The port: overview

port/ builds the decompiled game, unchanged (decomp/ and glue/), for a modern system with CMake and SDL2: WebAssembly in a browser (the main target), headless under Node (for testing), and 32-bit native.

   decomp/*.cpp  ─┐                                     ┌─ web      Emscripten + Asyncify  ─▶ zoombinis.html/.js/.wasm
   glue/ or       ├─▶ library "game" ─┐                 │
   port/glue/*   ─┘   (clang, with    ├─▶ zoombinis ────┼─ headless same wasm under Node, no screen or sound
                       prelude.h)     │                 │
   port/miniwin/ ──▶ library "miniwin"┤                 └─ native   SDL2 from the system (32-bit only)
   port/host/    ──▶ library "host" ──┘
   port/main.cpp ──▶ the entry point: sets up the drives, then calls the game's WinMain

The three layers

Layer	Directory	Role
The game	`decomp/`, `glue/`	compiled as is, in Borland's dialect (via `prelude.h`)
miniwin	`port/miniwin/`, `port/include/`	the Win32 subset the game uses, implemented over SDL (miniwin)
the host layer	`port/host/`	the few things that differ per target: fibers, yielding to the browser, message boxes (host layer)

A source in port/decomp/ or port/glue/ replaces the same-named file in decomp//glue/. port/glue/quicktime.cpp does (QuickTime); no port/decomp/ file exists yet, because every decompiled module compiles as it is.

What runs where

Windows and messages: the game's own message loop, window procedure, timers and hooks run as on Windows.
GDI: software drawing into a 640×480 8-bit screen shown through a simulated system palette.
Sound: waveOut devices mixed into SDL audio; midiOut sent to a General MIDI synth (TinySoundFont + GeneralUser GS).
Threads: Win32 threads and the engine's own fibers switch cooperatively on one host thread.
Files: Windows paths map to drives C: (installed game and saves) and D: (the CD).

Commands

uv run port setup                 # the pinned Emscripten SDK (~1.8 GB) into build/emsdk/, and the SoundFont
uv run port build [web|headless|native] [--debug]
uv run port package               # the site: build/port/site/
uv run port serve [--port 8000]   # then http://127.0.0.1:8000/
uv run port run [--headless] [--seconds N] [--screenshot F.bmp] [--click MS:X,Y]… [--record F.wav]

build defaults to web. Plain CMake works too: emcmake cmake -S port -B build/port/web && cmake --build build/port/web.

Third-party pieces

Piece	Used for	Licence note
SDL2	window, input, audio	zlib
stb_truetype	the game's font	public domain
TinySoundFont	the MIDI synthesizer	MIT
GeneralUser GS (S. Christian Collins)	the General MIDI SoundFont, downloaded by `port setup` into `build/soundfont/` (32 MB)	free to use and redistribute in software
Cornerstone (`CORNER.TTF`)	the game's font, in `assets/zoombi32/installed/`	free for personal use; replace it if you use the project commercially

All are fetched at pinned versions and checksums (port.py, port/CMakeLists.txt).

Limits

32-bit only. The decompiled code assumes 4-byte longs and pointers (it keeps pointers in longs in places), so CMake refuses a 64-bit native target unless -DZB_ALLOW_64BIT=ON (the game then won't work). WebAssembly is 32-bit. Untangling this is a roadmap item.
The game assumes Windows 95 behaviour in places; miniwin reproduces it where relied on (see Quirks).

Status

The game starts and reaches Zoombini Isle (the scene most exercised); music plays through the synthesizer; sound effects are mixed but not yet checked by ear; the intro movie plays from its converted scene with its sound.

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