Tutorial: Fujitsu FM Towns Marty with Lr-Mess

[DTEAM]

Hello, I wrote this post because FM Towns Marty is a little bit tricky to install compared to the other lr-mess machines. Most of the time, the Bios file, roms folder and the hash file have the same name. For this machine, It's not the case.

NEW EDIT : THE EASIEST WAY TO INSTALL Fujitsu FM Towns Marty with Lr-Mess and MAME is to follow the instruction here: Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone

To install this CD machine, you can fallow 90% of this CD-i tutorial :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/12671/tutorial-cd-i-emulation-in-retropie-via-lr-mess-warning-slowdown-especially-during-fmv-but-surprisingly-playable

The differences are:

• Hash file is : fmtowns_cd.xml

• Machine name is (for rom folder, system, configs files, etc.) : fmtmarty

• BIOS file is: fmtmarty.7z (1 163 004 bytes)

Files format to use *.chd file with a zipped blank dummy file
example: galaxy force ii (japan).chd and gforce2.zip (blank file inside zip file created with Notepad++ without extension and named gforce2)

es_systems.cfg

<system>
    <name>fmtmarty</name>
    <fullname>Fujitsu FM Towns CD-ROMs</fullname>
    <path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/fmtmarty</path>
    <extension>.zip .7z</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ fmtmarty %ROM%</command>
    <platform>fmtmarty</platform>
    <theme>fmtmarty</theme>
  </system>

platforms.cfg

fmtmarty_exts=".bin .zip .BIN .ZIP .chd .CHD .cue .CUE .7z"
fmtmarty_fullname="Fujitsu FM Towns CD-ROMs"

emulators.cfg

lr-mess = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mess_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/fmtmarty/retroarch.cfg %ROM%"
default = "lr-mess"

retroarch.cfg

# Settings made here will only override settings in the global retroarch.cfg if placed above the #include line

input_remapping_directory = "/opt/retropie/configs/fmtmarty/"

#include "/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg"

[Zering]

@DTEAM I'm trying to get this to work, however I'm having trouble with the BIOS.

Could you let me know what the BIOS is supposed to contain?

[mitu]

@Zering It's specified in the 1st post:

BIOS file is: fmtmarty.7z (1 163 004 bytes)

[Zering]

@mitu the Bios is hard to find but I've found some individual components for it if that makes sense. I was wondering if I could build the right bios based on dteam's information.

[mitu]

@Zering The BIOS is found in MAME's romset collection, matched to the respective version of MAME (0.217, 0.222, etc.). The name of the BIOS is fmmarty - http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=fmtmarty&arcade_only=0&autosearch=1 has all the details you need (not the actual ROMset file, obviously).

[Zering]

@mitu Found it! Thanks!

I'm still getting the same issue though, so my guess is I've converted my roms to .CHD wrong, but I'll tinker with it some more and hopefully it will work! :)

[Zering]

Sorry for the double post, but my issue persists and I can't get my head around it.

Whenever I try to load my ROM (I am using alone in the dark for testing), I get a screen that says 'Loading complete', and it hangs. I can see that lr-mess has booted up (my controller pops up in the lower left), but something's not right.

I have followed the instructions to a T.

I am using this hash : fmtowns_cd.xml
My roms directory is fmtmarty
I have the bios fmtmarty.7z (I have checked the size, it matches) in my BIOS folder, in my roms directory and in my fmtmarty directory.
I am booting the game using a blank file inside a zip (created with Notepad) named aitd.zip.

Here is my es_systems.cfg for FM Towns CD-ROMs

<system>
<name>fmtmarty</name>
<fullname>Fujitsu FM Towns CD-ROMs</fullname>
<path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/fmtmarty</path>
<extension>.zip .ZIP</extension>
<command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 SYS fmtmarty %ROM%</command>
<platform>fmtmarty</platform>
<theme>fmtmarty</theme>
</system>

My emulators.cfg and retroarch.cfg are copied straight from the first post, as is my platforms.cfg, which I have placed in opt/retropie/configs.hdmi/all

I have also put my .bin and .cue files through this link https://emn178.github.io/online-tools/crc32_checksum.html to check the crc32s and have found the results satisfactory. I used CHDman to convert my .bin/.cue to a .chd.

I am not sure what I'm doing wrong, but having followed all those instructions my Pi hangs on 'Loading Complete' and I have to do a sudo reboot via SSH.
Am I doing something wrong?

[zerojay]

@Zering There's no need for any blank files. I'm using fmtmarty as well but I'm just directly using the .chd for launching and it works just fine. Not all games/apps actually function however (Simcity 2000 sadly doesn't seem to work for me).

[Zering]

@zerojay Noted. However, I've also just realized that my .chd files do not show up in my fmtmarty gamelist. (Edit : which makes sense as I've edited them out of es_systems.cfg... Ignore this)
I've tried launching the .chd from the retroarch menu (I launched a game with lr-mess then used Load content), and I got booted back to ES.

[zerojay]

By the way, I am not using any MAME gamelists at all, I don't even have fmtowns_cd.xml. Just the fmtmarty.zip in my BIOS directory, EmulationStation pointed at my .CHD files and it just works.

[Zering]

@zerojay My guess is I'm converting my .chds wrong. How do you do yours?

[zerojay]

@Zering Mine are already converted, they are the official MAME CHD set.

[Zering]

@zerojay Can I ask which version you are using?

[zerojay]

@Zering Pretty sure I'm on latest, 0.224 or 0.225, can't remember.

[DTEAM]

@zerojay

me it's 0.225 but works with 0.224

[Zering]

Brilliant, thanks to you both, I think I've found what I'm looking for.

While we're on the subject of MAME, can somebody explain what merged/unmerged mean?

[astorga]

You can find the explanation right here. According to the docs, you should stick with "full non-merged" sets.

[Zering]

@astorga That makes sense. Thank you.

[DTEAM]

If you want to play a good game on that system, try Genocide Squared. My personal recommandation.

[Zering]

@DTEAM I'll have to give it a go. I still haven't managed to set up the system, the chds I've found for 0.225 don't match the software lists for fmtowns_cd. But I will keep looking.