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

duglor

Does the lr-mess-apple2 or lr-mame-apple2 --- need specific bios(es) and in a certain location for that to work? Currently not launching games for me. Be well! Thanks for everything! KudoS!

Folly

@duglor

If you run apple2 with mame in the command prompt and not having any bios files installed it will show this :

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame apple2 -ui_active
a2.chr NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
OPTIONAL 341-0016-00.d0 NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
341-0001-00.e0 NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
341-0002-00.e8 NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
341-0003-00.f0 NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
341-0004-00.f8 NOT FOUND (tried in apple2)
sc01a.bin NOT FOUND (tried in votrax apple2)
341-0027-a.p5 NOT FOUND (tried in a2diskiing apple2)
341-0028-a.rom NOT FOUND (tried in d2fdc apple2)

So you need to find all bios roms from above, which means :

apple2.zip
votrax.zip
a2diskiing.zip
d2fdc.zip

My runcommands will force the rompath into using BIOS/mame so the bios files need to go there when using this project and it's runcommands.
Otherwise, with above command, it will depend on what rompaths there are in your /opt/retropie/configs/mame/mame.ini.

After adding the files the apple2 should be able to run.

P.s.
Be aware that I am not talking about lr-mess here but if it works for mame it will ultimately work with my lr-mess runcommands.

duglor

@Folly thank you

Ashpool

@Folly Even if it took me somewhat longer, maybe it is time to open a separated topic for vm(ware) and retropie ... [even if it is just being used once in some while].?.
As I never tried pure Debian (always used Distros based on Debian) for now, this questions of mine could/should(?) belong in such a new thread, but just to mentioning 'em (here 1st, as examples of eventually Q's to be A'd):

what debian iso/version to be used for retropie? (currently I've started with 11.7.0, but maybe the 10.# branche would be better suited? [as of June 23])
what desktop environment? (I've choosen LXDE, as the Raspion OS Desktop is based/derived from that (afair/?))
I was totally flabberghasted when the installer asked me about a domainname/url ending thereof... so what is common practice, or best choice: <.yourchoice>/<.locale>/[empty] ?
haven't tried it, but is leaving the admin pw blank an option to auto-add the created user to group sudoers?

(a basic retropie install went fine on that (11.7), but I wanted to raise those concerns/questions before I go~~ing~~ on ;]

Folly

@Ashpool

Good idea.

Though I am not having much time right now but in time we can start a topic (in general discussions i presume).
I would suggest to preserve the fist 5 posts for summarizing stuff.

Sadly I have an issue again with the newest versions of "lr-mame/lr-mess" in Debian 11 now :
https://github.com/libretro/mame/issues/371
Seems Ubuntu 22.04 isn't affected.
Edit : Issue seems to be solved now

Other news for "lr-mame/lr-mess" is that we are waiting for 0.255.
Hopefully it will come soon, this seems promising :
https://github.com/libretro/mame/issues/373

Folly

@DTEAM @Ashpool

Seems I broke all my scripts with my previous updates.
Something to do with skipping things when we install a predefined systems or categories.
Seems I was skipping a bit too much, so it did not install many stuff at all.

The problem was quite ugly.
I hope I have fixed it all with my updates to 253.15 ;-)

Ashpool

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

Though I am not having much time right now but in time we can start a topic (in general discussions i presume).
I would suggest to preserve the fist 5 posts for summarizing stuff.

ACK, I think I can do that tomorrow (This evening i am going to relax with actually playing some game(s) ;)).

Wow, noticed that current mame was updated to .254 some time ago but last time i checked the libretro cores wasn't on par.

Folly

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

Wow, noticed that current mame was updated to .254 some time ago but last time i checked the libretro cores wasn't on par.

Correct, the libretro is still on .251.
Hopefully it wil be synced to .255 soon ;-)

Folly

I updated all scripts to 255.00 using the latest data from mame 0.255 :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/6f9d64de8e838950eedbb47cd588fbe2f70d5cf8

I also updated the test versions in the workdir :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/8232367accf37e32d6202d7250d27f5b9efe4a28

Note :
Seems coco2 has been merged with coco so the installl-lines from systems with extras need updating.

duglor

@Folly Is there support via this method for the BBC Micro? Or is there another thread somewhere, Folly? I remember reading something about it sometime ago. I'm looking for a BBC Micro Emulator that works through the Emulation Station like most other games do (like the archimedes emulator) and with joystick support via remapping or what have you? Also any bios files if needed's names and where they go. And location for any roms or .ssd files? etc etc i recently downloading the electron versions you had and the electron bioses and tried to run them but it always kicked me back out. Seems like Mame was trying to run them, but no luck. Perhaps i needed exact roms or exact updated bioses. Anyway, I'm now trying to get a BBC Micro going since the Electron failed on me. Still enjoying Archimedes and FM Towns. - be well!

Folly

@duglor

Well, there is support for bbc micro on mame/lr-mess.
However there are many games that will not run on it.

