@mitu said in how to make /boot/config.txt read only on raspbian:

That might set your whole system as 'read-only' (i.e. any modifications are discarded on reboot). I'd appreciate if you wouldn't use any fowl language, we're trying to - ironically ! - keep the forum an all ages place.

alright, sorry about that, new to retropie and it's forum.

also, about what you said about the "whole system", it said boot partition when i enabled it, but at this point i give up.
it's gonna suck to have to format my pi but whatever, i reinstalled raspbian 6 times on tuesday trying to get retropie to run on a raspbian installation, before realizing that it wouldn't launch any emulators.
(maybe it not launching anything was related to the screen issue..?)

I decided to do some experimenting. I formatted the SD card and put a fresh 4.4 install on it. I updated the RetroPie scripts and then copied the splash screen to the appropriate directory on the SD card. There was nothing else done to the system.

Even with this configuration I can reproduce the problem although it appears to be a timing issue.

If I try to restart the system within 5 seconds of emulation station starting it always displays that error. This sometimes happens between 5 to 10 seconds as well. It can also happen (although not as often) if I begin the restart process (Start, Quit, Restart System, Really Restart?) but don't click "Really Restart?" right away. I can let the system sit for 20 or more seconds and when I do confirm the restart it will happen.

I need to re-image my SD card with my last backup to see if these times are extended by making changes in other areas.

@edmaul69 Thank you, problem solved. Hopefully this will help people in the future.

I have no idea why it chose to become read only, but the fact that it was, was the problem.

I endedup having to copy the image using a ubuntu VM and then unclicking 'readonly' in properties in windows (didn't show like that on the original) and then I could finally sudo chmod -R 777 TAPpreret2.img to make it not read only, and now pi shrink works on it.