Can't install any psx emulators (Could not successfully build lr-pcsx-rearmed, pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so not found)

ParzivalKnox

Pi Model or other hardware: X86 PC
RetroPie Version Used : 4.8.2 (I believe.. I installed it from source less then a week ago)
Built From: Following the official Debian/Ubuntu guide, cloning setup from github and then basic install
USB Devices connected: none
Controller used: none
Error messages received: Could not successfully build lr-pcsx-rearmed - Playstation emulator - PCSX (arm optimised) port for libretro (/home/renato/RetroPie-Setup/tmp/build/lr-pcsx-rearmed/pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so not found).
Logs:
Pastebin 1
Pastebin 2
Pastebin 3
Emulator: lr-pcsx-rearmed
How to replicate the problem: Basic install and then install lr-pcsx-rearmed from optional packages.

Hi, I'm new to the forum.

I recently installed RetroPie following the official guide for Linux (I'm running Mint) and it's all well except for psx games.

Even though I'm running a laptop and not a Pie, the pre-installed lr-beetle-psx is too demanding for my dual core Pentium of some ages ago. So I searched the internet to find an alternative and tried to install lr-pcsx-rearmed as it seems to be the only compatible alternative for my system.
However, even though I updated the setup script and all of the packages multiple times, I'm not able to install it. Looking at the logs, seems like the setup script couldn't compile the pcsx-rearmed-libretro.so.

Searched the whole internet, spent some hours and got desperate so I tried messing with the lr-beetle-psx renderer settings in retroarch to make it run smoother. Doing so, I effed it up.
I went again in the setup script, deleted beetle and tried to re-install it. Can't do it. Different errors and logs, same result.

I thought about it and decided to give something a try. Thinking it could be some modification I could have done somewhere, I loaded up a Mint distro on a bootable USB, booted it and installed RetroPie there. As before, following the guide.
With a completely clean and immaculate installation, I tried to install lr-pcsx-rearmed. Same result, same error. The beetle emulator is there though. Bet if I remove it I wouldnt be able to install it again.

Hoping I didn't do something stupid, please help.

mitu

Seems to be an upstream issue when building for x86 - 32bit platforms. I ran the installation on a 64bit system and didn't have the problem. We'll see how we can get it fixed.

Any reason you're using using an old Mint version instead of a more recent one ? The LMDE edition has a x86 32bit edition available that can be used. I suspect the build issue is due to an older compiler, since the libretro buildbot does have a 32bit core available (so they manage to build it).

ParzivalKnox

Thanks for the reply.

Honestly the only reason is that I didn't know of that Debian based version and I searched for a 32 bit OS. So that old version was, as far as I knew, the only option.

Later I discovered that my system may actually be fine with 64bit but again, I'm no expert and I didn't want to sacrifice all the work done without even knowing for sure it would work.

Do you think upgrading everything is necessary?
Can I steal the working lr-beetle-psx from the working installation on the USB live system in the meantime?

mitu

@ParzivalKnox said in Can't install any psx emulators (Could not successfully build lr-pcsx-rearmed, pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so not found):

Do you think upgrading everything is necessary?

I'm not sure, since I didn't have a chance to test a 32bit system (don't have one ready right now). However, the version you have now (19.3) will be end-of-life this year in April, so if you're just starting putting the system together, then I'd say you'd better install a more recent version from scratch.

Can I steal the working lr-beetle-psx from the working installation on the USB live system in the meantime?

Not sure what you mean.

You can download the .zip file with the 32bit pcsx-rearmed core from the URL I posted earlier and unpack it locally, then modify /opt/retropie/configs/psx/emulators.cfg and add an entry for it:

lr-pcsx-rearmed = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /path/to/pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg %ROM%"

Use the runcommand launch menu to switch emulators and test the newly configured libretro core.

ParzivalKnox

So I tried installing lr-pcsx-rearmed following your instructions and, even though it shows in the retropie setup, the playstation emulator didn't show up in emulationstation (I have roms in the folder).

So I did a thing. I opened the retropie setup, deleted the newly installed lr-pcsx-rearmed and made it install again. Knowing that it would fail to compile, I placed the correct .so file (pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so downloaded from your provided link) in the temp build folder during the installation. This trick made retropie place automagically the file in the correct folder, complete the installation of the package and even the playstation menu now shows up.

Unfortunately, when I try to run a (working, it was tested previously with beetle) rom with lr-pcsx-rearmed it crashes and doesn't open the game. Here's the log.

