BIOS files and RetroPie 4.2

crumbs

I too have a wondered about why in RetroPie Setup there is the option to install all the different bios files and even ones not included in the image.

Why then is it so forbidden to tell people where the bios files are?
And why don't contributors to this forum just say "You can install them in the RetroPie GUI by going to RetroPie Setup" ?

Thank you

herb_fargus

@crumbs

why in RetroPie Setup there is the option to install all the different bios files and even ones not included in the image.

there isn't.

dankcushions

@crumbs bios files are illegal to distribute just like videogame roms are. they're owned by the console maker.

crumbs

Okay, so it's unclear to me:
I turn on the Raspberry Pi and Retro Pie and Emulation Station load.
In the GUI, I select
RetroPie > RetroPie Setup > Manage Packages
and it says: "Install/Remove and Configure the various components of RetroPie, including emulators,.."
and then gives me the option to install all these different emulators under Main and Optional and Experimental...
That's not installing BIOS files?

My understanding was that a BIOS was a small piece of software to tell the hardware how to function. RetroPie.org doesn't have a section on BIOS, but in many videos on Youtube people seem to think that a BIOS is RetroPie speak for an emulator. They instruct people to download ROMs, put them in the ROM folder and get emulator BIOSs and copy them to the BIOS folders (and ROM folders too probably because no-one is sure what they are doing).

What is a BIOS in RetroPie? If you have an emulator, wouldn't that emulate the BIOS?

dankcushions

@crumbs said in BIOS files and RetroPie 4.2:

Okay, so it's unclear to me:
I turn on the Raspberry Pi and Retro Pie and Emulation Station load.
In the GUI, I select
RetroPie > RetroPie Setup > Manage Packages
and it says: "Install/Remove and Configure the various components of RetroPie, including emulators,.."
and then gives me the option to install all these different emulators under Main and Optional and Experimental...
That's not installing BIOS files?

No, you've installed an emulator.

My understanding was that a BIOS was a small piece of software to tell the hardware how to function.

exactly correct :) this software is written by the original console (or arcade board) manufacturer. it is copywritten, so we can't distribute it, just like we can't distribute the games themselves. the emulators typically emulate only the hardware, so they often still need the BIOS file to operate.

RetroPie.org doesn't have a section on BIOS, but in many videos on Youtube people seem to think that a BIOS is RetroPie speak for an emulator. They instruct people to download ROMs, put them in the ROM folder and get emulator BIOSs and copy them to the BIOS folders (and ROM folders too probably because no-one is sure what they are doing).

depending on the emulator, this is correct. each system wiki page will tell you what BIOS (if any) is required, and where to put it. that doens't mean it's an emulator, though. the emulator is a bit of software that runs ROM and/or BIOSs.

If you have an emulator, wouldn't that emulate the BIOS?

some do. some do partially. some don't at all and require you to supply it. as before, consult the wiki page of the system in question.

you still don't need a BIOS to run SF2, though....

crumbs

Thanks mate