Adding to custom collections issue

Simrose

Pi4 2gb, official retropie fully upto date.
Argon case and PSU.
No overclock
Systems 50
Hi, I'm having issues with custom collections. When I add multiple games to a custom collection emulation station crashes and gives the message about adjusting memory split. I've read on the retropie documents not to do this on the pi4
I do have alot of games and systems.
I have tried installing retropie again and adding the games but still same problem.
The emulation station log doesn't show anything about the crash.
When it crashes I can type emulationstation and load it.
I can provide more details or do any testing advised here.
The crash only happens with collections and does not matter if it's a collection from theme or within carbon custom collections. It's random when it happens so not a specific game causing it but I can get it to happen everytime usually after adding 40+ games.
I've also tested its not an artwork or snap causing it by browsing them all.
This has been happening for awhile now approx 6 months I've been updating core packages regularly including emulationstation hoping for improvement
Thanks
Sim

mitu

Just to confirm, the crash happens when you're adding the game to the collection from EmulationStation's menus (pressing Y to add the game to collection) ?

Simrose

@mitu
Thanks for replying, yes that's the only time it crashes when adding games to the collections.

Playing games or browsing emulation station has always been fine.

Thanks
Sim

mitu

Can you please add the RetroPie and EmulationStation versions you're using ? Not 'current' or 'up-to-date', just add the actual version.

Simrose

@mitu
Retropie 4.8.2
Emulationstation branch stable
V2.10.3RP

mitu

Can't seem to replicate this issue - it doesn't seem related to the number of games added, with more than 60 games added to a custom collection I don't get any crashes.

What theme are you using ?

Try to run EmulationStation with debugging enabled (emulationstation --debug) and reproduce the issue. Once you get the crash, upload the log file ($HOME/.emulationstation/es_log.txt) to pastebin.com so we can take a look.

Simrose

@mitu
https://pastebin.com/H3CNiRJY
Carbon Theme running, I have tried other themes and the same thing happens.

It still is the same everytime I add to a custom collection I have created it will crash. This time was after approx 20 games added.

No other issues, only when adding to collections.

I'm not sure if this will be helpful
collection files are using the following
owner = pi
rights = pi [1000]
Permissions
Octal 0644

If you have any other ideas ill be happy to try anything to get it working correctly. I have spent lots of time trying to improve my retropie setup. I love how retropie works and have spent many hours reading the official online documents.

Thanks
Sim

mitu

@Simrose said in Adding to custom collections issue:

It still is the same everytime I add to a custom collection I have created it will crash. This time was after approx 20 games added.

Is the log you posted taken after the crash ? The last input logged is a 'key down' event, after which a game is selected (Darkman (1991)(Ocean)(128K).tap).

Simrose

@mitu
Yes that is correct, I exited emulationstation then ran the debug command to load emulationstation and started to add the collections and the last game was darkman which it crashed but it doesnt matter which game is added. I will restart and run the debug again and see which game it ends up crashing when adding. I was adding the games using a wireless logitech keyboard. I will try this time with my gamepad.

15.21 debug started

https://pastebin.com/NLvBsHid

I managed to add a bunch of games from various systems then when I got to zxspectrum it crashed.

I have tried scrolling through zxspectrum from a-z when not adding games to collections and no issues with videos or box art and the games all work.

Darkman added fine this time a different game it exited on
https://pastebin.com/g9apFyUq

Update!
I deleted the collection and created it again and it seems to be working ok. I added all the games within zxspectrum and no crash!

Thanks
Sim

Simrose

@Simrose

Update 23/06/22
Same issue is still happening.

I tried a new collection and after adding multiple games it crashes.
No other time it crashes just when adding games to collections.
Hopefully a 3rd install of retropie will help.
Before I start installing retropie again can someone advise if any more tests I can do.
Many Thanks
Sim

mitu

I don't think re-installing would help if the issue is with EmulationStation only and external (i.e. corrupt fs/damaged sd card).
If you have a collection that can reliably crash EmulationStation when adding games to it, then maybe the contents of the file is causing it. Why don't you post the collection's contents on pastebin.com ?

Simrose

@mitu
https://pastebin.com/CvwxY0At
if that does not help i can try anything else you can think of.

Collections folder is
rwxr-xr-x (0755) pi1000

mitu

Still can't get the crash.
I have added the collection to my installation, created empty files for the games included, then edited the collection and added new games to it. No issue with that.

Simrose

@mitu
Have you tried adding more games as sometimes it doesn't happen for me until I add over 100

I've tried to create new collections and it still happens.

It always does it for me. I tried change the default 64gb GPU memory to 256gb but still crashed so put back to default 64gb as recommended in docs.

I tried turning off filters and parse gamelists on and off.

Nothing helped I think I'm out of ideas. Everything else works great and I love how I have it setup. I could record a video to show but I don't think it will be helpful.

If it's not a problem for anyone else then I'll either just live with it or make another retropie install.

Thanks
Sim

mitu

@Simrose said in Adding to custom collections issue:

Have you tried adding more games as sometimes it doesn't happen for me until I add over 100

Yes, since you reported that the crash happens when you add a game to the collection. Didn't go over 100 though, but I doubled the number of games in the collection.

I can try with over 100 games in the collection, I don't think I've gone over 80 games in my tests.

It always does it for me. I tried change the default 64gb GPU memory to 256gb but still crashed so put back to default 64gb as recommended in docs.

I doubt you can set the GPU mem to 256Gb and on the Pi4 you don't need any special GPU settings, since the VRAM is allocated automatically from the main memory, without the need to reserve it.

Simrose

@mitu
Yes I read the gpu setting on the pi4 is managed dynamically and is best left alone as it can harm performance increasing it.
I do try to keep everything default and use the advice in the documents.
I have been able to replicate the issue over and over. I decided to try turning off and on many different features under emulationstation settings and keep testing.
It's probally nothing to do with the issue but after turning OMX on and doing the test again so far ive managed to add hundreds of games without issue. I will create more collections and try again this has been the most successful for me so far. I can't really see why this would help as when adding games to the collections i don't give it time to start playing any video.

Update
Tested again with same setting OMX on with existing and new collections and worked fine.

Thanks Sim