Cc65

cc65 is a cross development package for 6502 and 65C02 targets, including a macro assembler, a C cross compiler, linker, librarian and several other tools.

cc65

Developer(s)	Ullrich von Bassewitz
Initial release	November 15, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-11-15)[1]
Stable release	2.19[2]  / November 20, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-11-20)
Repository	github.com/cc65/cc65
Written in	ANSI C
Operating system	Multiplatform
Type	Cross compiler
License	zlib license
Website	cc65.github.io

Overview

cc65 is based on a native C compiler that was originally adapted for the Atari 8-bit computers by John R. Dunning in 1989, which originated as a Small-C descendant. It has several extensions, and some of the limits of the original Small C compiler are gone.

The toolkit has largely been expanded by Ullrich von Bassewitz and other contributors. The actual cc65 compiler, a complete set of binary tools (assembler, linker, etc.) and runtime library are under a license identical to zlib's.^[3]

The compiler itself comes close to ANSI C compatibility, while C library features depend on the target platform's hardware. stdio is supported on many platforms, as is Borland-style conio.h screen handling. GEOS is also supported on the Commodore 64 and the Apple II. The library supports many of the Commodore platforms (C64, C128, C16/116/Plus/4, P500 and 600/700 family), Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Oric Atmos, Nintendo Entertainment System,^[4][5] Watara Supervision game console, Synertek Systems SYM-1 and Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P.^[6]

Officially supported host systems include Linux, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS and OS/2, but the source code itself has been reported^{[by whom?]} to work almost unmodified on many platforms beside these.

The ca65 macro assembler supports 6502, 65C02, and 65C816 processors, and can be used standalone without the C compiler.^[7]

Supported API

static

• conio (text-based console I/O non-scrolling)
• dio (block-oriented disk I/O bypassing the file system)

dynamic

• em (expanded memory, used for all kinds of memory beyond the 6502's 64K barrier, similar EMS)
• joystick (relative input devices)
• mouse (absolute input devices)
• serial (communication)
• tgi (2D graphics primitives inspired by BGI)

	conio	dio	emd	joy	mou	ser	tgi
apple2	Yes	Yes	1	1	1	1	2
apple2enh	Yes	Yes	1	1	1	1	2
atari	Yes	Yes		2			15[8]
atmos	Yes						1
c16	Yes		1	1
c64	Yes		6	4	3	1	1
c128	Yes		5	2	3	1	2
cbm510	Yes		1	1		1
cbm610	Yes		1			1
geos	Yes	Yes	1	1			1
lynx				1		1	1
nes	Yes			1			1
osic1p	Yes
pet	Yes			1
plus4	Yes			1		1
supervision
sym1
vic20	Yes			2

Note: For static libraries, "Yes" means the feature is available. For dynamic libraries, the columns list the number of available drivers.