PUAE
PUAE runs software made for Amiga computers on other platforms.
What PUAE is
PUAE runs software made for Amiga computers on other platforms. It supports Amiga models including OCS, ECS Agnus, full ECS, AGA, CDTV, and CD32, with host options that include Linux, macOS, Windows through Cygwin or MinGW, and other Unix-like systems. Feature support varies by host. It handles ADF, DMS, FDI, and IPF disk images, as well as gzip-compressed images and ZIP archives; IPF support on OS X and AMD64/Linux requires the libcapsimage plug-in. Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image, and copyrighted ROMs may not be freely distributed. PUAE is open source under GPL-2.0. Its E-UAE lineage combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10, and the project includes make_hdf, a command-line tool for creating blank hardfile images. A GTK+ configuration interface is available on compatible systems, but it is incomplete. The README also lists X-Arcade joystick support and several features that are not yet supported, including serial and parallel port emulation, graphics filters, and floppy drive sounds.
Good
- Runs software designed for Amiga computers.
- Supports six listed Amiga models.
- Reads several disk image formats and archives.
- Includes make_hdf for blank hardfile images.
- Supports X-Arcade joysticks.
Watch out
- Full use requires a Kickstart ROM image.
- GTK+ configuration GUI is incomplete.
- Several listed emulation features are unsupported.
- IPF support requires a plug-in on listed systems.
Who it suits
PUAE may suit people who want to run Amiga software on Linux, macOS, Windows, or another listed host. Users should be prepared to provide a Kickstart ROM image for full use and work around features that remain unsupported.
Verdict
PUAE offers broad Amiga model and disk-image support across multiple host systems. Its incomplete configuration GUI, unsupported features, and Kickstart ROM requirement are important considerations.
The facts
Each one read from PUAE's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Configuration GUI
- The README says a usable configuration GUI is available only on platforms supporting GTK+, and describes that GUI as incomplete.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Configuration interface
- The README says a usable configuration GUI is available only on platforms with GTK+, and that the GTK+ GUI is incomplete.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Disk images
- The project added a command-line tool called make_hdf for generating blank hardfile images.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Disk image tool
- The README lists make_hdf, a command-line tool for generating blank hardfile images.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Documentation and support
- The README describes documentation as a work in progress and directs users to a mailing list for discussion and to Richard Drummond for bug reports, comments, and patches.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The repository's Releases page says there are no releases.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Floppy image support
- IPF floppy image support is listed for OS X and AMD64/Linux, with the libcapsimage plug-in required.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Host systems
- The README lists Unix-like systems including Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X, along with BeOS, AmigaOS and its clones, and Windows through Cygwin or MinGW32.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Input
- The README lists X-Arcade joystick support.checked 7 Oct 2026
- IPF support
- The README lists IPF floppy image support on OS X and AMD64/Linux, with a libcapsimage plug-in required.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Joystick support
- The README lists support for the X-Arcade joystick.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Kickstart ROM
- Full use requires an Amiga Kickstart ROM image, though included ROM emulation may work with some older games; the README says copyrighted ROMs may not be freely distributed.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Known limitations
- The README says its virtual filesystem mangles filenames containing non-ASCII characters on UTF-8 platforms, and its OpenGL renderer is experimental and unfinished.checked 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The README describes E-UAE as open-source software made available under the GPL; the repository identifies its license as GPL-2.0.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Lineage
- E-UAE 1.6.10 combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Operating systems
- The README lists Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, BeOS, AmigaOS and clones, and Windows with Cygwin or MinGW32 among supported host systems, with varying feature support.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Project basis
- The README says E-UAE combines E-UAE 0.8.29WIP4 and WinUAE 1.6.10, and is based on UAE and WinUAE.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PUAE is described as an Amiga emulator for Pandora and Unix-like systems.checked 7 Oct 2026
- ROM rights
- The README says Kickstart ROMs are copyrighted and may not be freely distributed.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Software compatibility
- E-UAE lets users run software designed for Amiga computers on other platforms.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Unimplemented features
- The README lists serial and parallel port emulation, AHI soundcard emulation, Catweasel support, graphics filters and scaling, and floppy drive sounds as unsupported.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Unsupported features
- The README lists serial and parallel port emulation, AHI soundcard emulation, Catweasel support, graphics filters and scaling, and floppy drive sounds as not yet supported.checked 7 Oct 2026
- What it runs
- The emulator runs software designed for Amiga computers on other platforms.checked 7 Oct 2026
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