Getting Started with Amiga Development

Set up your tools for Amiga 68000 assembly programming.

What You Need

To develop for the Amiga, you need three things: a way to compile your code, an emulator to run it, and Kickstart ROMs.

⚙️ Dev Toolchain

Asm198x assembles the program; Build198x masters the disk it boots from.

Install

brew install asm198x/tap/asm198x

Build198x is a direct download for macOS, Linux and Windows — put build198x on your PATH.

Compile

asm198x --dialect vasm --exe game.asm -o game

Create Bootable Disk

build198x adf game -o game.adf --volume Game

One command writes the boot block, the s/startup-sequence that runs your program, and the program itself. The same source always produces the same disk, byte for byte.

🖥️ Emulator

Install an Amiga emulator natively for the best experience.

macOS / Linux

brew install --cask fs-uae  # macOS
sudo apt install fs-uae     # Linux

Windows — Download WinUAE

Kickstart ROMs

Amiga emulators require Kickstart ROM files:

Run

fs-uae --floppy_drive_0=game.adf

Ready to Build

Your tools are set up. Time to write some code.

Start with Assembly →