Old Computer Appreciation Thread

Folly

@testudo said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

aa310.7z and archimedes_keyboard.7z BIOS files are located in /Home/RetroPie/BIOS/mame.

Just to make sure, your bios files have to be in :
/home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame

If everything is ok the original mame module-script should have created this line in /opt/retropie/configs/mame/mame.ini ? :

rompath /home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/mame;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/arcade;/home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame

When you have above, then the mame command you tried earlier should work now :

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame aa310 -bios 310

testudo

@Folly

Apologies, in my haste I did not fully/correctly list the directory locations:

/home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame
/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/archimedes

<testudo> is used in the mame.ini rompath line code for both file locations:

rompath                   "/home/testudo/MAME;/home/testudo/MAME/MAME ROMs;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms;/home/testudo/RetroPie;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms;/home/testudo/RetroPie;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms"

Reinstalled using script 0240.03 and no significant changes. The one being that I can now get to an OS screen using both:

mame-aa310-bios_310-flop = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame\;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/archimedes -v -c -ui_active -statename archimedes/%BASENAME% aa310 -bios 310 -flop %ROM%"

Screenshot from 2022-03-27 12-16-19.png

and

lr-mess-aa310-flop = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --config /opt/retropie/configs/archimedes/retroarch.cfg --appendconfig /opt/retropie/configs/archimedes/retroarch.cfg.add -S /home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/archimedes -s /home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/archimedes -v -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mess_libretro.so 'aa310  -rompath /home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/archimedes/ -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/archimedes/lr-mess -c -ui_active -flop %ROM%'"

Screenshot from 2022-03-27 12-12-48.png

Still, <lr-run_mess-aa4401-bios_310-4Mb-flop-autoframeskip> is the only option to fully boot to the game.

Tried updating the both mame.ini to:

rompath "/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/mame;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms/arcade;/home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame"

and executed:

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame aa310 -bios 310

to no success. No OS screen, just the same error as above.

<lr-run_mess-aa4401-bios_310-4Mb-flop-autoframeskip> does work with those rompath locations however.

Folly

@testudo

Hopefully we are getting there.
Btw. I never noticed that issue in my script, totally overlooked ;-)
If we find it, it would be a major improvement for the script.

This is what I seeing now :
This path is still missing from your mame.ini (from the line you send me) :
/home/testudo/RetroPie/BIOS/mame

Your line :

rompath                   "/home/testudo/MAME;/home/testudo/MAME/MAME ROMs;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms;/home/testudo/RetroPie;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms;/home/testudo/RetroPie;/home/testudo/RetroPie/roms"

Should be no problem :
Spaces cannot be used, I think (try to remove this one):
/home/testudo/MAME/MAME ROMs
And remove the quotes => "

The loader mame-aa310-bios_310-flop still has -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame in it.
Seems It's not updated correctly.

Folly

@testudo

What OS are you using for RetroPie ?

Is your :
/home/pi/.mame/mame.ini
the same as :
/opt/retropie/configs/mame/mame.ini
?

/home/pi/.mame is a link to /opt/retropie/configs/mame
So the mame.ini in both directories should be the same file.

testudo

@Folly
OS is Ubuntu 20.04

/home/<user name>/.mame/mame.ini

/opt/retropie/config/mame/mame.ini

are the same.

Folly

@testudo

If you checked my last recommendation and everything looks good but it still doesn't work...
Then we are on a dead end again.

Ubuntu 20.04, not sure, probably ok but could also be a part of the problem.
I can remember that I have had differences in how quotes are handled in other OSes. This can influence the process of finding the correct rompaths.
That is probably something that has to be tested.

When we have a good idea we can always take a look a second time.

Obviously, my script is already improved by this discussion, so that is already very nice ;-)
Thanks !

testudo

@Folly

Sadly, it appears we did hit a dead end after trying your latest recommendation. I also tried with and without quotes for the rom path entry, to no avail.

I can access my games using the lr-run option, so I am happy.

Thanks for your patience and persistence. You are a great value the Retro community.

duglor

@testudo Anyone up for making an entry for this game within the ES Theme, comic book? :)

duglor

@duglor @Folly @testudo Is the game, Hamsters, a demo only? Everywhere i find it, it says DEMO. hmmm

Folly

@duglor

You need to specify what system you are running Hamsters in.
I have seen you talk about Archimedes so first you need to have that part of the theme.
For the New Comic Book Theme you have to go here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/9211/new-comic-book-theme/1259

A game gamelist entry has not much to do with a theme.
Gamelists can be used for more themes.
If you use MAME or lr-mess for Archimedes this is probably the best place to discuss it :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/32188/creating-es-gamelists-with-media-for-mame-lr-mess

If above not suits then it's best to create a new thread.

buzzardbait

Reviewed the first post in this thread.. How do you configure a controller to work with AlephOne? I know the original Marathon controls were on a keyboard, but is there any trick to getting the game to work with a PS2 or equivalent controller?

I've tried before and gave up, but seeing the mention above made me want to try and get it working again.

