C64 OS System Updates

C64 OS keeps getting better.
Get the latest system software updates here.


C64 Archiver and Installer.


System updates are more reliable than ever.

  1. Get your current version of C64 OS from Settings → About.
  2. Find the update below with a matching Required Version #. Download the CAR file and copy it to a device accessible to C64 OS. Double-click it in File Manager.
  3. The Installer Utility opens automatically. (If it doesn't, choose Installer to open the CAR file.)
  4. Optionally, click the Check button to perform an integrity check. If you get a check mark, the file is ready to install. If you get a splat, something went wrong and you should not install the file.
  5. Click the Install button. When it's done, reboot C64 OS.
Installing Software Updates is easy as 1, 2, 3.

No better way to transport C64 files than in a CAR.

C64 Archiver Icon.

C64 Archiver is an Application for C64 OS that creates archive files that contain C64 files, including all CBM FS metadata and also retains their structure in nested subdirectories. The archive files produced are called CAR files.

CAR files are the standard way of distributing C64 OS software, but can also be used to distribute regular C64 software and other resource files too. Read the C64 Archiver and Installer guide to learn more about how to use these tools and a more detailed description of how to install system updates.



Software Licensing

C64 OS System Updates, regardless of how they are acquired, whether directly from OpCoders Inc. on a physical SD Card, downloaded from c64os.com, or from any other source, are licensed under the same end-user license agreement that governs a commercial copy of C64 OS.

https://www.c64os.com/legal/software-license-agreement/

By downloading C64 OS system updates, you are agreeing to be bound by the software license agreement. C64 OS system updates may not be distributed in any way without the prior written consent of OpCoders Inc.


C64 OS System Updates

System updates are added here as they become available. See also, What's New!

Made for C64 OS - Screenshot Collage.

Install Updates in the Correct Order

Software updates must be installed in the correct order! There is no check to make sure that what you're installing is appropriate for updating your current version.

  1. Check your current version number. (Utilities Menu → Settings → About)
  2. Install the appropriate update for that version first.
  3. Reboot. (Options Menu → Quit to BASIC → Load and run C64 OS again.)
  4. Repeat from step 1, if there are additional updates to be installed.

RECOMMENDED: Make a backup of your system directory in case something goes wrong, like an unexpected power outage in the middle of updating an important file.



SD2IEC Users: IMPORTANT

Before installing software updates to C64 OS, especially starting from v1.0, you need to put your SD2IEC into filename-compatibility mode.

In the examples below, change the number 8 to the device number assigned to your SD2IEC.

From the READY prompt, if you have JiffyDOS: 

Set the default drive number to your SD2IEC:

@#8

Change the compatibility mode:

@"xe2"

Save the settings to the firmware:

@"xw"

From the READY prompt, if you do not have JiffyDOS: 

Change the compatibility mode:

open15,8,15,"xe2":close15

Save the settings to the firmware:

open15,8,15,"xw":close15

Version 1.07: Networking Release

This is a major release, but most of the work went into low-level infrastructure. There are a number of bug fixes and several new features, but the main new development is the network stack. There is one Application, to start with, that takes advantage of the networking: Wikipedia.

To learn how to use networking in C64 OS, refer to the new C64 OS Networking Guide.

Read some technical details and history of its development in the blog post Networking in C64 OS.

Many bugs were fixed in the TKText class's ability to render MText and support for clicking links was implemented in this release. This class underlies Wikipedia's main display area and allows you to click links to navigate to other articles. The TextView Utility also gains support for links in MText, and can use them to open linked MText files or to launch Utilities.

The Help Utility is also new in this release and can be found in the Utilities menu. When opened it searches the current App's bundle for help content and displays it if found. Help content has a table of contents in a resizable left sidebar, and links in the main content can cross link help topics.

Improvements to PRG Runner make it easier to launch non-C64-OS software from the File Manager, without requiring the creation of a PRG alias ahead of time.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.07.update.car 2025-01-03 1.06 1.07 349 KB, 1375 blocks 2144df1c

Every contribution helps ensure continued development of C64 OS. These updates take literally hundreds of hours of work. Show your support by paying what you can afford for these new features.

New Features

  • New "Wikipedia: C64 OS Edition" Application.
  • New Network Utility to configure the network hardware driver, connect to wifi and connect to a CNP proxy server.
  • New MoonPhase Utility retrieves moon phase information from an internet service.
  • New Help Utility opens help content provided by the current Application.
  • Settings Utility now offers "Network" in the hardware section.
Show More...


