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Selecting a System

When you start GSSquared, you see Choose your retro experience — a row of system tiles you can click to boot.

File → Close Emulation (or the window close button on a running machine, depending on platform) powers the virtual machine off and returns here. That is how you switch machines without quitting the app. A CLI launch that passed a config path or -p quits instead of returning to this screen — see Command Line.

Built-in systems

Tiles typically include:

  • Apple ][ / ][+
  • Apple //e and Enhanced //e
  • Apple //e Enhanced with 65816 (optional VIDHD in a custom config)
  • Apple IIgs ROM 01
  • Apple IIgs ROM 03

ROM 01 and ROM 03 are separate platforms. Pick the one that matches the software or GS/OS setup you want to run.

GSSquared is one app for both 8-bit Apple II machines and the 16-bit IIgs. ROMs and assets ship in the package; you do not download firmware separately.

Custom and recent configs

Besides the built-in tiles:

  • + — create a new custom machine in the config editor.
  • Edit… / folder — open an existing .gs2 (or A2Fusion … Settings.txt) to edit or launch.
  • Recent custom configs — tiles for configs you have opened before (from Documents/GSSquared/ and recent history). Click one to boot it immediately.

Shipped example .gs2 files are copied into Documents/GSSquared/ on first run (including a PAL //e example). File → Launch Config… defaults there when you browse for a config. Older installs that used the prefs SystemConfigs folder are migrated into Documents on startup.

Launching without the tile row

  • File → Launch Config… — pick a .gs2, a .gs2pack, or … Settings.txt and boot it. A pack is described in GS2 Packs.
  • Double-click a .gs2 (macOS, single instance) or use Open With. On Windows, a second double-click starts a second process. See File types and URL protocols.
  • Drag a .gs2 onto the System Select window.
  • Pass a config path or -p N on the command line (skips this screen; closing then quits).

See Creating Custom System Configs for editing slots, disks, and serial attachments.