C64 kernal will still at least offer DOS shortcuts and other enhancements.

NAME

NOTES

SCREENSHOT

CREATOR:
Markt+Technik Verlag ?

Needs 8255 based IEEE cartridge expansion.

Very little information found about this kernal, possibly origin of EXOS?

CREATOR:
Dolphin Software

CREATOR:
Dolphin Software

CREATOR:
Dolphin Software
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Dolphin Software
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Dolphin Software


CREATOR:
Dolphin Software
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Roßmöller GmbH
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Jann Datentechnik/REX Data Technology
[ SITE ]
[ SITE 2 ]
[ DOCS ]

CREATOR:
Mikrotronic
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Mikrotronic
[ SITE ]

CREATOR:
Mikrotronic
[ SITE ]

ROMs Only (no additional cables/carts needed)

These will work without any additional hardware (beyond C64 and 1541 kernal swaps) to achieve very respectable disk speed improvements over the stock IEC (serial) connection. Most also have f-key and DOS command shortcuts as well. JiffyDOS resides in this category.

NAME

NOTES

SCREENSHOT

CREATOR: Markt+Technik Verlag ?
NOTE: Very little info on this, possible precursor to EXOS, has a 1541 ROM component, like JiffyDOS

CREATOR: Markt+Technik Verlag ?
NOTE: Very little info on this, possible precursor to EXOS, has a 1541 ROM component, like JiffyDOS

No info, will need to deep-dive this one for capbilities

[ SITE ]

[ DOCS ]

NOTE: Seems the same as the first one, from the outside.  Will need to dig deeper to determine where the differences are.

CREATOR: Delta Electronics

NOTE: Very scant info, perhaps a unique BASIC extension.

JiffyDOS (2F79984C)

[ COMMANDS ]
[ SITE ]
[ DOCS ]
[ MANUAL ]
NOTE: This kernal is still commercially active, and is offered as a burnable ROM or pre-burned to EPROM chips for C64 and/or 1541 drive.  As such, I'm happy to tell you all about it, but will not undermine their business.  It's worth the license price if you use your Commie a lot!

NOTE: JiffyDOS patcher that adds SD2IEC support and provides customization options during the patching process.  Valid (licensed ) JiffyDOS kernal ROM for C64 required.

NOTE: JiffyDOS patcher that adds the convenience of DolphinDOS to the flexibility of JiffyDOS (licensed JiffyDOS rom required)

[ SITE ]
[ DOCS ]
NOTE: JiffyDOS patch, adds REU support, sacrifices RS232 routines

____S-JiffyDOS

[ SITE ]
Patched JiffyDOS, 1541 ROM, supports 40TR

[ SITE ]
[ DOCS ]
NOTE: Linked docs are for SX-64 and C64 installation

[ SITE ]
NOTE: I did a compare and the only section that was different was for the C=/Run-Stop.
Megaload has "lO"",8,1 MagnumLoad has lO":",8,1

EXOS clone

[ SITE ]
CREATOR: Incentive Software
NOTE: Fast loader and anti-piracy software device, usually associated with a datasette

CREATOR: 

REX-HAGEN

[ SITE ]
[ DOCS ]
CREATOR: Claus of Protovision Games (still active)
NOTE: 2017/01/22 by Claus claus@acoustic-velocity.com
eload1 code based on EasyProg with friendly permission from Thomas Giesel (skoe)

CREATOR: Haensch and scientific market

[ SITE ]
CREATOR: Starpoint Software

[ SITE ]
NOTE: TurboTape from Compute?

[ SITE ]
[ DOCS ]
CREATOR: Datel Electronics
NOTE: This is possibly PAL-only, see Mercury ROM III below for NTSC variant

[ SITE ]
NOTE: There doesn't seem to be any info on this one, but it appears to be a modified Turbo ROM II, with the only modification being a minor edit to the boot screen text.

Did not boot 

Did not boot in stock, will need to research issue

Did not boot in stock, will need to research issue

Did not boot in stock, will need to research issue

Did not boot in stock, will need to research issue

UNKNOWN OR UNCLASSIFIABLE

While looking for information on the others, I would sometimes encounter references to other kernal ROMs I didn’t have documented yet. These are the ones that haven’t been linked with something else, or are still just generally strangers in the mist.

Name

Notes

Screenshots

NOTES: This seems to be a Speeddos 85'er clone, hacked to save memory under I/O (code at $e000) but doesn't work in any emulator, just loops on reading $dd00

Perhaps a precursor to ProfessionalDOS, or maybe a later variant, as Mikrotronic was the company that originally sold the mod, but then another company called VTS did their own take on it... It's still a little vague on this one at present.

No information found anywhere on the internet with this one, but it's frequently included in the multi-kernal ROM kits available for purchase here and there.

CHARSETS

Most of the interesting (and complete) charset replacements were found at https://github.com/patrickmollohan/c64-fonts. These can be installed with an alternate EPROM/EEPROM in the C64 charset ROM chip slot, much like the multi-kernal switchers that are out there now.

Tags:

You may also like...

Leave a Reply