What do you think about adding ExaGear Desktop to optional packages to RetroPie?

pUnK

@hurricanefan regarding support we can take it fully on our side.

pUnK

@buzz I don't propose to set it on the main page of EmulationStation. I'd just like to add it in optional packages. There are a lot of packages and I don't sure that it'll really promote exagear a lot.
BTW what is the least tricky way to install packages which not included in RetroPie?

ExarKunIv

it would be cool to have this, but if it a trial.... that might upset some people.

EctoOne

@exarkuniv Well, I'm sure it would be possible to have something like "ExaGear Desktop (Trial)" in the optional packages. So that people can see that it isn't the full software.
I personally wouldn't mind if it was available, if it works flawless, I think could maybe benefit both sides. Although I would say that I'm not interested in using it.

glennlake

While i'm all for improving the development of software and apps for the Raspberry Pi and RetroPie, as a tinkerer I am building, rebuilding and tearing down many Raspberry Pi setups all the time. I think a lot of us are like this. I checked into the license for ExaGear from Eltechs can not be transferred to another Pi. I don't think people will pay $25 for the right to use this optional package on each Pi they own beyond any trial period. Think of it as the 'free' trial version of software that comes with a new windows pc. Don't take this wrong but it makes RetroPie feel 'dirty' if you do this. Eltechs sees a large base of users and want to mine us for more possible sales.

BuZz

@glennlake Yes - I believe this would benefit them by tapping into our large user base. I see no benefits for RetroPie though by including it. I also don't want RetroPie to look like it's profiting from shipping with trial versions of commercial software, even if it's an optional package.

herb_fargus

@buzz I concur.

RealFraggy

I would LOVE to see Exagear Desktop to be fully integrated into RETROPIE, but I also agree that it would pollute the optional packages list and that this would upset the users, including myself.

However, I think Exagear Desktop is a wonderful product and I will buy a license for it and if I can't run it in Retropie, that would be kind of a bummer. I wanna be able to run it from within Retropie!

How about adding a separate list with "3rd party (trial / paid) packages" like it's done in any other Linux distro for installing proprietary software?... this way it won't "pollute" Retropie's "optional packages" list?

Or perhaps publish some instructions on Github, on how to add Exagear Desktop as a new system, that is to say to adapt the instructions found here: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Add-a-New-System-in-EmulationStation to help noobies like me to achieve this seamless integration of Exagear into Retropie's System list.

pjft

@RealFraggy I'd add those instructions and any other guidance on the ExaGear website, on "how to install on RetroPie".

I agree: this seems to be much more of a useful thing for current ExaGear users rather than to RetroPie users themselves.

glennlake

They already have a guide on their site that explains how to install ExaGear. Here is a quote from there guide. "Exagear Desktop is a real Retropie ALTERNATIVE that can significantly increase the capabilities of your Raspberry Pi based gaming console." I don't think the developers of RetroPie, after working for several years to make the best software for retro-games, want to direct people away from RetroPie to an alternative environment.

pUnK

@glennlake said in What do you think about adding ExaGear Desktop to optional packages to RetroPie?:

Here is a quote from there guide. "Exagear Desktop is a real Retropie ALTERNATIVE that can significantly increase the capabilities of your Raspberry Pi based gaming console."

Sorry about that. Our foul :( This is just our Spanglish. Really didn't want to write anything like it sound.
Changed this incorrect language.

spruce_m00se

I would be willing to pay for some software that allowed me to play the original command and conquers up to red alert 2 and warcraft2, perhaps age of empires.
judging from the comments on your youtube video, the FPS for counterstrike is low, and thus I expect that COD1 would be a no no?

atomic bomberman would be a good one to add.

spruce_m00se

@punk
i speak spanish Fluently, perhaps even better than I speak my native tongue these days, and as such, I could perhaps understand that the word "alternative" in Spanish doesnt entirely infer the replacement of something.

However, when reading the text on your youtube videos, I fail to see how the following could have been badly translated from Spanish to English:
"Forget about retropie! New Era of Gaming On Rapsberry Pi is here "
It does seem a little hypocritical to come onto the Retropie forum and ask to be included in Retropie after suggesting that people "forget about Retrpie"

BuZz

@spruce_m00se agreed.

Seems clear to me their only interest in RetroPie is to increase their profits by utilising our user base. No thanks.

glennlake

@spruce_m00se Would you be willing to pay $22.45 ($33.45) for every Pi you install this on? I have read their eula and, unless they have edited it like they have elsewhere on their page, the license is not transferable to another Pi install. You also need a new license for each Pi you install it on. I am a tinkerer (like most of us) and I am always changing, deleting, re-installing and experimenting with my Pi installs. I don't know about you but I think many of us have several Pi's from the original Pi1 up to the Pi3b and Pi0 W and this would start to add up quickly. This is too much like MicroSoft.

spruce_m00se

@glennlake I would not! at most I would pay one licence. and only if it was proven to work as well as an old pc I could pick up for the 25 dollars charged for the licence,
I have an old 486 in the roof ready for some retro gaming one day :)

glennlake

@spruce_m00se As much as I like the Raspberry Pi and RetroPie, if you need to play x86 games I think your 486 will give you a better experience.

spruce_m00se

@glennlake agreed, thats why im keeping it. annoyingly i threw out the old p2 400 the other day, i had to clear out my parents attic and didnt have aywhere to store it yet. I think I will just emulate old games within windows 10 to be honest. I would love to have them on the Pi though just for convenience sake.

Aryetis

Regarding recent news : https://eltechs.com/retropie-extended-for-raspberry-pi/
I thought it might be a good idea to dig this thread back.

Snooch

This sounds cool! I'm going to look into what games will work. Then I guess I'll need a bigger sd card because mine is fully loaded already. 32gb is the best bet right?