ES menu freeze

derekstellar

Hi. Just set up a brand new Pi 4 Model B, running 4.6. Labists 4gb RAM starter kit, including two heat sinks, a fan, and 15W 5.1V/3A power supply. I've updated everything there is to update.

Not sure what I've done as far as the setup/options go, but whenever I exit a game or update settings and return to the main menu, I'm not able to use my controllers whatsoever. I can only press F4 on my keyboard to get to the console, and then I reboot from there (control-alt-delete). When the system reboots, I have to set my controllers up again, and then repeat the process. Any ideas out there?

mitu

It looks like the controller configuration is not saved - maybe a permissions problem ? If you set-up your controller from EmulationStation, then restart it, is the controller configuration saved ?

Clyde

Hello and welcome to this forum.

@derekstellar said in ES menu freeze:

Hi. Just set up a brand new Pi 4 Model B, running 4.6.

Just to be sure: did you install from the official RetroPie image from https://retropie.org.uk/download/ ?

If not, you should do that, as images from other sources are not supported here and can have messed-up configurations nobody here knows about.

derekstellar

@mitu I actually did try this. Everytime, I have to reconfigure the controllers, regardless of how I reboot.

mitu

How did you install RetroPie ?

derekstellar

@mitu Hi, thanks. Yep, I installed it from the Retropie site.

mitu

Your issue might be from the EmulationStation's input conf file permissions - if it cannot be written by the running user (pi), then the input configuration is not saved.
Another possible problem would be that either you don't have enough free space on your disc/card or the controller has a really funny/broken name and the configuration scripts fail to parse it and write it correctly.

So, my advice would be to

check if you have enough free space on your disc/card. This should be easy to check, by exiting EmulationStation and looking at the RetroPie welcome message, which shows how much space is free/taken
run EmulationStation with the debug flag and reproduce the issue, then upload the log file somewhere where we can take a look. Exit EmulationStation (F4 or exit via the menu), then run from the command line
```
emulationstation --debug
```
Run the input configuration again, then exit EmulationStation. Save the log file from \\retropie\configs\all\emulationstation\es_log.txt and upload it to pastebin.com, then provide the URL.

derekstellar

@mitu Here it is, thanks.

https://pastebin.com/qGMCcRah

Full disclosure, I've had this problem with both the stock carbon theme and Comic Book. When I entered debug in the command field and hit enter, it restarted and I had to enter my controller info again.

mitu

There's nothing in the log referring to controller configuration - did you run the input configuration after starting EmulationStation with the --debug flag ?

derekstellar

@mitu Yep! See attached:

https://pastebin.com/AMa2XRLK

mitu

@derekstellar said in ES menu freeze:

https://pastebin.com/AMa2XRLK

But there's nothing in the log for the configuration. Can you check the \\retropie\configs\all\emulationstation\ folder and post the contents of the es_input.cfg file ?

derekstellar

@mitu ```
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<inputList>
<inputAction type="onfinish">
<command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/emulationstation/scripts/inputconfiguration.sh</command>
</inputAction>
</inputList>

Here's what it looks like when I restart - before configuring again.

mitu

The file seems fine. Have you checked the permissions on the file ? Did you disable the joystick/input auto-configuration for EmulationStation by any chance - from the RetroPIe-Setup configuration/tool section ?

derekstellar

@mitu AHA! I enabled that setting, then the menu froze upon reentry from the Retropie settings. I F4'd and restarted with debug on. I had to re-configure the controllers again, but then I returned to the Retropie setup to make sure the setting was enabled. It was, and when we returned to the menu - no freeze! My son tried out a game, we ex'ed out of it, and the menu wasn't freezing.

At this point, now the configurations are saving. We can get around in the menu, no sweat. Start a game, no problem. Once we enter the game...none of the buttons work in any regular NES games. Weird. We have a generic SNES wireless bluetooth controller and an 8BitDo SN30. He just tried an SNES game and a Genesis game. The A and B worked, but the D-pad didn't. My eyes start crossing when I try to mess with Retroarch. Anyway...here's the most recent error log:

https://pastebin.com/G6m2smME

Thanks for your time.

derekstellar

@derekstellar Update: the player 2 controller (the 8BitDo) is working fine, but the generic SNES controller's D-Pad only works on the menu.

mitu

AHA! I enabled that setting, then the menu froze upon reentry from the Retropie settings.

You changed the default, so no configuration files were written for your controller.

https://pastebin.com/G6m2smME
Thanks for your time.

The EmulationStation log doesn't help to diagnose any emulator issues - it's only a front-end.

Once we enter the game...none of the buttons work in any regular NES games.

Do you have a message - when starting a game - that the controller on Port1/2 is configured ?

derekstellar

@mitu Yes. Both controllers are recognized as X-Box 360 controllers, and the screen shows that they are configured when booting up the game. We're now finding that the controllers are conflicting with each other - i.e. we can play a game together and player one's controller works perfectly, but player two's D-Pad doesn't function in the game (menu is fine). I go back to the menu and configure player two's controller again, and we start the game together. Player two's controller is perfect, but player one's D-Pad doesn't work. Good times, haha.

mitu

That's because both controller pretend they're a Xbox controller. Start the 8Bitdo controller in 'Switch' mode, re-pair it via bluetooth and then re-configure it in EmulationStation again. It should have a different name and - therefore - a different configuration.

derekstellar

@mitu OK. So I did all of that and configured it as "Pro Controller", and now the system recognizes two X-Box controllers and the "Pro Controller". I have the 8BitDo controller in port 3 because the big hunkin' dongle. It lists that one and X-Box 360 Controller in ports 1 and 2, even though there's nothing in port 2. The 8BitDo works with the menu but does nothing on any games. How can I remove the perceived 2nd X-Box controller? The Bluetooth settings only show one generic wireless controller and the "Pro Controller".

mitu

@derekstellar said in ES menu freeze:

I have the 8BitDo controller in port 3 because the big hunkin' dongle. It lists that one and X-Box 360 Controller in ports 1 and 2, even though there's nothing in port 2

Did you install any additional drivers - xboxdrv maybe ?