Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3)

movisman

@mitu said in Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3):

@movisman said in Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3):

Do you have two entries? I have two packages for libsdl2-2.0.0, one is version '2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.18.04.4' and the other is '2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1'.

Yes, I have also 2 entries (unsurprisingly!). If you look carefully, one is from the main repository and one is from the updates repository, that's why there's 2 of them
apt show -a libsdl2-2.0-0 | grep -i APT
[..]

APT-Sources: http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
APT-Sources: http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages

Cheers for clearing that up, I have this build nice and clean and didn't want any duplicate stuff installed. I now realise that this is just a list, displaying one entry from main and the other from updates.

Thanks!

movisman

@BuZz @mitu

So just to confirm, everything is working good now (thanks as always for the help), but to clarify about SDL2 - on Ubuntu Server 18.04.3, should this be using any sort of custom SDL by default, or was that since removed for this type of platform? Just to avoid any confusion on my part.

If it is not required, everything should be ok for me now since unholding that libsdl2-dev package and allowing it to update from the Ubuntu update repository. RA builds fine now since doing that. Before it looked like I was stuck on 2.0.8+1, which is what Retropie installed when I first installed this Ubuntu instance over a year ago.

Cheers!

BuZz

@movisman it's normal that sdl2 is held. We do that in RetroPie to stop an os version overwriting. SDL should be updated when updating retropie and any package that uses sdl2 despite being held. So not sure why it didn't unless you only updated the script and no packages that used sdl2 after.

movisman

@BuZz

Ah right, so even for x86 on Ubuntu a custom SDL2 is still preferred / default?

The last time I did an update was September 2019 I think, and that would have included the script, all core packages, plus select emulators (I only installed what I needed when setting up originally), but this still includes the common Libretro ones, as well as a few experimental such as Amiga, Libretro GC/Saturn, etc.

The order I did things today was 1) update script, 2) then "all core packages", then 3) emulators one by one, then 4) other stuff like themes, drivers, etc. This has always worked previously.

When I was updating all the core packages today (after updating the script) I noticed a build error for Retroarch. Taking the libsdl2-dev package off hold and updating it resolved that issue.

What's the easiest way to go back to the custom SDL2 build (which looks like it should be 2.0.10 now looking at the sdl2.sh script?)

Thanks as always.

movisman

@BuZz

Hmm, i'm wondering if I do have any emulators installed which actually use SDL2. If this is the case, coupled with the fact I do not do a "full update", maybe means the SDL updating part was skipped? I don't know.

The reason I don't do a full update, is often I want to hold back one or two of the arcade emulators to avoid any potential romset breakage, as I only update my romsets once a year or so, at best.

Anyhow, I figured out the custom SDL2 install though via some posts on the forums, so I ran a ./retropie_packages.sh sdl2 and this installed 2.0.10, and also held back libsdl2-dev once again. It also freed up a load of dependencies too which I was able to safely remove.

Earlier in this thread though, @mitu mentioned that X11 was no longer targeted for custom SDL and provided this link:
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/pull/2696

Hence why I thought custom SDL was not part of an Ubuntu / X11 instance anymore.

Anyway, to do some testing, after installing the custom SDL back on, I tried to update retroarch and it failed again during build, same error as before.

So I then ran ./retropie_packages.sh sdl2 revert - this then downgraded the packages back to standard.

I then tried to update retroarch again, and this time it worked.

So, for me, retroarch will only build when I have the standard SDL on the system, it does not work with the custom SDL on there. However it used to build fine without having to remove the custom SDL.

Any idea what might be going on?

BuZz

@movisman I forgot I disabled it by default :-)

It doesn't work with the custom due to the bug @mitu mentioned - so maybe we can just enable his workaround/fix for x11 but it's a retroarch bug basically.

movisman

@BuZz

Ah ha! No worries at all.

Maybe my issue stems from the fact that it used to be included, hence why I was held on 2.0.8+1 - but when it changed to no longer be included by default on x11, my package remained held with the custom SDL, which messes up the retroarch build. And it seems using the latest custom SDL Retroarch still doesn't build.

Is there any useful reason at this stage for me to use the custom SDL on x11 / Ubuntu install? Because if necessary, I can restore it now retroarch is up to date. However if you are not including it by default i'm wondering if I need to bother?

@mitu I know this is a retroarch bug, but do you think it is worth putting in a workaround (if you know of one) for those who run the custom SDL on x11, so that Retroarch still builds?

Cheers

mitu

@movisman said in Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3):

@mitu I know this is a retroarch bug, but do you think it is worth putting in a workaround (if you know of one) for those who run the custom SDL on x11, so that Retroarch still builds?

At this point, I don't think it deserves a workaround. We'll see if it affects more people and then maybe include the RetroArch build patch.

movisman

@mitu

Fair enough. I guess it's only likely to potentially affect people who had Retropie installed on x11 back when custom SDL was included by default. In this instance it seems the custom package stays on the system in the held state and will never go back to standard on its own, unless you unhold it yourself and let it update. That's what I found anyway. I guess this wouldn't affect loads of people but at least the fix is here on the forum if anyone comes across it.

Do you know what the custom SDL brings and is it useful to use on this platform type? I know you use standard but just wondering. My picade uses the custom SDL of course, as it's running on a Pi 3.

Thanks a lot.

mitu

@movisman said in Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3):

Do you know what the custom SDL brings and is it useful to use on this platform type? I know you use standard but just wondering. My picade uses the custom SDL of course, as it's running on a Pi 3.

The custom build has a few patches related to joystick handling (fixing a crash and a regression), plus a few fixes and enhancements specific to the RPI, Mail GPUs and KMSDRM video driver. Apart from the joystick patches, there's nothing that would be of much importance when running on a PC/X11 environment.

You can see the additions at https://github.com/RetroPie/SDL-mirror/tree/retropie-2.0.10.

movisman

@mitu

Thanks a lot for the info, I really appreciate it. And cheers for the help with working out the root cause of the build failure, again much appreciated.

I will stick to standard SDL for now then ,seeing as using custom will break subsequent Retroarch builds whenever I update.

Should I mention this on issue #9583 at the RA GitHub page, if it is technically a retroarch bug?

mitu

@movisman said in Retroarch no longer builds successfully during update (Ubuntu 18.04.3):

Should I mention this on issue #9583 at the RA GitHub page,

I don't think you have to, since the issue is already patched by one of the RetroArch's developers.

movisman

@mitu

Ah gotcha, no worries at all. I see now that when you guys choose to go beyond 1.7.9, in theory it should be resolved. Will test again when RA is eventually bumped up to 1.8.2 or whatever.

Thanks a lot.

JusteBelmont

I'm having this same issue. For someone who is basically a n00b to linux systems, could someone please provide a succinct set of directions on how to fix this? I'm suddenly having update and power supply issues I can't figure out, despite all the helpful content out there. Would be much appreciated, by me and I'm sure many others.

BuZz

@JusteBelmont please start a new topic detailing your system and your issue (with log) as detailed in the link at the top of this page.

JusteBelmont

@BuZz Thanks, I will do that. Should I include the power supply issues (yellow lightning bolt of death) along with said software issues (I'm hoping they're related as they showed about the same time), or would it be more prudent to start a separate thread? Thanks for the advice, it's appreciated.

mitu

@JusteBelmont Add the info requested in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first, as best as you can, in a NEW topic.

JusteBelmont

@mitu Thanks again, will do...I guess 4 months is a long time on the internet. Thanks again for your help, will look forward to your good answers in future! Thanks again

JusteBelmont

I'm going to assume I post in the "help and support" thread, if there's a better place please let me know. Thanks again all.