Version 1.06 Patch 1: Drive Detection

This is a very small patch to v1.06 that fixes a bug in drive detection. Install this if you are having an issue in which the 1541 drive is appearing in the Drives Utility as "Unkown."

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.06.patch1.car 2024-10-16 1.06 1.06 p1 3 KB, 12 blocks 2144df1c

Issues Fixed

  • Updated Drives Utility.
  • Updated IEC library.


Version 1.06: Memos and MiniEdit Release

This is a smaller release than the last couple, with more modest additions. The main new feature is the TKTArea class, a multi-line text area control with word wrap and integrated with the clipboard. This class is put to use in a few places; Today Utility, plus two new Utilities, Memos and MiniEdit.

Support for hidden files is now available in File Manager and the Open and Save Utilities. This supports the unix standard of treating files that begin with a dot (.) as hidden, but also supports the special hidden bit on SD2IEC.

A new Utility has been added called Buckets. This is the first step in an idea that goes back several years. It comes with a several pre-defined "buckets" into which you can add file references. Other Applications and Utilities can perform operations on the contents of a bucket. A backup Application could use the references in the "backup" bucket to backup several items from different places. The "trash" bucket can be used to flag items from around the file system that you want to trash later. It's an open concept with a myriad creative uses. You can think of buckets like tags.

This release includes a new App called Visualizer that puts the "favorites" bucket to use as a playlist for the SID Preview Utility, with a cool visual effect that animates in the background.

Another nice addition is C64 Archiver's ability to create v3 CAR files which embed a CRC32 checksum. The Installer has been updated with a "check" button which can be used to optionally run an integrity check on the CAR files that support it.

Full reboot required after install

You must Quit to BASIC and reboot C64 OS after updating to 1.06. If you use an REU with Fast App Switching in 1.05, you must do a FULL reboot.

To do a full reboot, the easiest way is to power off your C64 for a few seconds, power it back on, and then boot C64 OS again.

Special Note for users of Ultimate64 or Ultimate II+: If you have configured your device with a backup image of the REU, you must remove or prevent C64 OS from using this REU image to fast reboot. C64 OS must do a full boot from storage to be updated to 1.06.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.06.update.car 2024-03-22 1.05 1.06 144 KB, 566 blocks 18fce6a1

New Features

  • New Memos Utility.
  • New MiniEdit Utility.
  • New Buckets Utility.
  • New Visualizer App for playing SID music, and using the Favorites bucket.
  • C64 Archiver can create v3 CARs with embedded CRC32 checksum.
  • Installer can optionally check integrity of v3 CARs.
  • Support for hidden files in File Manager, Open and Save Utilities.
    • Files and subdirectories beginning with a dot (.) are considered hidden.
    • Works on all device families, including legacy disk drives.
    • Files hidden with the "hidden" flag on SD2IEC devices can now be shown.
Show More...

Version 1.05: Fast App Switching Release

This release introduces a long-planned major architectural addition; Fast App Switching.

Fast App Switching requires an REU, and when one is detected the system substitutes a special REU-optimized services KERNAL module. With this in place, loading apps is done with the new system component, switcher. This is found in //os/library/ and takes the place of the loader. Switcher performs all the same tasks as loader, with the additional ability to freeze the current App to an available REU App-bank. If the Application being loaded is already frozen in an App-bank, it gets swapped into main memory very quickly from the REU and then thawed.

Two new Utilities are added to support Fast App Switching: Usage and Switcher. Usage is an updated replacement for the Memory Utility. It expands the main memory visualization to double the width, showing one character for every page in a 32 x 8 grid. It adds two new tabs, one to visualize the availability and allocation of REU banks, and another for the brand new CPU usage visualization. Usage has been entirely rewritten to have a Toolkit-based UI.

The Switcher Utility has been added to the bottom of the Utilities menu. It lists all of the Apps currently frozen in App-banks in the REU. They're listed in recently accessed order. Double click any App to switch to it. Or, click an App to see how much memory (in 64KB increments) it is using. Click Quit (or Kill) to end and purge that App from the REU.

Another new feature that comes as part of Fast App Switching is Fast Reboot. After Quitting to BASIC from App Launcher or File Manager, or dropping to the READY prompt from the new Swither Utility, C64 OS is fully archived in the REU and rebooting, simply by loading and running the "c64os" booter again, takes just a couple of seconds. A series of keyboard shortcuts has been introduced to help manage the state of Apps frozen in the REU.

