es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames

mitu

@mitu said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

I'll take a look to see if it's intentional or not.

Yes, it seems intentional:

when the list of extensions is populated, they're lower-cased and put in the list - https://github.com/RetroPie/EmulationStation/blob/2fd3a78e5297d24781b2eb89c76210eec054c0a2/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp#L190
when a system's folder is read and the gamelist is populated, each file extension is lower-cased first - https://github.com/RetroPie/EmulationStation/blob/2fd3a78e5297d24781b2eb89c76210eec054c0a2/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp#L108C81-L108C81

So it's not possible to add .exe and exclude .EXE. It's probably better for Linux or other systems where the filesystem is case-sensitive, the extensions of the files don't need to be an exact match (i.e. lowercase only).

2Play

@mitu tx again for looking into it.
So the reason its working with xml specifics can be ignored as per your patch above.

Maybe this is why not noticed when you have no xml and just roms

To pick you brains, about the ES xml auto creation mentioned above.
When these are supposed to be created automatically from ES.
A complete change in the rom folder?
Is there a cached location of these?

My regards

2Play

@mitu Do you think, in the future, a condition can be included (as an enhancement) in the source code, so if OS is linux based (case-sensitive), ES to read/skip systems extensions accordingly?

mitu

@2Play I don't know, but I kind of agree with the current behavior.

sleve_mcdichael

@2Play said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

about the ES xml auto creation mentioned above.
When these are supposed to be created automatically from ES.

The XML is written at end of runtime (when you exit EmulationStation.) Entries will be written for any game whose information was added or updated during the preceding runtime including last played and playcount information.

Example: you have a folder with:

Legend of Fitzgerald
Super Maōri Brothers
Tremendous Man

...in your XML it only has Legend of Fitzgerald and Super Maōri Brothers.

You start up ES. You play Tremendous Man once, and then you go into the menu and fix the wrong name of Super Zulu Brothers to what it should be.

Nothing happens yet. Later, you quit ES or restart the system. Now, the XML is written. A new entry is created for Tremendous Man, and an updated entry for Super Zulu Brothers, overwriting the previous Super Maōri Brothers entry. Now the XML has entries for all three.

2Play

@sleve_mcdichael tx for you feedback. So restart ES isnt enough in my understanding
Full restart will be needed after the change.

FYR If i delete the ES xml and restart the system it doesnt create a new one to replace deleted one, just displays the filenames though

Do you know if its using a cached location somewhere

mitu

@2Play said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

Full restart will be needed after the change.

No, as @sleve_mcdichael said:

Entries will be written for any game whose information was added or updated during the preceding runtime including last played and playcount information.

You need to play at least a game, so that it's info is changed and will be persisted on exit. If you don't play any game, then ES considers nothing changed so it doesn't need to save anything. Instead of playing a game you can also just mark it as favorite or scrape it so that its info changes.

2Play

@mitu uh ok. just thought it wasnt really a requirement.
Ill test soonest possible

2Play

@mitu Tried the favorite trick and works as you both advised.

Now ill check the es dev again

2Play

@mitu
Tested below:

I have applied the 2.12.0.rp binary of ES
In roms/ags there are 2 exe files as per image
In roms/ags applied below test gamelist.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gameList>
	<game>
		<path>./Apprentice 1 Deluxe/App.exe</path>
		<name>App</name>
		<favorite>true</favorite>
	</game>
</gameList>

es_systems.cfg has only .exe

<system>
    <name>ags</name>
    <fullname>Adventure Game Studio</fullname>
    <path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ags</path>
    <extension>.exe</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ ags %ROM%</command>
    <platform>ags</platform>
    <theme>ags</theme>
  </system>

Result in ES
ES Version and the 2 games show behind on above test.

Should I recompile? Shouldnt with xml the file with capitals .EXE to be omitted from being displayed with the bug fix?

mitu

@2Play said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

Should I recompile? Shouldnt with xml the file with capitals .EXE to be omitted from being displayed with the bug fix?

No, and I'm confused why you'd think it would.

2Play

@mitu
My understanding was that what the bug fix would do.
"Gamelist bugfix: don't show un-registered extensions"

I thought that on the dev binary it would do this. Or the fix expects to see both in the xml and then exclude what is not in es_systems.cfg

For Reference
In the past, on pi3,4 if you wanted to hide a rom file from showing in the ES gamelist, you just removed the extension and these were not displayed any more

Its a practice many used the past years by changing the extension to CAPITAL letters and then remove from the es_systems.cfg

I ll try to dig up an older binary for pi4 that I used in same way and provide you the version

mitu

@2Play said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

I thought that on the dev binary it would do this. Or the fix expects to see both in the xml and then exclude what is not in es_systems.cfg

It does that, but - as I explained later on - extension search is case-insensitive so if you add .exe, then .EXE is also matched even if not listed.

I ll try to dig up an older binary for pi4 that I used in same way and provide you the version

Sure, let me know the version and I'll check.

2Play

@mitu found it!
2.9.3RP has this feature. Seems changed from 2.10 onwards?

NOTE: 2.9.6rp had the bug with the video screensaver not starting a rom any more which I see it got fixed in current version

To our discussion:
I have in ags, exactly as I wrote in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/post/291385 2h ago

es_systems only .exe extension
ags/subfolder game/.exe .EXE the files

if i rename both to .exe they both show. once I rename the unwanted winsetup with .EXE it hides
(no gamelist.xml whatsoever used)

mitu

@2Play said in es_systems.cfg systems file extensions and rom filenames:

Seems changed from 2.10 onwards?

Seems to have been introduced with this change in 2.10.0 indeed.

EDIT: I'll prepare a patch for -dev, will let you know when it's ready.

2Play

@mitu much appreciated.
Will give you feedback when ready.

mitu

Ok, a patch has been added to the ES repo, it should be available if you install from source the emulationstation-dev package.

2Play

@mitu reverting

2Play

@mitu First of all thank you for taking the time to check and make a patch.
Glad i managed to point you to the right info

I want to confirm that your patch on latest dev (2.12.0RP-DEV) is working as supposed to and did in the past.

I ve tested 2 systems, the AGS and PC98 for similar setup (upper case extensions and deleted from es_systems.cfg)
Both show ONLY what is in lower case extension and hides the upper case ones (deletd from cfg)

My kind regards and thank you again!

2Play

@mitu hello friend again

If you see the last couple mgs in this thread you will notice you applied a fix for the change took place after 2.10.0 in regards to upper case extensions showing even if not present in the es_systems of ES

I have been testing on Pi5 installation of RetroPie
I have the RetroPie script

Emulationstation Version 2.11.2rp, built Feb 20 2025

I was testing the MSX with lr-bluemsx and m3u files:
I will post about the m3u problems in the https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/16124/multidisk-msx-games-and-m3u-files?_=1742312978738
as game loads but needs manually to swap to other disks

But as per this post, I tested the m3u by making the multidisk file extensions in upper case example .DSK and removed the .DSK from ES es_systems.cfg for msx

Both dsk and DSK show in the system even if DSK removed.

In my understanding is that ES 2.11.2rp does not have your patch/fix yet, correct?
Is there a reason that the team doesnt include the fix on the stable ES release (being also a feature up to 2.9.3rp?

Examples:
Rom folder

Emulationstation Version 2.11.2rp

Emulationstation Version 2.12.0rp