Map: vt02 => fb0 issue with AdvanceMame

Krisfallion

Pi Model or other hardware: Pi3
Power Supply used: 5V, 2500 mA
RetroPie Version Used (eg 3.6, 3.8.1, 4.1 - do not write latest): 4.3.8
Built From: Fresh download and install of RetroPie image
USB Devices connected: Logitech Wireless Mouse/KB, Ultimarc iPac2 joystick, spinner, and trackball
Controller used: Logitech Wireless Mouse/KB, Ultimarc iPac2 joystick, spinner, and trackball
Error messages received: Map: vt02 => fb0
Log found in /dev/shm/runcommand.log (if relevant):
Guide used: None
File: N/A
Emulator: AdvanceMame 3.x
Attachment of config files: None
How to replicate the problem: Start up Pi with RetroPie from cold boot, immediately go and run any ROM using AdvanceMame.

Hi, all.

I have a Pi3 running RetroPie mainly for arcade ROMs and I have an annoying issue that I have been troubleshooting on and off for a few months:

I primarily use the built-in MAME2003, AdvanceMame 3.x, Daphne, and FBA for NeoGeo. Whenever I start AdvanceMame, the ROM starts up but does not respond to any input either on controllers or keyboard. I hit the exit key and I get a black screen with just "map: vt02 => fb0" at the top left. If I fiddle with the controllers and hit Coin 1 and then Player 1 I hear the game start up based on sound but the screen with text remains. I can then navigate by memory to the AdvanceMame exit sequence (Exit key, Down, Enter) and I get back to the ES interface. If I start the AdvanceMame emulator for the ROM again, it works fine. This only happens if I enter AdvanceMame immediately after a cold boot of the system. If I start the MAME2003 emulator everything works fine and if I then start an AdvanceMame ROM after I get out of the MAME2003 ROM, it works fine. Something similar to this also happens with Daphne.

It is like there is some sort of video mode that is not activating with AdvanceMame that does with MAME2003 and is fine as soon as something starts successfully for the first time. This is more of an annoyance than anything.

I have googled "map: vt02 => fb0" and it seems to be a message that pops up for a variety of video issues on the RetroPie. What does it generally mean and do folks have any suggestions as to how I can fix this?

Thanks!

mitu

AdvanceMame and Mame2003 use a different version of ROMs so if a ROM works with Mame2003 does not mean it will automatically work with advmame - please see https://retropie.org.uk/docs/MAME/. Are you sure you're using the correct ROM Set version ?

Krisfallion

Yup, I am using .106 ROMs for the AdvanceMame (I am running version 3 of it) and .78 for the MAME2003. The ROMs work for both emulators. It is just that I get the "map: vt02 => fb0" error when I run AdvanceMame for the first time after a cold boot. If I manage to exit out of it or if I run MAME2003 (or FBA for the NeoGeo ROMs) first then it works just fine.

mitu

@krisfallion Here's something similar - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/406/solved-map-vt02-fb0. What display are you using ?

Krisfallion

I am using a Flat Screen Television via the HDMI output on the Pi board.

I am looking at the message again and I am focusing on the vt02 portion of it. Does that stand for video terminal 2 and could that be what is displayed on the TV output rather than whatever vt AdvanceMame should be displaying on? Just groping around in the dark here...

Krisfallion

Hmm...

I did some more research to see what "map: vt02 => fb0" even means and I found some linux forum posts that say it means the second virtual terminal is mapped into the frame buffer.

I guess what this means is that AdvanceMame and Daphne are sending output to a virtual terminal that is not being displayed on screen but when MAME2003 runs, it sets the correct virtual terminal to display on screen and all subsequent executions of ROMs through AdvanceMame and Daphne then display correctly.

I need to determine if there is a command I can run before hand that sets this VT mode to the frame buffer correctly upon boot of Emulation Station to fix this issue.

Krisfallion

I ran the issue past my co-worker who is more Linux savvy than I and he pointed me in the right direction.

Here is what I found out from where he pointed me and some more experimentation :

It is a timing issue. If I start the Daphne or AdvanceMame emulators within like five seconds of Emulation Station booting up and letting me navigate the menus then the issue occurs. If I let it sit for, say, 60 seconds after boot then it all works fine.

It seems to me to be a background loading issue where something is still loading in the background despite Emulation Station booting up. As my co-worker put it: I would say "strange" but in the land of Linux...not so strange.

The way I figured this out was reading a long thread on people having issues similar to this when they ran video splash screens for RetroPie. They just put a 10 second wait statement in config file before the OMXplayer line and all was well...

mitu

@krisfallion What does omxplayer have to do with it ?

Krisfallion

Here is the link that I followed that clued me in as to what the issue was:

https://blog.petrockblock.com/forums/topic/splash-screen-video-intermittently-doesnt-play/