Can't run advmame on Pi4

mitu

The runcommand log shows you're not running a standard RetroPie image or have some additional configurations added (runcommand-onend.sh looks to be a malformed script and it's not present in a standard image).

The

DRM_IOCTL_MODE_CREATE_DUMB failed: Cannot allocate memory
Failed to create scanout resource

error roughly translates to another application is using the video output/GPU and the emulator cannot open the display. Do you have any other applications - besides EmulationStation, which goes into background when a game is launched - that shows something on the screen or otherwise is using the GPU ?

fadangalini

@mitu

I am using ledspicer to control the button lights and had to edit runcommand-onstart.sh and runcommand-onend.sh to get it to work.

I've just modified runcommand-onend.sh to remove those errors and they don't appear in the log anymore.

As far as I know I don't have any other applications going into the background. If there is, how do I find out? Other than installing ledspicer and struggling to get controllers working originally, I haven't done anything.

I just stopped the ledspicer service to see if that was the issue and have included the new runcommand.log below. The problem hasn't changed.
link text

Thanks

mitu

@fadangalini Try to remove anything you have in the onstart script and see if you still get the errors.
Try also add to runcommand-onstart.sh (at the end of the file):

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/1/state

and then post the runcommand.log again - it should show which program is currently using the GPU.

dankcushions

@fadangalini said in Can't run advmame on Pi4:

DRM_IOCTL_MODE_CREATE_DUMB failed: Cannot allocate memory

i have also seen this error due to a misconfigured memory split. can you please show your /boot/config.txt ?

fadangalini

@mitu

I removed everything from the runcommand-onstart.sh and only have the line sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/1/state

here is the runcommand.log below
link text

There was a lot of text onscreen when trying to run but it is too small and disappears too fast for me to read or take a picture. It doesn't seem to have gone into the log...

fadangalini

@dankcushions

Hi,

Here is that file below:
link text

Many thanks

mitu

@fadangalini said in Can't run advmame on Pi4:

@mitu

I removed everything from the runcommand-onstart.sh and only have the line sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/1/state

here is the runcommand.log below
link text

There's no extra detail, unfortunately, in the new log - looks like the output is not saved in the runcommand. Replace the command with

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/1/state >/dev/shm/modinfo.txt

and then post the /dev/shm/modinfo.txt log file.

fadangalini

@mitu

Ok, I've just tried that, this time the game has frozen rather than go back to EmulationStation.

But here is the mod info.txt file below:
link text

I have to go to work now and won't finish till midnight, so I won't be back on again now until the morning.

Look forward to speaking again tomorrow and thanks for your time so far.

mitu

@fadangalini said in Can't run advmame on Pi4:

But here is the mod info.txt file below:
link text

From the log output, there's no other program using the GPU at the time, so in that respect it's ok. Might want to try @dankcushions's suggestion and reserve a bit of GPU ram in config.txt, though on the Pi4 the VRAM for the GPU is dynamically allocated from the RAM and the following stanza shouldn't be necessary for emulators:

gpu_mem=128

fadangalini

@mitu

Morning.

I was hoping it would be something doing it that we could shutdown, so that's a shame. I've added that line to config.txt and still having the same issue.

Here's the latest runcommand.log but it looks the same.
link text

mitu

Not sure what happens with your setup.
I wrote a stock 4.7.1 image and installed just advmame, it works fine. Updated the image (RetroPie and the OS, from the Update menu in RetroPie-Setup), it still works fine. This is with advmame, not the older advmame version (advmame-1.4 or advmame-0.94).

Are you running EmulationStation from the desktop or you're just using the default setup (ES runs at boot) ? Did you update the image ? Any other configurations on the system ?

fadangalini

@mitu

I have no idea...
I've just tried similar to you.
I got a fresh MicroSD card, installed the latest 4.7.1 from RetroPie.org.uk.
setup wifi and ssh. installed advmame and put some roms in /home/pi/retropie/roms/mame_advmame

I updated everything I could.

This time they do not crash, but the video and audio are the same, very slow and choppy. Using the tab button in game it says 'advance mame 3.9'.

On my original setup on the other sd card it doesn't say 3.9 in the menu. and none of the folders are labelled with 1.4 or 0.94, just 'advmame'

Do you think it might be to do with the HDMI setup to the screen? Just clutching at straws as i'm clueless really, as mame2003 works fine, along with snes, mega drive, redream... and everything else.

Both setups are the default, ES runs from boot.

fadangalini

@fadangalini

Maybe it's the roms? I got them from a couple different places, they say 0.106 non-merged sets...

here's a quick vid of one running...

No errors in the runcommand.log at the moment.

mitu

@fadangalini said in Can't run advmame on Pi4:

Maybe it's the roms? I got them from a couple different places, they say 0.106 non-merged sets...

Is this from the system where you have problems ? Usually a bad ROM will result in a different kind of error - advmame will list the missing ROMs and exit cleanly.

On my original setup on the other sd card it doesn't say 3.9 in the menu. and none of the folders are labelled with 1.4 or 0.94, just 'advmame'

There are no folders labelled with the version and you can't install these older version on a Pi4 anyway, but I just mentioned the version to make sure we're on the same page.

fadangalini

@mitu

This is on a fresh new install on the same pi.
Thought i'd see if that worked and if it did I was going to start from scratch.

Ok, so at least the roms are probably ok... just to find the problem haha.

I think we are on the same page with regards to the advmame version.

I've just made a backup of the original sd card with the original problem before fiddling too much.

mitu

@fadangalini I suggest you continue on this new installation - if any ROMs are not working, check the runcommand.log and see if advmame reports what's missing.

fadangalini

@mitu

I'm at a loss. I don't understand how I can do a fresh install like you, yours works, mine doesn't.....

I'm going to start from scratch again.

Is yours overclocked? Clutching at straws again.

Also, installing advmame from RetroPie, do you install from pre-compiled binary? or the other option?

mitu

@fadangalini said in Can't run advmame on Pi4:

Is yours overclocked? Clutching at straws again.

No, there's no overclock.

Also, installing advmame from RetroPie, do you install from pre-compiled binary? or the other option?

I installed from binary, advmame hasn't had any recent updates so it doesn't matter what installation method you choose - you get the same version.

fadangalini

@mitu

Thanks for your reply again.
I'll have another crack at it after work tomorrow. Had to spend all day doing uni work... Not enough hours in the day!

fadangalini

@mitu

So you know and anyone else that has the same problem and finds this thread, it is now working.

The problem turned out to be my TV.
I was reading the advmame website and it says that it automatically adjusts to suit the tv, and I thought that must be the problem.

Currently I have everything setup in my living room as I wanted to get everything working before building the cab. I had it connected to my Sony Bravia 4K 55" tv, and this was where I was getting the problems. I just hooked the pi up to the monitor (Dell 1080p) I'll be using in the cab and it's working perfectly. Think a small amount of tweaking will be required in the settings but other than that, it's great!

Just a note, everything else was working fine on the Sony, just advmame giving me problems.

Just happy it is now working, after I don't know how many hours of fiddling!

Many thanks to you, dankcushions and stoney66 for your time and help.