lr-mess and astrocade

[golvellius82]

i have been messing around with lr-mess core in retropie to be used with astrocade and for the love of God it just doesnt work.
couple of things i tried;
1.knowing that the old mess name has changed "most of the guide still says use the old name"

lr-mess = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mess_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg %ROM%"
default = "lr-mess"

to

lr-mess = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mamemess_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg %ROM%"
default = "lr-mess"

2.renamed and or tried different roms from all kinds of software lists.

3. added

mame_softlists_auto_media = "disabled"
mame_softlists_enable = "disabled"

in the config file of the system

4. knowing that the bios is placed at the root of the system folder "/roms/astrocde/root"
   tried different ways on placing the bios in different folders and systems.

5. and a lot other tiny things

if anybody have a solution to run this system in lr-mess please help, thank you very much

there's a way to run the system with another core " a non libreto" cant remember which one is it, i just loved to see if i can run the games using libreto.
thanks again

[Folly]

@golvellius82

Your approach will not work.
You load the rom file without a mediaoption (-cart) and you have the softlist part disabled.

I could have explained everything over here, but that would be a very long post.
So a better option is to use my project for installing astrocde for which I just added the proper astrocde detection (version 253.04) :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/29682/development-of-module-script-generator-for-lr-mess-lr-mame-and-mame-standalone

Make sure the bios astrocde.zip is in BIOS/mame.

If you like you can check the generated runcommands in /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/emulators.cfg on how the commands are structured after installing astrocde.
If you still have some problem understanding it then let me know.

Let me know if it works for you.

ps.
Make sure you are up to date with the RetroPie-Setup and use the latest installs for MAME,lr-mess and lr-mame.

[golvellius82]

@Folly hi! thank you for the instructions.

i basically deleted all the old mame lr-mame lr-mess folders, and configs and tried your script.

now everything is good till the moment on playing the games which it does the same thing as before. goes to black screen then returns back to the retropie emulationstation ui game selection screen.

the bios i placed it in the BIOS/mame root folder do i need it to place it somewhere else?

btw the script is awesome it can install basically anything easily thank you

[golvellius82]

@golvellius82 this is the error i am getting while booting a game i hope we can find the issue

Parameters:
Executing: /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --config /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg --appendconfig /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg.basename'|'/dev/shm/retroarch.cfg -S /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde -s /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde -v -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mamemess_libretro.so 'mame astrocde -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/lr-mess -c -ui_active -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde/ '"checkers"''
[INFO] RetroArch 1.12.0 (Git d6deee4)
[INFO] === Build =======================================
[INFO] CPU Model Name: ARMv7 Processor rev 3 (v7l)

[INFO] Capabilities: NEON VFPv3 VFPv4
[INFO] Built: Dec 5 2022
[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-mess/mamemess_libretro.so"
[INFO] [Config]: Loading config: "/opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg".
[INFO] [Config]: Appending config: "/opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/retroarch.cfg.basename".
[INFO] [Config]: Appending config: "/dev/shm/retroarch.cfg".
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_VARIABLES.
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save file to "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde/ checkers.srm".
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save state to "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde/ checkers.state".
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_LOG_INTERFACE.
[INFO] [Environ]: SYSTEM_DIRECTORY: "/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS".
[libretro INFO] SYSTEM_DIRECTORY: /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS
[INFO] [Environ]: CORE_ASSETS_DIRECTORY: "/home/pi/.config/retroarch/downloads".
[libretro INFO] CONTENT_DIRECTORY: /home/pi/.config/retroarch/downloads
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_SAVE_DIRECTORY.
[libretro INFO] SAVE_DIRECTORY: mame astrocde -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/lr-mess -c -ui_active -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde/
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_PIXEL_FORMAT: XRGB8888.
[INFO] [Content]: Content loading skipped. Implementation will load it on its own.
[libretro INFO] Joystick map: disabled
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_INPUT_DESCRIPTORS:
[libretro INFO] Starting game from command line:mame astrocde -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/astrocde/lr-mess -c -ui_active -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde/ checkers
[libretro INFO] ARGUV[0]=mame
[libretro ERROR] parse path failed! path=checkers.
[libretro WARN] Driver mame not found -1
[libretro WARN] Game not found: checkers
Ignoring MAME exception: Error running plugin bootstrap script : runtime error
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/plugins/boot.lua:27: attempt to call a sol.emu_options* value (method 'options')

[libretro ERROR] Error running plugin bootstrap script : runtime error
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/plugins/boot.lua:27: attempt to call a sol.emu_options* value (method 'options')
[libretro INFO] RES:3

thanks

[rkoster]

@golvellius82 if you can’t get the custom script to work, you might want to check my older guide. It’s here in the forum somewhere but is also on my website: https://www.raphkoster.com/about-raph/hobbies/emulation/bally-astrocade-vtech-creativision-and-emerson-arcadia-2001-in-lr-mess/

[Folly]

@golvellius82

I tested checkers and it works/boots.
Somehow it looks like a plugin issue.
I would try to rename the /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/plugins directory so the plugins are not found and then test it again.

A good test is to check if checkers works in Mame standalone.
When using basename loaders make sure checkers.zip is in the root of : /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/astrocde
If it runs then you will know that the roms are in the correct place and that they work.
Then the issue is due to the retroarch, lr-mess part.
You probably messed up something.

[golvellius82]

@rkoster i originally used your guide and it didn't work.
One thing I noticed is that in the guide it says
mess_libreto.so when now is mamemess_libreto.so so it got me more confused.
If you can update the guide I will definitely try it again.

For now I will continue on working with follys script. I will keep you guys posted currently at work
Thanks

[golvellius82]

@Folly omg it works! renaming the plugins folder did the trick

now for the plugins folder... should i leave it renamed? or is it gonna mess something up.
thank yous!

[Folly]

@golvellius82

Great to hear that it works, now you can enjoy even more !

The log looks good indeed, you can remove it from the previous post.

Not sure why you have the plugins folder, it's not there by default.
So why is it there in the first place.
Did you use it for something ?

I don't have a great deal of knowledge about these plugins.
I only tried .lua scripts that can load stuff from a system basic and automate that process.
So you have to know what it does and for what I know .lua files can be version incompatible.
So If you don't need it then don't use it is my advice.

[golvellius82]

@Folly I don't know to be honest, I think it came with the bios pack bundle that I downloaded. I think it's the only explanation, I will just keep it as renamed just in case I need them in the future but for now I don't need it.
Thank so much again I was losing all hope haha
Take care

[Folly]

@golvellius82

Can you keep me updated when you are using my script.
I would like to know if it is self-explanatory enough.
And I would like to know what you discover on the way when installing new stuff.

[golvellius82]

@Folly yea for sure i am about to install mame and other systems i let you know how it goes.