@Folly So, apt install mame got me standalone compiles for 32 bit of course. Configuring it in retroarch was pretty easy and it works perfectly. It does use a core at 100%, but it does keep up.

But even better, https://github.com/audetto/AppleWin

That is an update to date version of AppleWin with a libretro build on linux! That's more efficient than mame and gives me a libretro module. So, all is well as I compiled that and added to retroarch.

As I said, I am not moving to a 64 bit OS, it's not relevant as to why as that was not my question.

@zerojay lol, here's a pointless story:

About 12 years ago I was just messing around, trying to build Gentoo on a (very) old Acer laptop. Well, something went wrong and the build froze. These laptops had an actual pot wheel type volume control on the side, and apparently the Acer engineers hadn't thought "hey, how about some actual circuitry that sets a sane limit on the volume?"

The volume control was set to maximum and the build failing caused a continuous tone from PC beeper, which was amplified through the built-in speakers . People in surrounding offices actually started evacuating because they thought it was the fire alarm. Yes, it was that loud.

(I just realised that evacuating can have two meanings, both of which are valid in this case.)