WARNING: Mind the required version #

You MUST NOT install 1.05 over top of any version other than 1.04. Check your version number first. Confirm that it is 1.04 before you attempt to install 1.05.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.05.update.car 2023-11-04 1.04 1.05 244 KB, 961 blocks 4ab366d2

New Features

  • Fast App Switching, with REU.
  • Fast Reboot, with REU.
  • Switcher Utility for managing Fast App Switching.
    • Available from the Utilities menu.
    • Drop to the READY. prompt is now available from within any App.
    • Shows list of Apps in Fast App Switching banks.
    • Select an App shows its status and memory usage.
    • Quit/Kill button terminates the selected App.
    • Switch button fast switches to the selected App.
    • Double click an App to fast switch to it.
    • Apps are shown in order of most recent access.
    • Apps in unsaved state will not auto-purge.
  • New Official C64 OS bitmap boot screen, created by "The Sarge".
Show More...

Version 1.04: Multimedia Release

This release introduces a new universal Commodore 64 graphics file format called, Commodore Grafix, or CGFX. It is a RIFF/CGFX container with support for different native and non-native video modes, metadata, format and frame size information. Additionally it supports multiple frames for panoramas, matrices for 3D models and look-around scenes, and short animations up to 256 frames.

Image Viewer receives a major update with support for CGFX. All image datatype loaders have been refactored. New image datatype savers allow you to save any HiRes or MultiColor frame as a custom boot screen. Screen captures now save with their custom character set, and can be viewed with Image Viewer.

The sidplay library gains new support for metadata, and a new Utility, SID Preview, can be used to listen to PSID music files. The sid search webservice at services.c64os.com has been rebuilt offering a searchable database of over 34,000 SIDs from HVSC that have been relocated for compatibility with C64 OS.

Many bugs have been fixed. New drivers for TurboChameleon64 and MMC64. New customizable boot options, and numerous new system-level features and improvements are found throughout.

WARNING: Mind the required version #

You MUST NOT install 1.04 over top of the wrong version number.

To install 1.04.upd1.0p.car, you MUST currently have a version number of either "1.0p" or "1.02".

To install 1.04.upd1.03.car, you MUST currently have a version number of "1.03".

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.04.upd1.0p.car 2023-06-08 1.0p or 1.02 1.04 291 KB, 1148 blocks 7913abc8
1.04.upd1.03.car 2023-06-08 1.03 1.04 205 KB, 806 blocks 5c1fe535

Only one of the update files listed above is required. Choose the one that corresponds with the version of C64 OS which you are updating from.

New Features

  • Commodore Grafix file format. A RIFF/CGFX container format for C64 graphics in multiple modes and formats.
  • Image datatype loader for Commodore Grafix files, with .cgx extension.
  • Image datatype loader for PETSCII Bots, with .pbot extension.
  • Image datatype loader for matrix images in 3D Koala format, with .3dk extension.
  • Image datatype savers for Koala (MultiColor) and Art Studio (HiRes) formats.
  • RTC driver for TurboChameleon64 and MMC64.
  • Boot components, boot.koala.o and boot.art.o for displaying custom bitmap bootscreens.
  • Screen grabs are now saved in PETSCII graphics format v2, which includes the custom character set.
  • Limited support for VICE FS as a legacy device (single directory only.)
Show More...

Booter and Install Tools

The booter and install tools (c64os, c64os setup, and c64restore) typically reside outside the system directory, in the root directory of the system partition. Updated versions of these have been installed in //os/c64tools/. Although not strictly necessary, after updating to v1.04, it is recommended to copy "//os/c64tools/:c64os" and "//os/c64tools/:c64os setup" to the root directory, overwriting the older versions there.

The new copy of the booter is a clean copy that's not setup. The first time you boot with the new version it'll ask you to confirm you've read the EULA, and will ask you how you want to setup:

  • s) System Card first run (default)

  • f) Fresh installation
  • c) Change installed location

Choose either System Card first run, or Change installed location. After confirming the installed location of C64 OS, the new setup gives the option of running the Configure Tool. It's not a bad idea to run through this at least once to update your core settings, pick available drivers, configure mouse settings, etc. After going through the setup, you do not need to retain a copy of "c64os setup" or "c64restore" in the root directory, as fresh copies of those are found in //os/c64tools/.

