Cannot access RetroArch GUI from RP Setup Utility

[testudo]

Hardware: x86_64 Laptop running Ubuntu 20.04
RetroPie Version: 4.8
Built From: On top of existing OS
USB Devices connected: Game Pad, Epson Scanner
Controller used: Playstation compatible Gamepad
Error messages received: GameMode ERROR Could not connect to bus:

After updating RetroPie 4.8, when trying to access the RetroArch (v1.10.0) GUI from the RetroPie Setup Utility in Emulation Station as well as standalone, I encounter the following error and RetroArch closes before ever opening:

I can access RetroArch GUI from the Keyboard hot key, but using the gamepad hot keys is hit or miss, mostly miss. Confirmed dbus and python dbus are the most recent, and no errors in the SetUp log. Any help is appreciated.

[mitu]

The screenshot you posted is not visible without a Google account, can you make it public so that we can see it ?

[testudo]

@mitu
Dang, forgot Google Photos no longer allows for public sharing.

Here's the copy of the error notice:

GameMode ERROR: Could not connect to bus: Failed to connect to socket /tmp/dbus-IUtBLGFtPF: Connection refused
dbus[37395]: arguments to dbus_connection_unref() were incorrect, assertion "connection != NULL" failed in file ../../../dbus/dbus-connection.c line 2822.
This is normally a bug in some application using the D-bus library.

   D-bus not built with -rdynamic so unable to print a backtrace
Aborted (core dumped) 

[mitu]

I wonder if the reason is we start the GUI via sudo (from the RetroPie system).

Can you exit EmulationStation and run from a terminal

/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --verbose --menu --config /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg

and see if the GUI opens up ? If not, then try disabling Game Mode by adding

gamemode_enable.= "false"

to /opt/retropie/configs/al/retroarch.cfg.

[testudo]

@mitu said in Cannot access RetroArch GUI from RP Setup Utility:

I wonder if the reason is we start the GUI via sudo (from the RetroPie system).

Can you exit EmulationStation and run from a terminal

/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --verbose --menu --config /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg

and see if the GUI opens up ? If not, then try disabling Game Mode by adding

gamemode_enable.= "false"

to /opt/retropie/configs/al/retroarch.cfg.

RetroArch GUI does open directly from the terminal command provided.

[mitu]

@testudo Then temporarily you can add

gamemode_enable = "false"

to retroarch.cfg and use it for now. I'll take a look to see why this isn't working through su, as called from EmulationStation.

Do you have the gamemode package installed on your system ?

[testudo]

@mitu said in Cannot access RetroArch GUI from RP Setup Utility:

gamemode_enable = "false"

Thanks. I tried disabling the game mode by adding the provided code to the retroarch.cfg, but no success. Still get the same error.

I am not aware of intentionally installing the gamemode package on my system. How would I check if it is installed?

I do have gamemode 1.5.1-0ubuntu3.1 installed.

[mitu]

@testudo said in Cannot access RetroArch GUI from RP Setup Utility:

How would I check if it is installed?

Check if you have the gamemode package installed:

apt show gamemode

If it shows Installed: Yes, then it's installed.

[testudo]

@mitu

Thanks. Confirming gamemode is installed.

[mitu]

Thanks for the check. I'll see how we can solve this, seems like a bug somewhere if disabling GameMode still doesn't get RetroArch starting normally (from the menu).

[mitu]

@testudo Can you try updating the RetroPie-Setup script ? I've added a small modification to fix the RetroArch's error when started from the RetroPie menu.

[testudo]

@mitu
The update to the setup script was a success! Updated the script and I am now able to access the RetroArch GUI from the EmulationStation Retropie menu.

[mitu]

@testudo Thanks for reporting the bug.

[testudo]

@mitu
Thanks for figuring out and implementing the solution so quickly!