Access to firmware source, How?

[Pickle]

I think its become obvious that there no real support ongoing for retrode at this point. There are threads (some mine included) that have no response or those that do have responses really add no value or resolution. At least theres no support to resolve them if it requires a firmware update.
The last firmware update was 2 years ago...

If the support on the product is no longer a priority then there should be the possibility for the community to provide that support. The only way this is really possible is access to the firmware.

Now it seems some have obtained access if they have asked for it. 
Ive taken this quote from Matthias on the front page comments: http://www.retrode.org/2014/03/thats-all-folks-2/

1. So far, everybody who asked me for the source was given access to the repository. There are already several people actively tinkering with it, and so can you. Open source in the GPL kind of sense? – Na-ah. Please respect this personal choice of mine which, by the way, is not necessarily the final word.

So the only way i know to contact Matthias directly would be through the PM system, but that access is now blocked. So im trying as a last resort this public message.

So Matthias if you see this im asking for access. Better yet do your customers good and release the code under some open source license.
If you dont want to be bothered at least give the keys to someone that is active and can be contacted.

[Nori]

Yeah I would like to express the same sentiment. I really admire Matthias for what he did with the Retrode, and I fully understand his decision to halt work on it to move on to more pressing matters.

I can understand his desire at the time when he retired the Retrode to hold on to it as a backup plan to possibly return to in the future. However as the years have gone by with nothing much new happening to it, most fans have for the most part given up on hoping for the missing features they longed for. I think opening it up to allow fans to continue work on would be the best thing that could be done for the Retrode at this point.

Also there is new competition from developpers such as InfiniteNesLives, who is developing similar devices that will allow cart based games to be dumped and transfer saves back and forth. The first of which is the existing Kazoo with does this for the NES.

The Retrode was really ahead of it's time and promised so much, like many fans here I wish it could just go on.

[Matthias_H]

There is more going on at the moment than is visible from outside. Wannado is in the process of merging some of his improvements into the trunk, at which point the entire source should also be a bit more transparent and easier to modify.

That said, if you'd like repo access now, please contact me via e-mail (which, by the way, is not a secret) and let me know about your credentials, including your real name and address.

[Pickle]

Does that mean your considering making it public after this merge? If your heading in that direction I can wait.

[Matthias_H]

I'm not considering making it public.

[Pickle]

One more question, can you speak to what development tools (free?) are needed to build the firmware that can be caused in the normal way?

[Matthias_H]

WinAVR + Makefile (AVRStudio + VS project files exist)