Parameters: 
Executing: /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-pcsx-rearmed/pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg "/home/renato/RetroPie/roms/psx/Crash Bandicoot (USA).cue" --verbose --appendconfig /dev/shm/retroarch.cfg
[INFO] RetroArch 1.12.0 (Git d6deee4)
[INFO] === Build =======================================
[INFO] CPU Model Name: Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU       T4200  @ 2.00GHz
[INFO] Capabilities:  MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 SSE3
[INFO] Built: Jan 14 2023
[INFO] Version: 1.12.0
[INFO] Git: d6deee4
[INFO] =================================================
[INFO] [Input]: Found input driver: "x".
[INFO] [Core]: Loading dynamic libretro core from: "/opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-pcsx-rearmed/pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so"
[INFO] [Config]: Loading config: "/opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg".
[INFO] [Config]: Appending config: "/dev/shm/retroarch.cfg".
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_LOG_INTERFACE.
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_CONTROLLER_INFO.
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_CORE_OPTIONS_VERSION.
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_LANGUAGE: "0".
[INFO] [Environ]: RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_CORE_OPTIONS_V2_INTL.
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save file to "/home/renato/RetroPie/roms/psx/Crash Bandicoot (USA).srm".
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save state to "/home/renato/RetroPie/roms/psx/Crash Bandicoot (USA).state".
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_MESSAGE_INTERFACE_VERSION.
[libretro INFO] Memcard 2: disabled
[libretro INFO] Starting PCSX-ReARMed aced3eb
[libretro INFO] Running PCSX Version 1.9 (Jan 18 2023).
ERROR: Unable to compile dispatcher: Out of memory
[INFO] [Environ]: SYSTEM_DIRECTORY: "/home/renato/RetroPie/BIOS".
[libretro INFO] found BIOS file: SCPH5502.BIN
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_CAN_DUPE: true
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_DISK_CONTROL_INTERFACE_VERSION.
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_DISK_CONTROL_EXT_INTERFACE.
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_RUMBLE_INTERFACE.
[INFO] [Environ]: PERFORMANCE_LEVEL: 6.
[INFO] [Content]: Content loading skipped. Implementation will load it on its own.
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_INPUT_DESCRIPTORS:
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_PIXEL_FORMAT: RGB565.
[libretro INFO] RGB565 supported, using it
[libretro INFO] plugin: plugins/builtin_gpu
[libretro INFO] plugin: plugins/builtin_spu
[libretro INFO] plugin: plugins/builtin_pad
[libretro INFO] plugin: plugins/builtin_pad
[libretro INFO] Plugins loaded.
[libretro INFO] Loaded CD Image: /home/renato/RetroPie/roms/psx/Crash Bandicoot (USA).cue[+cue].
[libretro INFO] Track 01 (DATA) - Start 00:02:00, Length 59:43:18
[libretro INFO] CD-ROM Label: SCUS-94900                      
[libretro INFO] CD-ROM ID: SCUS94900
[libretro INFO] CD-ROM EXE Name: SCUS_949.00;1
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh: line 1313:  7694 Segmentation fault      (core dumped) /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-pcsx-rearmed/pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/psx/retroarch.cfg "/home/renato/RetroPie/roms/psx/Crash Bandicoot (USA).cue" --verbose --appendconfig /dev/shm/retroarch.cfg

mitu

ERROR: Unable to compile dispatcher: Out of memory

It's possible the error above means the core dynarec fails to initialize. You might be able to disable it with one of the core options in /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-core-options.cfg, but the result would be a very slow emulator.

ParzivalKnox

I looked at that file but there was no entry whatsoever about lr-pcsx-rearmed. I don't know what to do.

However, I managed to restore lr-beetle-psx in a running and almost playable state, not quite playable yet but close. The major difference was setting the renderer to 'software'.

About the dynarec. I'm no expert and I don't know what I'm talking about but, if it can be of any help, when I was trying various option in the retroarch menu to make beetle run better, dynarec was there, in its core options. It was disabled by default and any alternative to 'disabled' made it crash.
So yea, I guess it could be something to do with it even for pcsx-rearmed, as you stated.

I hope this weekend I'll have the courage and the time to reinstall everything in a newer version of Linux if I have to. Anything else I can try?
I configured everything for this machine and it's practically finished (software side) for what I have to do, only psx games are left really.

mitu

@ParzivalKnox said in Can't install any psx emulators (Could not successfully build lr-pcsx-rearmed, pcsx_rearmed_libretro.so not found):

About the dynarec. I'm no expert and I don't know what I'm talking about but, if it can be of any help, when I was trying various option in the retroarch menu to make beetle run better, dynarec was there, in its core options. It was disabled by default and any alternative to 'disabled' made it crash.

Yes, probably because there's no dynarec (short dynamic recompiler) for 32bit.

So yea, I guess it could be something to do with it even for pcsx-rearmed, as you stated.

Different cores have different dynamic recompiler features and implementations, so it's not directly related.

I hope this weekend I'll have the courage and the time to reinstall everything in a newer version of Linux if I have to. Anything else I can try?

IMHO you should install a 64bit - recent - distribution, since your CPU is 64bit capable.

ParzivalKnox

I did the reinstall. Convincing myself to actually do it was harder than the reinstall itself.

Now I got a completely functional and updated 64bit system. PSX roms run perfect.

Thanks for everything, I hope this can be helpful for someone.
Cheers