CommodoreSam is back with a detailed Prog8 setup guide for anyone eager to program classic 6502-based computers like the Commodore 64, Commander X16, or Otter X. In this video, he walks viewers through installing the full Prog8 toolchain on Windows and introduces the growing Prog8 User Group.
Sam begins by sharing his experience preparing for the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, where he and fellow enthusiasts showcased projects powered by the 6502. Together with Andrew Gillum and Brett Estrade, they formed the Prog8 User Group to explore this modern compiled language designed for retro systems. The session, hosted over Microsoft Teams, features Andrew leading a tutorial that walks viewers from installation to running their first compiled program.
The Prog8 setup guide covers everything step by step: installing IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, Git for version control, Java for running the compiler, and essential tools like GNU Make and 64tass. Sam demonstrates how to configure each tool correctly, set up the environment paths, and integrate the Prog8 compiler into IntelliJ. The video even explains how to add syntax highlighting for easier code readability.
Once the environment is ready, Andrew showcases simple yet impressive examples built in Prog8, including demos for the Commodore 64 and Commander X16. Viewers see practical uses like sprite handling, raster effects, and even a Solitaire game coded almost entirely in Prog8. The session concludes with compiling and running a “Hello World” example inside the VICE emulator, confirming the entire setup works smoothly.
The video ends with a preview of upcoming lessons where the group will dive deeper into input handling, variables, and cross-platform development using the same source code. For anyone interested in programming classic hardware with modern tools, this Prog8 setup guide is the perfect place to start.