In the past I made some module-scripts that use other emulators like you mentioned the one for electron.
Sadly everything in linux world is going quick and compiling older source code on newer linux/gcc will not work anymore.
That is probably the cause why my bbcmicro and electron scripts do not work correctly anymore.
Sadly I have too little knowledge to fix these problems for newer linux/gcc.
So in time these emulators can't be used anymore unless somebody has the knowledge to fix these older emulator sources.

Remember what I told you about fmtowns.
Try to do the same with bbc micro.

duglor

@Folly Thanks for the tip. Yes, I remember about the fmtowns. Off hand , do you know if Boffin or Citadel will run on the lr-mess mame bbcmicro? Those are the main two I wanted to play on the pi, but i'll play it on windows if i must . Also to make those work , what is the bios i need for that if you know? Be well and :D Take care!

duglor

@Folly thank you

Folly

@duglor

These are the systems you can choose from :

pi@Bullseye-VM:~$ cat '/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame0253_systems_sorted_info' |grep "BBC Micro"
Driver bbca (BBC Micro Model A): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcb (BBC Micro Model B): @computer@forum@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcb_de (BBC Micro Model B (German)): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcb_no (BBC Micro Model B (Norway)): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcb_us (BBC Micro Model B (US)): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcbp (BBC Micro Model B+ 64K): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcbp128 (BBC Micro Model B+ 128K): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade

pi@Bullseye-VM:~$ cat '/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame0253_systems_sorted_info' |grep "BBC Master"
Driver bbcm (BBC Master 128): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcm512 (BBC Master 512): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmaiv (BBC Master AIV): @computer@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmarm (BBC Master (ARM Evaluation)): @computer@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmc (BBC Master Compact): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmc_ar (BBC Master Compact (Arabic)): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmet (BBC Master ET): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade
Driver bbcmt (BBC Master Turbo): @computer@good@home_system@non-arcade

Folly

@duglor

Both games are in the hash table.
You can find in which they are by doing, for example :

pi@Bullseye-VM:~$ cd '/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/hash' 
pi@Bullseye-VM:/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/hash$ grep -r Boffin
bbc_cass.xml:		<description>Boffin</description>
bbc_cass.xml:		<description>Boffin 2</description>
electron_cass.xml:		<description>Boffin</description>

Then look into the bbc_cass.xml file and you will see that it probably will run as there is not a mentioning of "not supported".
For Citadel it is the same.
The load command is also found in the hash table for Boffin :
<info name="usage" value="Load with *RUN" />

Otherwise look in the page of @dmmarti :
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AQ28J9OUKg55R3d-TZkWO3GH50KjC2hHteCP1Bx59Ns/edit#gid=0

Folly

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

what is the bios i need for that if you know?

Decide what driver you want to use.
Then use the same trick that I told you about fmtowns.
Bios files are found in the mame-merged romset (arcade game bios files + non-arcade bios files)
Cass files can be found in the bbc_cass.zip from mame-sl (sl = softlist = software list)

Folly

@duglor

I used bbcb and both games worked.
load command for boffin is :
*TAPE
*RUN

For citadel it is :
*TAPE
CHAIN ""

Use "page-down" to speed up loading in mame. (or space in lr-mess)

duglor

@Folly Yep. Both games worked here too! Thanks a ton for your help. If not for you, I probably would not have 4 systems on the pi, and so many games. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DTEAM

MAME 0.256 is release

New working systems

Addometer Company Addometer Calculator [hap, Sean Riddle]
Lakeside Strobe [hap, Sean Riddle]
Mortal Race [Museo del Recreativo, David Haywood, ClawGrip]
Player's Edge Plus (X000014P+XP000055) Standard Draw Poker [Brian Troha]
Player's Edge Plus (X000127P+XP000038) Deuces Wild Poker [Brian Troha]
Player's Edge Plus (X002004P+XP000038) Double Double Bonus Poker [Brian Troha]
Player's Edge Plus (X002046P+XP000038) Ace$ Bonus Poker [Brian Troha]
Systemhuset / Loproc Conchess Plymate Glasgow Plus (set 1) [Mr. Lars]
Tiger Electronics Finger Bowl [hap, Sean Riddle]
Yamaha DD-9 Digital Percussion [BCM, Devin Acker]

nothing for us
Maybe Tiger Electronics Finger Bowl . Doesn't look easily playable with a gamepad or a keyboard

Folly

@DTEAM

Indeed not much new for us.
I will do an easy update of the database or skip updating to 256.

I have compiled some mame binaries for rpi0 / x86 / x86_64.
(rpi0 will only do channelf, apfm1000 and svmu at around 100% for now)
I will probably add them into the "wip test" script.
What do you think, would that be an interesting "addon" ?

I also tried the first lr-mess0255.
Probably something to share too in a future script.
Somehow the progress of lr-mess seems to become very weak.
Added some comments in the pull-request today :
https://github.com/libretro/mame/pull/376