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Imho libdumb is not a problem at all. It is very easy to compile the library for different platforms because dumb itself doesn't have any dependencies (except for allegro for aldumb, but that is a given). The build system it uses is also just a simple makefile and no involved automake or cmake procedure. What I am saying is that I had no trouble compiling it for PSP and Android.

As far as plugins are concerned: I don't see how this could be handled better than it already is. Again, there was no trouble porting it to Android (using mostly the same plugin system as for the Linux port) and even to the PSP.
The three plugins I offer with the ports (AGSBlend by Calin Leafshade and my recreations of ags_snowrain and flashlight) are written so that they work on Android, PSP and Windows with a simple recompile.

edit: Concerning AGS on OSX, doesn't that already work? http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=43383.msg578827#msg578827

The issue is more with the fact that it hasn't been updated in so long, sooner or later it's just not going to work with the latest Apple SDK. So it could do with either being updated or replaced.

That's right. And as for me, creating a Mac-Port "from the scratch" (ok, to be honest: derived form the Linux port) will help me to learn how AGS works and step into the code. I don't want to make a quitck-and-dirty hack, so that it "just works". I want to make a clean and useful port so that further development of AGS works without the need to adjust an "OS X hack" for each version. Beside this, I hope it will be practicable to make a port design that fit's well into the OS X environment. What OS X users what is an app with the look & feel OS X apps will have.

The first step will be to get the engine up and running, so that games developed under AGS for Windows can be executed under OS X using the ported AGS engine (well most of the games). The next step will be, to update the OS X GUI Part of the engine, so that the user e. g. have a menu to select which game to run, an option dialog for basic settings, etc. Beside this, a tool to convert Windows binaries to Mac OS binaries will be nice. This will help AGS Game developers to create a OS X Version of their game with just one click. (Ok, for now I hope that this really can be realized and won't be just a dream... ;-) )

I love adventures and Mac OS X. To become a lot of adventures alive under the Mac platform will be a great deal for adventures and Mac users. ;-) But this must be done in an orderly way, IMHO.

Greets
SchodMC

Ok, I forgot the commercial games done with AGS. So because of them, FMOD is really no choice. OpenAL on the other side will be worth a try.

BTW, I think libdump won't be a problem for the mac platform. I only see a problem in using a library which development seems to be stopped. It can become a problem in the future. I think there are two options: a) find someone who will continue with the development of libdump, or b) replace the library with another (maybe not now, but it will be helpful to set it as todo on the roadmap).

Greets
SchodMC

//edit: for now I try to compile all necessary libraries under Mac OS X and then try to compile the AGS engine. So I have something to do on weekend. ;-) I will tell you whether it was successful or not...

RickJ:
Our SchodMC fellow seems to be capable of maintaining a mac port and has the skills necessary to do so and the impetus to follow through i think.

That's right. ;-) I want to take a closer look to the source code this weekend to figure out, what to do to make it Mac compatible.

One thing I realized will be the sound engine of AGS, which will be important for all platforms. E. g.: libdumb - which is used by AGS as I can see - was updated 2005 for the last time. I wonder if it would be a good choice to use the middleware fmod, which is available on Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android and even XBox, PS3 and Wii. It will be complete free to use for an uncommercial project, but - and that maybe is the "no-go" for AGS - it's not open source. :-(

Or is the current state-of-project not fare enough to think about the sound? ;-)

Greetings
SchodMC

Hi folks,

Calin Leafshade send me to this thread after I asked how I can help to make a mac-port of AGS. Well, first some words about me:

a) At first: my english is not the best (I think, you already realized). This is because I'm a German guy. But I hope it will be good enough. 

b) About my SW-Dev experience: I started programming ~18 years ago, using Basic and DOS. Since then switch the programming language a couple of times: Pascal, ASM, Delphi, C/C++, Objective-C (Mac) and some little projects under C#. I had developed Software for Windows and Linux (as a professional developer 5 years for Windows (with some hobby OpenGL/DirectX projects) and 3 years for Linux). Three years ago I switched to Mac and started to learn developing for Mac OS X. So I have round about one year Mac OS experience (only hobby projects. Currently one big semi-professional GUI Project using Cocoa and sqlite3). So I have a lot of knowledge for C/C++ an meanwhile good knowledge for Objective-C and Cocoa. OpenGL luckily is Cross-Platform (but - maybe - irrelevant for AGS).

c) my Problem: I have not that much spare-time. But I'm interested in that project. So if my help will be welcome, I would like to concentrate on the AGS runtime engine (see below).

d) what I want: well, as told I want to help porting the AGS-Engine (for now, not the editor) to Mac OS X (Intel, 32 and maybe 64 bit). Because the core of the engine should be portable, the interface between Mac OS X and the engine would be the "funny" part. ;-)

So, if you say "you're welcome to help us" I will be pleased. So just tell me what I can do to help porting the engine to Mac OS X, so that anyone of the Mac users can play all the wonderful AGS Games using a native engine app.

Greetings
SchodMC

Hi,

well, *experienced mac developer* - some kind of. I have a lot of experiences developing Software under Windows. So C/C++ won't be the Problem. As I told, I learned developing under Mac OS using Xcode and Objective-C round about a year. So I think, I will have enough knowledge to help porting the AGS sources. However, I have enough experience to know how to learn what I need to.

Long story short: I will say "hello" in the thread you posted and take a look how I can help. See you there.

Greets,
SchodMC

P.S.: because of my rare spare time, I'm primary interested in the engine-part of the project.

I realized today that the source code had been released. Wonderful. So I have a question:

a) Is anyone working on a mac port? If not, I will check if I can do the job. Just what to be sure to not make the job twice
b) If a) = true may I help? (I'm working as a software developer for years, since one year I started developing on Mac OS. So knowledge won't be the Problem).

Thnx so far
SchodMC