How Do I get Passed The GamePad Config Screen, with Keyboard ?

below freezing

Hi all,

I tried retropie - getting it installed on my Raspberry Pi 2 sufficiently.

However, when I start it up and plug in my gamepad (SNES type controller), I run out of buttons to press (in terms of bottom paddle buttons), and the configuration screen just hangs there as I cannot press Ok.

What keyboard (yes I have a USB one of those too) command/keystroke gets off this ridiculous start-up screen problem , and just gets me onto the retropie games/OS screen (with all the emulators)?

Sorry for asking such a n00b question, but I'm out of options .. I also tried going into the config. in the retropie folder, but I cannot find anything on the screen that gives the option of installing a gamepad.

My gamepad is the most basic one out there , and this shouldn't be this hard to play around with, and get configured.

Cheers for the response.

proaudiosoft

If I am reading your question right, press any keyboard key and hold it to pass them up, one at a time

BuZz

Did you read through https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/First-Installation ?

andog

i have read all that and i have tried a bunch of stuff i have read on the net and saw on utube i have reloaded reto 5 times and still it will not write files to my flash drive and when i went through the sftp process it seemed to let me download files but i am still stuck here staring at the config screen i cannot even find any games

BuZz

@andog I have already asked you on another thread to do this - Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first - then open a new topic. Please do not post to old unrelated topics with new questions.

turbine

First: Sorry for reviving the zombie thread but this is still relevant.
Just to save time for people googling this like I did ( I literally just registered to post on this thread)

KEEP A BUTTON PRESSED TO SKIP ANY BUTTON THAT YOUR CONTROLLER DOES NOT HAVE

on a different note: the fact that this is not stated on the GUI itself and people are having to google this is just bad UX design. My suggestion is that it should be stated on the GUI itself. (I'm no moron and work in IT enterprise support for a storage vendor, and this is basic stuff). However for the price charged retropi is beyond awesome, don't think I'm complaining, I'm VERY HAPPY it exists
Just don't always refer everyone blindly to the FAQ,
There are some of us who google stuff and then get here, where someone refers you to a mile-long FAQ, it just feels plain lame.

Original easy-to-miss instructions in the FAQ lost in a sea of text:

Follow the onscreen instructions to configure your gamepad- if you run out of buttons just hold down a button to skip each unused button. When you get to OK press the button you have configured as "A".

There's my two cents.

BuZz

@turbine it's in the main install instructions which should be read when installing.

turbine

@buzz
I'm a senior tech in support and even I don't read the instructions half of the time. You know nobody does. And yes, from support we berate them for it.... but that stuff should be included in the GUI, come on! A text line saying "if your controller does not have a button just long-press a key". I mean, is it that hard? will god kill kittens if that text is in the GUI?

I understand your point, but just making stuff unintuitive for laughs... that's cruel ;-)
meh. anyway, people will hit this article by googling it (it is at the top of results) so my answer will solve a couple of queries right off the bat. Not ideal, but it works.

mitu

@turbine said in How Do I get Passed The GamePad Config Screen, with Keyboard ?:

KEEP A BUTTON PRESSED TO SKIP ANY BUTTON THAT YOUR CONTROLLER DOES NOT HAVE

It's literally written on the input configuration screen just before you start mapping the button, besides being mentioned in the docs.
0_1536758699239_2018-09-12 16_24_31-EmulationStation.png

turbine

well, there we go, Mr senior tech cannot even Read LOL...

Now let me look at what on earth my retropi is diplaying...

turbine

yup, there it is. Well, I just managed to make a huge ass out of myself BWAHAHHAAAA!!
Hats off, I'll go to the opticians later.

The temptation to edit my stupidity out of the thread is strong ;-) (But I'll leave it in there in the interest of fairness)
Thanks to all.

turbine

OH WAIT !! I'm less of an ass than I at first thought.

The warning is there at first, but if you configure a couple of controls it is gone.
(I am currently looking at "right analog left" and there is no mention whatsoever to the "long press to skip" bit)

@mitu @BuZz

mitu

@turbine said in How Do I get Passed The GamePad Config Screen, with Keyboard ?:

OH WAIT !! I'm less of an ass than I at first thought.

That's a relief.

ClassicGMR

@mitu Best laugh I had all week... 🤣🤣

mitu

I agree with @turbine on the message for hold-to-skip disappearing - it should not be present only at the beginning, but should also be present while mapping the buttons.
Looking at the source, it was intended that the info text would be hidden/shown depending on the button currently pending configuration. Certain buttons would be skippable [1] (and the message would be displayed for them) or not ( and the hold-to-skip message was hidden while mapping). It seems though as this currently doesn't work and the hold-to-skip message is always hidden after the input mapping begins. We'll see how we can fix this.

[1] - https://github.com/RetroPie/EmulationStation/blob/master/es-core/src/guis/GuiInputConfig.cpp#L168

turbine

@classicgmr Glad to oblige ;-) I was also quite relieved to find out I'd only made a partial ass out of myself, instead of a complete one.
@mitu Thanks man, I knew that -somehow- I was not completely crazy. (phewwww!)

KKBits

@turbine
I absolutely agree with this text!
It tooks me the half day.
I always pressed F4, because I thought I could skip the Gamepad process.
I generali want to play games without keypad. I don't have and don't need gamepads!

TheYar22

Since this is the first Google result for the question, and it didn't fully answer it:

Press and hold any button to skip a button configuration. This is in the instructions and (sometimes) in the GUI.
When you get to 'OK', you must press the button you've configured as the 'A' button in order to continue. This is also in the instructions but not in the GUI. Most of the interface assumes you are using a controller and controller-like inputs.