Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone

Folly

For those who are interested.
I fixed parts in the restricted section :

mame-0.231-merge is down, so turned it into red
BIOS(es) NOT FOUND updated to romset "mame-merged" and added HELP (and it works now too on x86 an x86_64 computers)

I added rotation for mame when installing a catagory-name that contains "90º" (for example installing upright90º)
Rotation for lr-mame was already implemented earlier.

Folly

The database has been updated with the @90º ident.
So now we can sort upon 90º orientated systems.
So I added more 90º categories

index files will now contain only 90º orientated systems in * 90º categories
restricted part can now get 90º orientated systems separately
(make sure you update the database by saving it locally)

Here is an example on how it is displayed normally and with the monitor turned :

Folly

The system MTX512 has changed in mame0.244.
Earlier there was a -cart as media option, now it has -cart1 and -cart2.
If installed earlier the -cart option will not work anymore.
Be sure to remove it from :
/opt/retropie/configs/mtx512/emulators.cfg
Or de-install install-mtx512-from-mamedev-system-mtx512-cart in RetroPie-Setup from the experimental packages.
Afterwards you have to remove the install-mtx512-from-mamedev-system-mtx512-cart.sh file from :
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/ext/RetroPie-Share/scriptmodules/libretrocores
or
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/libretrocores

In 0.244 the MAGROM and MAGROM2 has been added in mtx_cart.
It has been added in mame softlist mame-sl too.
It can be loaded with basename loaders or -cart1 loaders.
The MAGROM contains lots of games just by selecting one from a menu.
Though the menu will only show up when holding the "SPACE" at boot.
If above doesn't work then hold the "SPACE" key and reset the computer with "F3".

Resources :
https://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=120292&page=4
http://nyangau.org/memotech/hardware.htm

Folly

@DTEAM

I found a some interesting gdrive links with probably some new stuff that is interesting to add to your gdrive.
There are also manuals inside.

Seems these are new, don't know if we have them in our database yet.

in the non-nintendo :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vl9O-0jIGCHHY_lrWpOwBtqTXEKsVGOY

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Pv-LGpdKXlvgDXMEobhVfGbqVGA07v2a

MrNoHolster

Really hope someone can help here... I've followed the instructions to install Electron however when I try and launch a game I just get a grey screen? I've downloaded the required BIOS files and placed them in the MAME folder but still no joy. This is installed on a Pi4. I installed lr-mess and then added the extra core as stated in the instructions.

Any help much appreciated!

DTEAM

@Folly

Yes, it's true, new stuffs are there

Originally I took this guy's Artworks. Maybe we should add a reference to him in the first post because all of G&W's artworks are his.

This is what we can read in the readme file. In fact, they seem to be three.

Disclaimer: I'm fine if you print this fan art for personal use, but I don't agree to it being sold in any form.
Credits:
Design and layout by DarthMarino
Background and case scans by Henrik Algestam
Contains elements by Lee Robson (hydef).

We don't sell it. It's just another depository place. It should be fine.

Folly

@DTEAM said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Originally I took this guy's Artworks. Maybe we should add a reference to him in the first post because all of G&W's artworks are his.

I added them in the first post of the credits list.

Folly

@MrNoHolster

Gray screen !, Seems you still miss some bios files.
Have a look in your /dev/runcommand.log if some bios file aren't found.

I've downloaded the required BIOS files and placed them in the MAME folder but still no joy.

Bios files go into :
~/RetroPie/BIOS/mame

I just did an electron reinstall.
A good first test is to run "hopper" from the "electron_card" softlist zip file.
Run hopper.zip with lr-mess of mame with -cart1 option.

Folly

@DTEAM

Just a few questions :
Do you have the add-mamedev-systems.sh script and the generated scripts still in RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/* ?
Shall we work towards using the ext directory structure for better future compatibility ?

DTEAM

@Folly

My setting now is based on the instruction in the first post.

Folly

@DTEAM

Technically it doesn't really matter where add-mamedev-systems.sh is.
I will basically detect if runs from the normal or the ext directory and places the created module-scripts it the directories (normal or ext) accordingly.

However, quite some time ago I made the add-ext-repos.sh script.
With this people are able to download multiple module-scripts in 1 go from a few different 3rd party repositories.
These are then dowloaded into the Retropie-Setup/ext/<repo-subdirectory>/.
That way all 3rd party repositories are separated from the normal/original Retropie module scripts.

So when I want to give advise if someone want's to add a different module-script of me.
Then I can just say copy and run add-ext-repos.sh from the config/tools section of the Retropie-Setup and then the instruction will be somewhat the same for every "install".

