new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!)

roslof

@iainjh @pacpir Hmmm. A few things you'll need to know, since a .gsp (GSPlus configuration file) doesn't solve everything. You'll need to be sure everything is named correctly and in its place. A lot of this information is in an earlier post.

For any of my .gsp configuration files to work for you, you'll either need to edit them, or create this exact structure:

GSP Location: ~/RetroPie/roms/apple2gs/
IIGS 2mg files (unzipped): ~/RetroPie/roms/apple2gs/[Disk Images]/
GSOS6.0.1.img location: ~/RetroPie/roms/apple2gs/

For #2, the EXACT file names required are listed in each .gsp file. Rename accordingly.

For #3, some games require a HD image with OS 6.0.1 installed. you'll likely need to create the hard drive image manually. It's a bit of a pain, but there are videos describing the process.

LINK TO GSP (GSPlus Configuration) FILES

Other Notes:

WARNING: Never launch non-gsp files! GSPlus will assume any referenced file is a gsp configuration file and treat it as such. CLARIFYING: If you try to launch a .2mg file or .zip file with this method, it will CORRUPT it and you'll need to replace it with the original. So use care. You may opt to remove .zip and .2mg references from your es_settings.cfg if you're otherwise worried about this.

DO NOT USE ROM3. ONLY USE ROM1. Some games are otherwise incompatable. ROM1 works with everything.

If you cannot see the .gsp files in EmulationStation, then you'll need to add the .gsp extension to your es_systems.cfg file. If you're not going to use lr-mame for IIGS, then I recommend removing .zip and .2mg from es_systems.cfg (see "WARNING" above).

I use a DualShock 4 controller to play games. In each gsp you'll notice these lines:

g_joystick_scale_factor_x = 281
g_joystick_scale_factor_y = 281

Remove them if they cause trouble with your controller, or override them with GSPlus F4 settings.

Here is the VERY simple emulation.cfg info for the emulator:

gsplus = "/opt/retropie/emulators/gsplus/gsplus.sh %ROM%"
default = "gsplus"

Hope this helps.

@roslof if you could be a star and please share those .gsp files?

@iainjh now that I'm "a star", you owe me a beer.

iainjh

Roslof, thank you! We have beer on tap, just pop round:)

Thats a fantastic resource, and the guide. Thanks again for sharing. iain

I'll get that set up, once I've rebuilt my setup without the config.hdmi folder messup above. CURRENT STATUS as of sunday: I used a new retropie buster, connected to the github, installed all the scripts as before, the config.hdmi and config.crt appeared and retropie no longer starts ES. FTP'ed out the stubs/Lr-mess fake emulator folders, config folders, emulator.cfg's and run_mess script. FTP'ed those over to a booting build so as not to break ES, and apple 1 at least boots so that is progress! Several other setups - coco etc - presently stick mid-boot with a distorted 'initialising' message, I'll check the BIOS locations are correct.

roslof

@iainjh said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

I'll check the BIOS locations are correct.

If it helps, ROM.01 must be renamed (or be symlinked) as a file called "ROM" that lives with the executable.

Here is how mine is setup (as I like all BIOS for all systems in the same location):

GSplus executable location:
/opt/retropie/emulators/gsplus/

Symlink GSplus ROM (bios):
/opt/retropie/emulators/gsplus/ROM (points to "Actual path" below)

Actual path of ROM (bios):
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/apple2gs/ROM.01

So, basically, the GSplus executable directory should look something like this:

-rw-r--r--   pi   pi    config.gsp
-rwxr-xr-x   pi   pi    GSplus
-rwxr-xr-x   pi   pi    gsplus.sh
drw-r--r--   pi   pi    lib
-rwxr-xr-x   pi   pi    partls
-rw-r--r--   pi   pi    retropie.pkg
lrwxrwxrwx   root root  ROM -> /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/apple2gs/ROM.01

...or just rename ROM.01 to ROM and put it in this folder if you don't want to deal with symlinks.

iainjh

Very helpful thank you. I have GS now running under both lr-less and gsplus. One question - what format should the hd image be and how did you create that, I didnt yet find any useful guide on youtube or elsewhere. In the past, I've created .po files etc using ciderpress.. I dont see how to create an .img.. i can certainly download pre-made 2mg /po/hdv hd images but .img has me stumped.

thanks again. Hopefully someone else will also find this useful!

iain

roslof

@iainjh said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

I didnt yet find any useful guide on youtube or elsewhere. In the past, I've created .po files etc using ciderpress.. I dont see how to create an .img.. i can certainly download pre-made 2mg /po/hdv hd images but .img has me stumped.