DTEAM

@buzzardbait

Follow steps 10 to 13 here : Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME

It’s a good starting point if you are using MAME.

pariziv

I was looking into the Elektronika - BK-0010/BK-0011

In Windows I added the core to RetroArch (lr-BK) but I can't find it in Retropie. There's an option to load it via Mame, but it can only run cassettes.

pi@pi400base:~/RetroPie-Setup $ sudo ./retropie_packages.sh | grep "lr-b"
lr-beetle-lynx      : Atari Lynx emulator - Mednafen Lynx Port for libretro, itself a fork of Handy : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-ngp       : Neo Geo Pocket(Color)emu - Mednafen Neo Geo Pocket core port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-pce-fast  : PCEngine emu - Mednafen PCE Fast port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-pcfx      : PCFX emulator - Mednafen PCFX Port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
*lr-beetle-psx       : PlayStation emulator - Mednafen PSX Port for libretro : This module is not available for your platform
lr-beetle-saturn    : Saturn emulator - Mednafen Saturn port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-supergrafx: SuperGrafx TG-16 emulator - Mednafen PCE Fast port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-vb        : Virtual Boy emulator - Mednafen VB (optimised) port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-beetle-wswan     : Wonderswan emu - Mednafen WonderSwan core port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-bluemsx          : MSX/MSX2/Colecovision emu - blueMSX port for libretro : build configure install sources clean remove
lr-bsnes            : Super Nintendo Emulator - bsnes port for libretro (v115) : build configure depends install sources clean remove

pi@pi400base:~/RetroPie-Setup $ mame bk0010 -listmedia
SYSTEM           MEDIA NAME       (brief)    IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------------- --------------------------- -------------------------------
bk0010           cassette         (cass)     .wav
pi@pi400base:~/RetroPie-Setup $

Is there a way to install the lr-BK core in Retropie?

(Retropie 4.8.2 on Pi400)

Folly

@pariziv

I have created a module-script.
The emulator loads a few things.

Download from here (right click raw/ save as):
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/main/00-scriptmodules-00/libretrocores/lr-bk.sh
Place it in : scriptmodules/libretrocores

Place bios files in BIOS/bk.
The extensions .img .bin files seem to be the ones supported.
Compressed files can also be used (.zip .7z)

Proof that it's working loading Andos v3.30 (19xx)(-).img from TOSEC :

You can turn it into balck and white for better reading :

Working also now : "Bolderdash (19xx)(-)(en).bin" from TOSEC :

pariziv

Works like a charm! Thank you @Folly !

I currently have 173 systems configured. 16 more to go... currently..., because the more I read the more systems I have to add :)

I now have 5 customs scripts:

b-em-pico-pi.sh
lr-arduous_lcd.sh
lr_bk.sh
lr-lowresnx.sh
lr-mess-p2000t.sh

Who actually decides whether these custom scripts are added to the standard retropie installation?

Folly

@pariziv said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

Who actually decides whether these custom scripts are added to the standard retropie installation?

It's basically decided by both parties and in the end it's decided by the moderators.

If someone has made something he/she can make a fork of the RetroPie-Setup and add a module-script to it and then make a pull request.
If the pull-request is accepted the file will be merged.

Problem is that not all emulators/libretro cores are that good.
So then the discussion begins, whether to add something or not.
Adding more will ultimately mean more maintenance which means more work for the moderators.

That is why not everything is added anymore

Retro Arcade Fan

@pariziv You've got 173 "working" systems on your RP? I'd love to see that list!

dmmarti

@Retro-Arcade-Fan @pariziv

I'd love to see his list too!

I'm always on the lookout for new systems I've never heard of to try and get them running. Being able to emulate using the MAME/MESS core opens up a ton of new (well actually older I guess haha) systems that I have never seen before. Some of those older 70's and 80's computer systems were pretty amazing for their time.

Here's my working Google document with all of my systems (this is for both RetroPie and my Windows PC list). I use the Attract Mode front-end on both and pretty much have RetroPie launching the same systems (no PS2, Wii, etc of course).

I try to keep my Google doc updated with new systems I add and usage notes for them.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mwIjk7TFWoD--7hfiPHCYUxFtIz1yhD8BLtWdQQWwKw/edit?usp=sharing

Retro Arcade Fan

@dmmarti This is AMAZING! Thank you for sharing such a detailed spreadsheet. I see so many that I don't have on my system. This is going to push my addiction to a whole new level haha.

DTEAM

@dmmarti said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@Retro-Arcade-Fan @pariziv

I'd love to see his list too!

I'm always on the lookout for new systems I've never heard of to try and get them running. Being able to emulate using the MAME/MESS core opens up a ton of new (well actually older I guess haha) systems that I have never seen before. Some of those older 70's and 80's computer systems were pretty amazing for their time.

Here's my working Google document with all of my systems (this is for both RetroPie and my Windows PC list). I use the Attract Mode front-end on both and pretty much have RetroPie launching the same systems (no PS2, Wii, etc of course).

I try to keep my Google doc updated with new systems I add and usage notes for them.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mwIjk7TFWoD--7hfiPHCYUxFtIz1yhD8BLtWdQQWwKw/edit?usp=sharing

@Folly

Hi Folly, do you think it could be a good idea to put that link (above) in your first post of Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone ?