Apple2TS-App

An Electron desktop application for the Apple2TS progressive web app, providing a native desktop experience.

About

Apple2TS-App is a cross-platform Electron application that wraps the Apple2TS progressive web app, bringing the Apple II emulator experience to your desktop. This wrapper provides enhanced functionality and integration with the operating system while maintaining the full functionality of the web-based emulator.

Features

• Native Desktop Experience: Run Apple2TS as a standalone desktop application with custom splash screen
• Cross-Platform: Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Code Signed & Notarized: Properly signed macOS builds for enhanced security and user experience
• Full Apple II Emulation: Complete access to all Apple2TS emulator features
• System Integration: Better file system access and native OS integration
• Offline Capability: Run the emulator without requiring a web browser
• Professional UI: Custom splash screen and native application menus

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)
• npm or yarn package manager

Installation

From Source

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ct6502/apple2ts-app.git
   cd apple2ts-app

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the application in development mode:

   npm start

Development

Building for Development

To run the application in development mode with hot reload:

npm start

Building for Production

To create a distributable package:

rm -rf apple2ts-dist/ out assets/apple2ts-assets ; npm run make

To install apple2ts from local source code instead of downloading:

rm -rf apple2ts-dist/ out assets/apple2ts-assets ; npm run package:local ; npm run make

To install on a Mac from the built package:

open ./out/make/Apple2TS.dmg

To run in debug mode, with an optional disk image:

/Applications/Apple2TS.app/Contents/MacOS/Apple2TS --debug ~/Desktop/Frogger.woz

Distribution

Automated Releases (Recommended)

The easiest way to create releases is using GitHub Actions:

1. Update version: npm version patch (or minor/major)
2. Create and push tag:

   git push origin main
   git push origin --tags

3. Automatic build: GitHub Actions will automatically build and publish releases for all platforms with proper code signing

See GITHUB_ACTIONS.md for detailed setup instructions.

Manual Releases

To create a release manually:

npm run publish

This will build for all platforms and create a GitHub release with downloadable assets.

Build Commands

• npm run make - Build distributables for your current platform
• npm run publish - Build and publish to GitHub releases

Available Scripts

• npm start - Start the application in development mode
• npm run package - Package the application without creating distributables
• npm run make - The same as npm run package
• npm run publish - Publish the application with automatic GitHub release
• npm run lint - Run ESLint on TypeScript files

Project Structure

apple2ts-app/
├── src/
│   ├── main.ts          # Main Electron process with splash screen
├── assets/              # Application assets (icons, splash image)
│   ├── apple2ts/        # Default assets for Apple2TS
│   ├── noxarchaist/     # Sample branded assets for Nox Archaist
├── .github/workflows/   # CI/CD automation for releases
├── forge.config.ts      # Electron Forge configuration with code signing
├── vite.*.config.ts     # Vite build configurations
├── package.json         # Project dependencies and scripts
└── index.html          # Main application HTML

Technology Stack

• Electron: Desktop application framework
• TypeScript: Type-safe JavaScript development
• Vite: Fast build tool and development server
• Electron Forge: Application packaging and distribution
• GitHub Actions: Automated CI/CD with cross-platform builds and code signing

Customization

Branded Application

See assets/README.md for details on creating a branded version of apple2ts-app, for Nox Archaist for example.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development Guidelines

1. Follow TypeScript best practices
2. Use ESLint for code formatting
3. Test your changes on multiple platforms when possible
4. Update documentation as needed

Update CHANGELOG

See the "Update CHANGELOG" section in the apple2ts README.

To create or update the changelog, run the script:

# Extract version from package.json
VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
# Generate changelog with the version from package.json
github_changelog_generator --token $GITHUB_TOKEN -u ct6502 -p apple2ts-app --future-release "v$VERSION"
git add .
git commit -m "Update CHANGELOG for v$VERSION"
# Now create and push the tag
git tag -a "v$VERSION" -m"v$VERSION"
git push --follow-tags

License

This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Related Projects

• Apple2TS - The original TypeScript Apple II emulator
• Electron - The desktop application framework used

Author

Chris Torrence - ct6502

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.