autopatch - a commandline tool for automated patching of roms (Linux, Python 3, snes)

thelostsoul

Autopatch 2.0 - a commandline tool with a gui for automated patching of roms

Autopatch download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12vb7DuEvT6jgzvT7j6V6N6Mg9UZtqoSj/view?usp=sharing
Flips download: https://www.smwcentral.net/?p=section&a=details&id=11474

Works only on Linux and with Python 3.6+ (with an internal check). The GUI requires Python3-tk. Tested on Ubuntu 18.04. Requires flips-linux executable. Patching roms is actually very easy with Flips (Floating IPS). autopatch is a Python 3 script to automate this process through the commandline or a gui with addiional features. This tool is mainly designed to patch SNES roms. I did not test otherwise.

Basic usage: autopatch.py -i INPUT_ROM -p PATCH_FILE

Some features:

can download and install flips-linux (required application as its core) automatically
supports .smc, .sfc, .bps, .ips and .zip files
weblinks are also supported, but some sites do not allow for direct downloads
paths are often relative to current dir and support globbing, such as "*" and "?"
default roms folder as a base
output directory supported
commandline supported (higher priority than config file)
configuration file supported (same options as commandline)
if no config file in current working dir is found, then it will be searched in apps dir
created files will be automatically renamed as "romname_patchname.smc"
multiple patch files are supported, but not in the gui
running the app without arguments (in example double click in file explorer) will start the gui. But using any arguments will disable gui, unless using -g option
gui will additionally run each created game automatically (will ask)
quick save of user entry fields in the gui
gui can use link or path to patch_file directly from clipboard, no need to delete and replace enter field

My personal usage:

put original Super Mario World (U) [!].smc in autopatchs roms folder, so you can easily find it later
create a link to the autopatch.py app and put it in Downloads folder
run it from this place by double clicking it, will open the gui
select the Mario rom
go to https://www.smwcentral.net/
open a smw romhack page and copy its Download link to clipboard, in example https://dl.smwcentral.net/23762/legend_quest.zip
click on button Run PATCH file from clipboard

If everything was fine, the .zip file will be downloaded. It searches for patch files and will use them to create romhacks. Each successful created game will be asked to run. Now use the terminal commandline to run the app with autopatch.py --help, to see all available options. You can create settings files too.

./autopatch.py --help
usage: Autopatch [-h] [-v] [-c FILE] [-n] [-f FILE] [-i FILE]
                 [-p FILE [FILE ...]] [-r DIR] [-o DIR] [-g] [-G] [-w]
                 [--showlicense]

Automation of the process to patch roms using the flips-linux application as
its backend, with added functionalities. Basic usage: autopatch.py -i
input_rom.smc -p patch.ips

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --version         show program's version number and exit
  -c FILE, --config FILE
                        Path to an optional configuration file. Defaults to
                        programs own name with replaced extension to .ini. It
                        searches in current working directory first and then
                        in programs original folder.
  -n, --noconfig        Ignores the settings in configuration file. Use
                        default values and commandline arguments only.
  -f FILE, --flips FILE
                        Path to the required flips-linux application.
  -i FILE, --input FILE
                        Original input rom file to patch. This can be a direct
                        file path or a search term. Globbing is supported and
                        the term will be enclosed automatically by '*'. The
                        search term will be used to match a rom in roms
                        folder. To determine if this is treated as a search
                        term, following character must not appear: '/'
  -p FILE [FILE ...], --patch FILE [FILE ...]
                        New patch file to apply. .bps, .ips and .zip are
                        supported. It can be a direct file path or url to
                        download. Multiple files can be specified, until next
                        option starts with a "-". In example: -p file1 file2.
                        Multiple files do not workwith the gui, but globbing
                        works, in example "*.bps".
  -r DIR, --roms DIR    Base directory to search for input roms, when --input
                        is a search term. Defaults to "roms" in programs
                        folder.
  -o DIR, --output DIR  Output folder for all new created romhacks. This can
                        be a full path to a directory or a relative single
                        folder name. If the target does not exist, it will be
                        created. Defaults to current working directory.
  -g, --gui             Use the graphical user interface. Default is on, if no
                        other arguments are specified. All created romhacks
                        will be run with the files associated application.
                        Multiple files do not workwith the gui, but globbing
                        works, in example "*.bps"
  -G, --nogui           Disables the gui, no matter what other option was
                        used. Higher priority than -g.
  -w, --writesettings   Simulate process. Print current active settings on
                        screen and exit. Do not copy files.
  --showlicense         Print license text of program on screen and exit. Do
                        not copy files.

.bps and .ips files are supported and is mainly used to patch SNES roms. Often
used original roms should be collected in the roms folder. When using the gui,
newly created romhacks will run automatically. A settings file with default
options can be created with same name as programs filename, but .ini file
ending. Use -w option to see how the file is structured. Example usage:
autopatch.py -i Mario -p *Mush*.zip

Clyde

Thanks. I seldom patch any roms, and I found most Linux command line patching tools not that difficult to use, but a bit more automation and flexibility is nonetheless appreciated. 😊

thelostsoul

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Clyde

Thanks again. This thread already made it into my RetroPie How-Tos & Tools link collection. 😁

thelostsoul

deleted

Clyde

What just happened here?

thelostsoul

@Clyde Ah damn, I hoped nobody would notice.^^ I've deleted the content manually, nothing bad happened. I am just not happy with the quality of the code, so I thought why sharing something I am not really liking? I also have a version 2 now, which new from ground up. But there are little problems I can just not solve.

mitu

@thelostsoul Don't delete the posts. Just update the top post and say what's going on - if you deleted the patcher temporarily to improve it, that's fine. It's really weird to see replies without a context in topics :).

thelostsoul

@mitu I'm sorry, I realized how messed I up with this now. You are right. Some time later I'll do update and add again.

Clyde

@thelostsoul said in autopatch - a commandline tool for automated patching of roms (Linux, Python 3, snes):

@Clyde Ah damn, I hoped nobody would notice.^^ I've deleted the content manually, nothing bad happened.

Good to hear, I feared that your account got hacked or that you were upset about something. I even checked your profile to see if any other posts got deleted. 😌

mitu

@Clyde said in autopatch - a commandline tool for automated patching of roms (Linux, Python 3, snes):

I feared that your account got hacked

What is this, Twitter ?

Clyde

@mitu I'm confused. Do you mean that only Twitter can get hacked, or that we should not have this kind of conversations, or …?

mitu

@Clyde I was mocking yesterday's Twitter hack-a-thon.

Clyde

@mitu Ah, I bow my head in shame for my ignorance. 😳

thelostsoul

After my genius idea to delete all stuff in this discussion, which only cause trouble and chaos, I figured out to do another attempt and post again. This is version 2 of the little app. The gui and commandline are streamlined into one app. The commandline options are flexible now and it supports a configuration file. Unfortunately in GUI mode only one patch file at a time is supported (but I think this is not a real issue and is a limitation in GUI only). And it can create output folders too. Updated the first post with all relevant information.

It started out so simple.