[Side Project] Ample for Windows & Linux v0.285

[anomixer]

Hi @ksherlock,

First off, thank you for creating Ample! It's hands-down the best Apple II/Macintosh frontend experience I've used.

As I mentioned in my previous PR (#44) where I was trying to patch in some missing ROMs, I've been actively working on porting the Ample experience to Windows. Your recent fixes for [roms.plist] were perfect and allowed me to fully synchronize my Windows port's backend with the latest upstream master.

I wanted to share this project with you and the community in case there are other Windows users looking for this experience.

AmpleWin (Windows Port)

The project is a strictly additive extension to your codebase (living in AmpleWin/), keeping the core synchronised with your upstream master.

• Repo: https://github.com/anomixer/ample/tree/master/AmpleWin
• Release: v0.285

Key Features:

• 1:1 UI Replication: Re-implemented your Cocoa UI using PySide6 (Qt) with pixel-perfect QSS styling.
• MAME Integration: Built-in downloader for MAME 0.285 + ROMs.
• Windows Optimizations: Multi-threaded downloading, deferred loading for performance, and extensive support for Windows paths/drivers.

Thanks again for the inspiration and the solid foundation of Ample!

Best regards,
anomixer

[ksherlock]

I'm adding a link in the readme but let's keep this issue open for visibility. I think linux support would be esay to add as well (use mame instead of mame.exe and let the user download it themselves)

[anomixer]

I'm adding a link in the readme but let's keep this issue open for visibility. I think linux support would be esay to add as well (use mame instead of mame.exe and let the user download it themselves)

Sure! I've also completed the Linux port. Check out: AmpleLinux
(The link already added to the top readme.md; also check my PR for you.)

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The Linux port (AmpleLinux) sits alongside the existing AmpleWin port in the repo. Here are a few highlights:

Native Feel: Adapts to GNOME/KDE dark modes using PySide6.

Easy Setup: Includes an AmpleLinux.sh script that automatically handles venv creation and dependencies.

Standalone Build: A build_elf.sh script creates a portable ELF binary with PyInstaller and even offers to install a .desktop shortcut for system menu integration.

Ubuntu Friendly: Auto-detects missing MAME and suggests snap install mame.

The core logic (data_manager, rom_manager) is shared with the Windows port, so maintenance is relatively straightforward.

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Thanks again for the great foundation on the Mac version! Feel free to point any Linux users my way if they're looking for a native frontend.

Best, anomixer