Retro Pie initial setup questions

ras_oscar

One more data dump to the brain trust before I give up and plug my speakers into the sound jack:

Bluetooth sound: I'd like to confirm that I understand the purpose of the settings and that they are correct for my application At present, I can register the bluetooth device with retro pie but i cannot connect to it and I can only produce sound through the sound jack:

RetroPi Splash->Menu->sound settings
Audio Card [Null]
Audio Device [digital]
Nav Sounds [on]
Enable Video Audio [off]
OMX Player Audio Device [both]

Retropie splash->Retropie->
audio input->default

Retropie splash->Retropie->Bluetooth->configure bluetooth devices
searches and finds Bose Soundlink
Security mode
1. display yes/no
2. keyboard display
3. noinputnooutput
4. display only
5. keyboard only
[not sure what to select here, nothing seems to apply]
[if i select 1. it fails to connect if I select 2. the display and any futher input from the controller is entered at the bottom of the window as '[[b [[c "scrolling the screen upward]

mitu

For BT sound, you're best best is using PulseAudio. Install the desktop - from RetroPie-Setup - and pair your speakers, then test your audio from there. If that works, exit the desktop and see if the emulators are working fine with it.

ras_oscar

Thanks for your recommendation

Is pulse audio included in the Retropie dowload I installed or do I need to download it separately?

mitu

@ras_oscar No, PulseAudio is not included, but it will be automatically installed when you install the desktop component.

ras_oscar

After successfully configuring and connecting to my wifi, I ran the install of pulse audio, It was successful.

Now I need to edit the startup files to have it run automatically each time I start Retropi.

I am not yet comfortable with Linux terminal, so I went to the docs to find out how to install pixel desktop. Auto install was not an option offered in Configuration / Tools >> Raspbiantools menu, so I executed the manual install by entering the console commands:

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends lxde
sudo apt install xorg raspberrypi-ui-mods rpi-chromium-mods

They ran successfully. I shut down and rebooted the machine. I pressed F4 to exited to the console and entered startx. Command not found. I installed something. Has the start command changed? is pixel desktop called something else?

mitu

@ras_oscar said in Retro Pie initial setup questions:

Now I need to edit the startup files to have it run automatically each time I start Retropi.

That should not be needed.

Auto install was not an option offered in Configuration / Tools >> Raspbiantools menu, so I executed the manual install by entering the console commands:

It should be, see: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/FAQ/#where-did-the-desktop-go. After you install it through RetroPie-Setup, a 'Destkop' entry should appear in the Ports system and you should be able to start it from EmulationStation directly, without any command line commands.

ras_oscar

I fiddled around with some stuff, installed some stuff and after I rebooted I see another options on the retropie "band" menu called ports. Beneath ports is an entry Desktop. Selecting it shows a "DOS " type menu saying it is installing LXDE and then I am returned to the Ports menu. Althought I can see no actual tasks I can perform in desktop other than return to the retropie menu.

Returning to the original question, is there a way I can confirm I have successfully installed pulseaudio? I'm willing to open the Retropi card from a separate RPI installation if necessary to check setup files, I just don't know where to look.

mitu

@ras_oscar said in Retro Pie initial setup questions:

Althought I can see no actual tasks I can perform in desktop other than return to the retropie menu.

Update RetroPie and the OS, then try again.

Returning to the original question, is there a way I can confirm I have successfully installed pulseaudio?

Run pacmd info or pacmd stat to see if PulseAudio is running.

ras_oscar

used Retropie menus to update Retropie
used Retropie menu to update Raspberry pi
rebooted
shelled out to a command prompt using "F4" and ran "pacmd info"
No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon

rebooted using "reboot" from the $ prompt

from the Retropie menu selected ->back->Retropie->enable pulse audio
Shelled out to the $prompt and entered "pacmd info" got 3 pages of text scrolling up the screen.
entered "exit" to return to Retropie

Back->retropie->

tried pairing bluetooth devices, still the 2 devices I have are registered but will not connect. Is there a pulse audio control panel somewhere that I should be interacting with?

mitu

@ras_oscar said in Retro Pie initial setup questions:

Shelled out to the $prompt and entered "pacmd info" got 3 pages of text scrolling up the screen.

OK, so it means it's running.

tried pairing bluetooth devices, still the 2 devices I have are registered but will not connect.

Try removing the devices from the Bluetooth menu and manually pair the speakers/headphones using bluetoothctl

Is there a pulse audio control panel somewhere that I should be interacting with?

Only as a desktop app AFAIR, but what you need is to pair the headphones first, after that you can use pacmd and set the default audio output to be sent over Bluetooth.

ras_oscar

I used the Retropie menu to unpair all bluetooth devices, one at a time.

I used F4 to shell out to the command console

I entered bluetoothctl to start the controller

I entered help at the # prompt to get list of all commands available

I used bluetoothctl to make the computer discoverable, scan for the device mac address and pair. I used paired-devices to verify the earbuds have been paired.

I entered connect {mac address]to attempt to connect the earbuds to the bluetooth transceiver.

I got a message " failed to connect: org.bluez.error.Failed

mitu

Sorry, no idea why the pairing doesn't work - we usually deal with input devices (keyboard/gamepad).

ras_oscar

ok, thanks for your help and patience responding to my questions

I've ordered a cable to physically connect my speaker to the PI and will use that for sound in the future.