Amiberry not autobooting lha files

[strangeruk]

Pi Model or other hardware: 3b+
RetroPie Version Used 4.6
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
Controller used: Sony DS3
Error messages received: None (as such)
Guide used: https://github.com/midwan/amiberry/wiki/Using-Amiberry-WHDBooter-with-RetroPie-(Step-1)
Emulator: Amiberry

Hey,

I'm pulling what's left of my hair out trying to get a one-click system working with Amiga. I've followed @midwan's guide on the GitHub but I must be missing a piece of the puzzle as every .lha 'rom' I launch just presents me with a white screen with a hand holding the workbench floppy disk. When I press Hotkey+X (triangle) to get to the Amiberry menu, I can see no auto-config has been loaded.

Here's what I've done:

• Installed Amiberry (from source) from the Opt menu.
• Copied the Kickstart files listed on Step 2 of the wiki (all crc checked) into my bios directory
• Added .lha and .sh in my es_systems file and made the default emulator amiberry in emulators.cfg
• Copy a few .lha files into my amiga roms directory
• Launch +Start Amiberry.sh and set the bios path explicitly to /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/ (where my Kickstart roms are). I also do a rescan and update xml for good measure.
• I then attempt to launch a .lha rom I have copied over (tried a few, all the same result). The screen goes from black, to grey, then white with the aforementioned Workbench logo.

Am I right in thinking that the game should just autoboot with the correct settings? No more individual configs per rom? If so can anyone spot where I am going wrong and help point me in the right direction?

Here is the log file for Amiberry if that helps: Log File

Cheers,
Stranger

[mitu]

@strangeruk Did you also update your RetroPie-Setup script ? Amiberry has changed the launching command syntax recently and you need to update your setup script first and then install Amiberry again.

[strangeruk]

@mitu Thanks for the reply. Admittedly, the last time I did an update it broke the audio (which I see there is now a workaround). I'll give it another try. Do I need to install from source when I reinstall Amiberry?

[mitu]

the last time I did an update it broke the audio (which I see there is now a workaround).

Updating just RetroPie-Setup will not break your audio, it's the Kernel/firmware upgrades that changed the audio configuration.

Do I need to install from source when I reinstall Amiberry?

No, I don't think it's necessary. Binary update will work.

[strangeruk]

@mitu So we have some progress, but not sure it's in the right direction. Now rather than getting the Workbench screen I just get a black screen. The Amiberry menu doesn't show any sign of attempting to load any configuration. I've attached the new log file here.

[mitu]

I see an error from Amiberry trying to load a Kick file:

ROM loader.. (<none>)
Failed to open './kick13.rom'
 
mapped_malloc(): 0x00e00000 - 0x00e80000 (0x743e1000 - 0x74461000) -> Extended Kickstart ROM (rom_e0)
mapped_malloc(): 0x00a80000 - 0x00b00000 (0x74061000 - 0x740e1000) -> Non-autoconfig RAM #1 (custmem1)
mapped_malloc(): 0x00b00000 - 0x00b80000 (0x740e1000 - 0x74161000) -> Non-autoconfig RAM #2 (custmem2)
ROM loader end
memory init end

and then later the emulation stops.

Do you have an example game you're trying to run and get this error ?

[strangeruk]

@mitu That one was SimonTheSorcerer_v1.3.lha from a certain pack that is made reference to in the Wiki. I can try some others and see what happens.

[mitu]

@strangeruk No need, I just trying to check with the same game. Seems to load for me, though the log is a bit different:

failed to load config '/opt/retropie/emulators/amiberry/conf/default.uae'
KS ver = 0 (0x00)
Stored port 0/0 d=1: added 200 0 Mouse MOUSE0
Port0: COMBO 'Mouse' + 'MOUSE0' matched
Stored port 1/0 d=1: added 101 0 RetroArch Keyboard as Joystick [#2] JOY1
Port1: COMBO 'RetroArch Keyboard as Joystick [#2]' + 'JOY1' matched
Port2: NONE
Port3: NONE
WHDLoad... /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/amiga/SimonTheSorcerer_v1.3.lha
WHDBooter LaunchedSymLink Kickstart ROMs for Booter
WHDBooter - Loading whdload_db.xml
WHDBooter - Searching whdload_db.xml for SimonTheSorcerer_v1.3
WHDBooter - Game H/W Settings:

                PRIMARY_CONTROL=MOUSE
                PORT0=MOUSE
                PORT1=JOY
                FAST_COPPER=FALSE
                JIT=FALSE
                SCREEN_AUTOHEIGHT=FALSE
                SCREEN_HEIGHT=400
                SCREEN_CENTERH=SMART
                SCREEN_CENTERV=SMART

WHDBooter - Default Slave: SimonTheSorcerer.Slave
WHDBooter - SubPath:  SimonTheSorcerer
WHDBooter - Libraries:  SimonTheSorcerer
WHDBooter - Created Startup-Sequence
...