Duplicate errors can occur if the same module scripts are in the normal directory and also in the ext directory.
However my add-ext-repos.sh will skip downloading module-script if it finds module-scripts with the same name.
So when somebody has my add-mamedev-systems.sh script in the normal directories and also adds add-ext-repos.sh. I could mean that it still works.
However in this situation 3rd party module scripts are not concentrated in the same directory structure.

Summarized, it would be better if everything goes directly to the ext directory from the start, so no confusion can occur, no possible duplicate errors can occur and everything is nicely separated.

Long story, but do you get it ?

DTEAM

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Summarized, it would be better if everything goes directly to the ext directory from the start, so no confusion can occur, no possible duplicate errors can occur and everything is nicely separated.

I get It. Good point.
For the formalization in Retropie, any progress?

Folly

@DTEAM

Ok good !
When I have time I will try change the instruction in the first post on how to install in the ext directory.
And how to convert from an earlier install to an ext install.
Will take some time I think.

For the formalization in Retropie, any progress?

You mean converting the script in a way so it will be accepted by RetroPie as a pull request ?

DTEAM

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

You mean converting the script in a way so it will be accepted by RetroPie as a pull request ?

yes

Folly

@DTEAM

Basically, that's a difficult one.
We only know that the part for generating module-scrips is something that they don't like and therefor it will never be accepted.
At some point I have been thinking, can I just install a system or even remove a system without generating a module script.
It might be possible to just use, for example, the functions mkRomDir, addEmulator and addSystem from within the script without the use of a generated module script.
Though, when above is possible, installing a system via the commandline using ./retropie_packages would, probably, not be possible because of the different structure of the module-script.
So that is also something that, I think, will not be liked too.
So basically what I am saying is that it's very difficult to make something that will be liked. unless there is a proper discussion and everything is build from the ground up.
I think that is the only way to prevent unnecessary loss of time and commitment.

Folly

@Widge

I would like to ask you, are you already familiar with the arcade "categories" I implemented in the script ?
( shooter, puzzle etc )

Soon I will be able to update the database to mame 0.245.
This means that I probably can add the category "lightgun" to the database too.

Would that be a nice option ?

Widge

@Folly
Thanks for asking me. I apologise that it's taken so long to respond.

I'm not too familiar with the categories. All I did was use the script to install mess for Atari800, so I could see if I could use mess to play the Atari lightgun games.

Ultimately, I found that whilst mess has lightgun support the drivers for Atari800 do not appear to make use of it.
This file seems to indicate that all types of mouse-like input for A800 are completely off the table: https://github.com/libretro/libretro-atari800/blob/master/libretro/core-mapper.c

Adding a lightgun category to your database does sound like a good option to have, but at present I'm not familiar enough with your script to give a qualified answer.
But again, thank you for thinking of me.

Folly

@Widge

Ultimately, I found that whilst mess has lightgun support the drivers for Atari800 do not appear to make use of it.

indeed, seems to be a problem with some drivers for MAME/lr-mame/lr-mess.

This file seems to indicate that all types of mouse-like input for A800 are completely off the table: https://github.com/libretro/libretro-atari800/blob/master/libretro/core-mapper.c

Correct, for that a800 libretro-core it looks like mouse is disabled when no android is used.
You could open a new topic, and try to change or patch the source to test adding mouse support to it.

Adding a lightgun category to your database does sound like a good option to have, but at present I'm not familiar enough with your script to give a qualified answer.

When I can I will try to update the database with lightgun info.
I am still waiting for updates on : https://www.progettosnaps.net/index.php .

Folly

The script has been updated to use the mame 0.245 data.

Within the 0245 database the lightgun data has been added.
So it's now possible to install the arcade category "lightgun".
Because there are no vertically playable lightgun roms the "lightgun90º" entry's are missing.

Although the category lightgun exists now, there are no artwork files or overlays files yet to support the sinden lightgun.
So if you want to make use of that, you still have to add that manually.

From the restricted part 122 of 329 lightgun games are available.

testudo

@Folly
Added the latest add-mamedev-systems.sh scriptmodule (0245.02) on my Ubuntu system and I am getting this error when trying to add new systems:

/home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 806: /home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 791: /usr/bin/dialog: Argument list too long: syntax error: operand expected (error token is "/home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 791: /usr/bin/dialog: Argument list too long")
/home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 809: /home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 791: /usr/bin/dialog: Argument list too long: syntax error: operand expected (error token is "/home/testudo/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/supplementary/add-mamedev-systems.sh: line 791: /usr/bin/dialog: Argument list too long")

Any idea on what I have done wrong?