Version 1.03: Mounting and Mouse Wheel Release

This release includes some new core features. Mainly, the ability to mount Disk Images in File Manager, and mouse wheel support with new MicroMys mouse driver.

WARNING: Mind the required version #

You MUST NOT install 1.03 over top of any version other than 1.02. Check your version number first. Confirm that it is 1.02 before you attempt to install 1.03.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.03.update.car 2023-01-16 1.02 1.03 90 KB, 356 blocks 3349e5ca

This release includes some new core features. Mainly, the ability to mount Disk Images in File Manager, and mouse wheel support with new MicroMys mouse driver.

New Features

  • New Checksum Utility (CRC8, CRC16, CRC32 on selected file.)
  • New crc32 tool (//os/c64tools/:crc32 computes true CRC32.)
  • New MicroMys mouse driver (port 1.)
  • Mouse wheel support in all Toolkit scroll views.
  • New Mount Utility (mounts disk images to SD2IEC non-boot partitions.)
  • 13 new sample desktop backdrops.
Show More...

cksum number: 2630579159 See: C64 Archiver and Installer → Versions and Upgrades.

Version 1.02: Installer Bug Fixes Release

This release is very small, it only updates the Installer Utility. It fixes a critical bug that prevented Installer from reliably extracting files with filenames longer than 14 characters.

WARNING: Mind the required version #

You MUST NOT install 1.02 over top of any version other than 1.01. Check your version number first. Confirm that it is 1.01 before you attempt to install 1.02.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.02.update.car 2023-01-16 1.01 1.02 4 KB, 14 blocks 42022f62

This release is very small, it only updates the Installer Utility. It fixes a critical bug that prevented Installer from reliably extracting files with filenames longer than 14 characters.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes an issue that prevented Installer Utility from updating files with names longer than 14 characters.
  • Fixes an issue copying the note from a CAR file from the Installer Utililty to the clipboard.

cksum number: 1791257261 See: C64 Archiver and Installer → Versions and Upgrades.

Version 1.01: Initial Bug Fixes Release

This release mainly fixes bugs, but also includes a couple new things such as the 1351 port 2 driver and an improved version of the PRG Alias Creator tool.

WARNING: Mind the required version #

You MUST NOT install 1.01 over top of any version other than 1.0. Check your version number first. Confirm that it is "1.0" before you attempt to install 1.01.

IDE64 compatibility WARNING

If your current version is 1.0p (the 1.0-patched for IDE64 compatibility) DO NOT install this update, or it will break the 1.0 patch.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
1.01.update.car 2022-11-20 1.0 (not 1.0p) 1.01 53 KB, 209 blocks 70a2acfc

New Features

  • bootsect.128 in //os/c64tools/ allows C128 mode to autoboot C64 OS.
  • Added 4 new desktop backdrops: home, door, joystick inv, and settings.
  • Added the default desktop 5 backdrop to the backdrops directory.
  • Added 1351 mouse driver for port 2.
Show More...

cksum number: 1531689060 See: C64 Archiver and Installer → Versions and Upgrades.

Version 1.0p: Special IDE64 1.0 Patch

This is a special patch that is only required for some IDE64 users, with certain combinations of IDE64 hardware and IDEDOS versions.

Who needs this patch?

This patch is only necessary if you have installed v1.0 on an IDE64, but File Manager crashes upon loading. To solve this problem, follow the instructions below.

Filename Release Date Required Version # Version # File Size CRC32 checksum
ide64patch 2023-06-04 1.0 1.0p 1.6 KB, 7 blocks a06da2fb
init.o 2023-06-04 1.0 1.0p 2 KB, 9 blocks bffe373a
Installer 2023-06-04 1.0 1.0p 3.2 KB, 14 blocks 9980c8ca

Do I need this patch?

You only need this patch if:

  1. You have version 1.0 installed on an IDE64, and
  2. Your installation crashes trying to launch File Manager.

If you are using an IDE64 and the File Manager opens without any issue, you do not require this patch. You can proceed as normal to download and install the software updates as usual.

Show More...

cksum numbers:

ide64patch: 4048791698
init.o: 4190311738
Installer: 3169850499

See: C64 Archiver and Installer → Versions and Upgrades.


Last modified: Jan 06, 2025






About this page

C64 OS version 1.07 is now available for order. Updated 50-page User's Guide with new content covering fast app switching, networking, new Apps and Utilities.

Keep your eye on this page for breaking news about the latest releases of C64 OS and related software.

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