If you can find a pre-made Hard Drive image that boots system software 6.0.1, just rename it GSOS6.0.1.img (to match with the .gsp files I provided.

Otherwise, this video helped me go through the painful process of installing system software on a blank image:

Here is another one, narrated by somebody who sounded 13-years old that was even more beneficial:

roslof

Another few things about Apple IIGS emulation on the Raspberry Pi 4B:

You mentioned using both lr-mess and GSPlus. I noticed a few things.

GSPlus handles multiple disks very well. Haven't figured out how to handle this on lr-mess.

...but lr-mess seems to be a bit more compatible. An example is Zany Golf. For me, there were mouse issues where you could not navigate the entire screen in GSPlus, but it worked great in lr-mess (once getting the mouse to work correctly for all of RetroArch).

Double-check your emulators.cfg file. Be sure you have all of the necessary command-line arguments. Here is the end of line:

apple2gsr1 /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS -gameio joy -flop3 %ROM%"

This will ensure proper joystick support, which is also better on lr-mess (try jumping over a ledge in Thexder in both EMUs and you'll see what I mean).

Lastly, lr-mess takes advantage of libretro functionality, so you can [among other things] have an overlay and use shaders if desired. I cobbled together this overlay (thanks to @Orionsangel for the background) which makes me quite happy.

apple iigs.png

Hope these last few tips help you get fully rolling.

valerino

hi guys, sorry if i didnt replied lately or posted anymore.

i kept updating my fork here and there (i usually keep it in sync with the upstream repo), and as one of you noticed i added an option to switch CRT/HDMI configurations.

basically, it keeps 2 copies of all /opt/retropie/configs folder (one for crt, one for hdmi .... since i use some system with an old crt and some with a bigger hdmi monitor).
it lets you switch configurations (so you can set up i.e. the hdmi one with shaders and all, which aren't needed on the crt) and manage them.

it's not perfect, requires reboot, but well .... take a look, it does its job for what i needed.

cheers!
v.

iainjh

Hi Valerino!

Could you please explain how to switch CRT/HDMI configurations? On my pi4 (and also my pi 3 with an older build) after reboot i get the error I listed above - ES will not run - I seem to have no option but to wipe the sd card and start again...

valerino

@iainjh make sure you have /opt/retropie/configs.hdmi and /opt/retropie/configs.crt symlinks. if not, you are using an old version of the script, update my fork.

basically, first time you use this feature (assuming you just installed my fork from scratch) it defaults to HDMI. you have to use the option to COPY THE HDMI CONFIGURATION OVER CRT (to have initially the same configuration for all), then you can freely switch between the two and the changes you make i.e. when using the HDMI configuration will not 'pollute' the CRT one.

The option to MERGE the configurations are, indeed, to merge them. i.e. if you installed some emulators when in HDMI mode, you will miss such configuration in CRT mode so you can use the merge option to keep the /opt/retropie/configs.crt in sync.

hope it clears everything :)

iainjh

VALERINO - thanks, I'll have another go this weekend. I see one symlink to config.hdmi but ES still fails with unable to create /home/pi/.emulationstation on boot. I shall update and retry.

Is there an option to NOT change anything? I dont want 2 folders crt or hdmi.

Regardless, thanks again for your scripts, lots of fun being had. I shall add a few more. I already had bbc and electron working very well with advmame/mess before btw so if lr-mess breaks runcommand there is an alternative. One other thing I need do this weekend is find how to change the hotkey bindings.. my keyboard doesnt have a scrolllock for a start!

cheers

ROSLOF - thanks again for your GS guide!