I'll try it on a Pi3 - though I think it's a configuration problem.

[strangeruk]

I've made a copy of the kickstart file and manually named it kick13 and now get presented with the Workbench screen again. Log file

Just ran the crc check (for my own sanity) and it is c4f0f55f for Kickstart v1.3 rev 34.5 (1987)(Commodore)(A500-A1000-A2000-CDTV).rom and my copy named kick13.rom

[mitu]

I don't think it's the kickstart file's name - same configuration works, even if the filename is not the same. I tried the same archive (.lha) on an updated Pi3 and the game boots directly (takes a few seconds to start).

Try re-setting the .uae files to default - rename the configuration files in \\retropie\configs\amiga\amiberry\conf and then re-install the emulator, it should re-create those files. Then boot again the game and see if it makes a difference.

[strangeruk]

@mitu which .uae files? The rp-a500 and rp-a1200?

[mitu]

@strangeruk These are the configuration files created by RetroPie, yes.

[strangeruk]

@mitu So I uninstalled Amiberry. Deleted the Amiga system from the configs directory and cleared out the Amiberry directories left over in the emulators directory and then rebooted. Then I installed from source.

Back to the Workbench icon now when I launch a rom. I'm really at a loss. Will try and do a full update and see how that goes.

[strangeruk]

@mitu well I've done a full system update. Completely removed Amiberry and any trace of it. Reinstalled it and still no joy. I have no idea where it's going wrong. Don't suppose I could send my img for you to take a look at? I'm at a loose end.

[mitu]

That's not practical. If you're just starting out, then you can re-install the RetroPie image, this will get a stock system and re-try.
Make sure that you update your RetroPie-Setup script and the installed packages (you can skip updating the OS and included packages). Copy your BIOS files (kickstart...) and your lha files to the amiga roms folder and try starting a game.

[strangeruk]

@mitu it's an image I've been working on for a while (labour of love, you know how it goes). I'll dig out a spare micro sd card and try and fresh install on there and hopefully that will point me in the right direction.

[strangeruk]

So a fresh install with doing package (not OS) updates worked!

I don't understand what could be causing it from my own build, though. Amiberry was a fresh install on both attempts so there were no underlying conf files there. Same BIOS files, same roms. Could it be retroarch.cfg?

[mitu]

@strangeruk said in Amiberry not autobooting lha files:

Could it be retroarch.cfg?

I doubt it, AFAIK Amiberry uses it just to find out the controller/keyboard configuration.

[ZeBug]

Hi @strangeruk
I had the same issue than you had, after an Amiberry update, I could not launch any of my LHAs.
I just managed to setup my config so that these launch again. Here is what I did.

1. Remove Amiberry and the associated remaining config files (in /retropie/opt/retropie/configs/amiga/, where I removed the amiberry folder)

2. Quit EmulationStation and run a cleanup from the command line:

sudo apt update
sudo apt autoremove

3. Shutdown and restart my Pi (I run RetroPie on a RPi4, in a PiBoy DMG case by the way, but I think it is not relevant).

4. Update the retropie setup script, then install Amiberry from binaries.

5. Then I noticed something interesting in the wikis regarding BIOSes:
   I used to have 3 roms in my BIOS folder: kick13.rom, kick20.rom and kick31.rom...
   But a look here made visible that I needed other files, after checking my CRCs...
   I renamed some of my OK roms and used additional roms I had in my vault. I now use the following files with the correct CRCs: kick33180.A500.rom, kick34005.A500.rom, kick37175.A500.rom, kick37350.A600HD.rom, kick40063.A600.rom and kick40068.A1200.rom. The bold ones are apparently necessary to run WHDLoad.

... and I can launch my LHAs again!
I hope this can work as well for you, and I cross my fingers for you. I was sad, not being able to play my Rick Dangerous files.

[tomassi]

I'm having this same problem.

In the summer I bought a 'retro-frenzy' game console which is essentially a raspberry pi with thousands of games on it. It was working great when plugged into my TV. I then set about building an arcade cabinet which is now complete. I hadn't used the console for a while but excitedly started it up now the cabinet is complete, glad that I can now play Sensible Soccer with joysticks rather than the SNES controllers the console came with.

Horror! It just went to a white screen. So I tried another game. Same problem. Another, and another and another. No joy.

I don't know why this would happen? It seems as though, from the comments above, that it's an update to Amiberry causing this issue? But, I don't get how that would matter if the ROMS were working previously and I've not updated either Amiberry or the ROMS or anything else? Shouldn't they just carry on working as normal?

If not, I'm a bit cautious what to do next because I'm not skilled in programming and all that jazz. All of the above you guys have done to correct your issues goes way over my head. Any help for a novice?