AriaOTP

Thanks for your new scriptmodules!

Is it ok for add FM TOWNS (fmtowns/fmtmarty)? Of course MESS has incomplete emulation and cpu demanding for that system, but it's the only way to run FM TOWNS games in non-Windows and many games are playable.

valerino

@iainjh

Is there an option to NOT change anything? I dont want 2 folders crt or hdmi.

no, but shouldn't be needed. just don't use the crt/hdmi configuration menu and shouldn't make any difference.

macoult

I'm getting same.

Build microSD using Raspberry Pi Imager
Boot it, let it expand file system etc
enable SSH
replace setup script:
- cd /home/pi
- mv ./RetroPie-Setup ./RetroPie-Setup.bck
  * git clone https://github.com/valerino/RetroPie-Setup

throw in a reboot for good measure

exit emulationstation
run setup from Putty, install lr-mess and a few of the other cool scripts, lr-crvision, lr-astrocade etc
restart or try to run emulationstation

get
Creating config directory "/home/pi/.emulationstation"
Config directory could not be created!

copying files from backup and also resetting permissions on there, no luck.
Going into the advanced menu, and playing with settings there with crt/hdmi just seems to stuff up the display, either get black screen on boot, or horrid what I guess is 240p screen (four raspberries as big as fists, not thumbnail size).

So then have to reformat and start again.
As per @iainjh said - any way to not use that and not bother with config.crt and config.hdmi or a way to turn this off and on if required, for the few that may in fact be using CRT screens? Or help us out with the commands to get it working again after whatever script in there is causing it to drop its guts.

EDIT: I actually did get it working, somehow, can't recall the exact combo but then once I did get emulationstation running, no games worked and all came up with something along the lines of "error running <system name> config not found"

macoult

update

seems to be working with fresh build.
base OS from raspberry imager
enable ssh using raspi-config
putty in and install git, dependencies blah
git clone valerino's setup
run the setup
just need to install some more and upload some roms, but so far it reboots and doesn't flip out like the previous method.

A Former User

This post is deleted!

kactius

@valerino
Have you ever thought of doing a github pull to the official RetroPie setup, to see if these improvements can be accepted and thus contribute in a more direct way to the community?
Thanks for all

zerojay

@kactius said in new scriptmodules (lr-vice-xvic, gsplus, proper lr-mess integration!):

@valerino
Have you ever thought of doing a github pull to the official RetroPie setup, to see if these improvements can be accepted and thus contribute in a more direct way to the community?
Thanks for all

I just restarted RetroPie-Extra which is probably the biggest place for scripts outside of RetroPie itself. I'd be happy to add them if you're interested.

gpmcty

@valerino
I am having a problem with your script I believe. I installed lr-atari800 via your RetroPie-Setup script and it fails to launch giving an error code in the runcommand. I made a separate post about the error.

I would like some more info about what you did as far as lr-atari800 and XEGS. I am interested in setting up an XEGS system using lr-atari800 and the XEGS system rom, but I have not been able to fully understand how the configuration files work. Under core options there are only 3 system options and I know you can go further into the emulator menu and choose XEGS. What I don't know is who over rides who? Can I manually create a core file and specify the XEGS and have lr-atari800 use that system rom or will it always default to one of the 3 selectable systems in the options menu?

Thank you

Greg McCartney

zerojay

Every attempt to use lr-mame through this results in a tiny Initializing box onscreen and RetroArch seems to freeze. Not sure what is going on here. I was testing originally with cdi and I have the cdimono1.zip bios file in the bios directory as mentioned in the script, but I can't seem to get any further.

jamrom2

@valerino

Hi. I was just informed by another user (gpmcty) who read that in order to get the lr-atari800 core to work, you have to unplug your USB controller.... and he is correct. Nothing works unless I yank out my controller right after I select the game in the Emulationstation menu. This is for the Atari800 side and A5200 side of the lr-atari800 core.

Is anyone working on a fix for this? Once the core starts... it works great and there are no further issues.

Thanks!