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

Folly

I think it's probably better to improve my script so the ti99 can be installed with the extra predefined options like the module-script of Valerino.

I see that these options are added :
-ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot3 speech -nat -joy

Now some reverse engineering :

adding -ioport peb only :
Listing the slots will explain that it's a peripheral expansion box and that all slots available are empty, because no extra adaptor cards are added after the command.
(found using this cmd : /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listslots ti99_4a)

adding -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot3 speech means that the peripheral expansion box is inserted and that a speech synthesizer adaptor card is inserted in slot3.
Bios file ti99_speech.7z is needed for this.
I think it's a text to speech card.
(info can be found using the mame GUI or using this cmd : /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listslots ti99_4a -ioport peb)

The above cmd will also give more options that can be added into a slot :
32kmem TI-99 32KiB memory expansion card
bwg SNUG BwG Floppy Controller
ccdcc CorComp Disk Controller Card
ccfdc CorComp Floppy Disk Controller Card Rev A
ddcc1 Myarc Disk Controller Card
forti FORTi Sound Card
hfdc Myarc Hard and Floppy Disk Controller
horizon Horizon 4000B RAMdisk
hsgpl SNUG High-speed GPL card
ide Nouspikel IDE interface card
myarcmem Myarc Memory expansion card MEXP-1
pcode TI-99 P-Code Card
pgram PGRAM(+) memory card
samsmem SuperAMS memory expansion card
sidmaster SID Master 99
speech TI-99 Speech synthesizer (on adapter card)
tifdc TI-99 Standard DSSD Floppy Controller
tirs232 TI-99 RS232/PIO interface
usbsm Nouspikel USB/Smartmedia card
whtscsi Western Horizon Technologies SCSI host adapt

adding -nat:
Using -nat will set the keyboard mode in the natural mode.
(info can be found using the mame GUI)

adding -joy:
adding -joy will give no error but it looks like -joy is an old option, because adding it seems to make no difference as the twin joysticks are always added by default.
(info can be found using the mame GUI)
Listing the slots will explain that joy doesn't exist as a slot, but joyport does :

joyport          mecmouse         TI-99 Mechatronics Mouse
                 twinjoy          TI-99/4(A) Twin Joysticks

(found using this cmd : /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listslots ti99_4a)

So the the correct options should be -joyport mecmouse or -joyport twinjoy but not needed as the twinjoy is added by default.

It probably quite easy to add the ti99_4a with the extra predefined options into the script.

Can you explain what difference you experience between my loader lines and the Valerino loader lines ?

BTW:
This is interesting, we will even be able to use floppy files or harddrive files :

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listmedia ti99_4a -ioport peb -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 hfdc -ioport:peb:slot3 ide
SYSTEM           MEDIA NAME       (brief)    IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------------- --------------------------- -------------------------------
.
ti99_4a          floppydisk1      (flop1)    .mfi  .dfi  .hfe  .mfm  .td0  .imd  .d77  .d88  .1dd  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  .dtk  
ti99_4a          floppydisk2      (flop2)    .mfi  .dfi  .hfe  .mfm  .td0  .imd  .d77  .d88  .1dd  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  .dtk  
ti99_4a          harddisk         (hard)     .chd  .hd   .hdv  .2mg  .hdi

Here we can find a good wiki page :
https://www.ninerpedia.org/wiki/MAME_TI_emulation_usage

jamrom2

@folly I

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

Can you explain what difference you experience between my loader lines and the Valerino loader lines ?

For the most part, it's all visual from the Valerino script. Because it uses the Libretro side, you get the usual bennies with it. HOWEVER... that's it. As far as I can tell, there are no other benefits simply because the performance is horrendous, and it only supports .RPK files...which many I've tested out of the offered library do not work.

Yours comes with the benefit of expansion as you are doing now, and will see more of if you can get the periferials working like the MBX module and the floppy drives. Because it's in the MAME environment, it does not allow for the use of overlays and shaders from inside the core, but I'm wondering if you can use simular files like you do with the arcade side of MAME to get them to work.

The performance is better, but still not as good as the native Ti99sim. Voice needs to be supported as well and Valerino's did... but again, it was unplayable on a Pi3b+. I don't know if that will be the deciding factor of this whole thing, I was hoping it could still work well with less horsepower requirements much like the Apple, Dragon and Tandy do.

Looking forward to your next update...

Folly

@jamrom2

I have added a test version of my script in the backup directory :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/main/00-workdir-00/backup/add-mamedev-systems-0238_test.sh
(just right-click on "raw" and select "save link as")

I have done these commits on the file :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commits/main/00-workdir-00/backup/add-mamedev-systems-0238_test.sh

The plain lr-mess basename loaders are now identical as the mame basename loaders.
For systems/drivers that use media it will not generate this loader anymore : lr-mess-basename
Only issue with lr-mess is that the save directories aren't recognised properly.
I fixed this by adding these paths as RetroArch options.
So now we can also make savestate files and loading also works.
Only problem now is, the savestate files will still have strange names because lr-mess will add the lr-mess options into the savestate filenames.

I added ti99_4a with the predefined options for :
-ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot3 speech -nat
These loader lines will also contain -autoframeskip and -ui_active.
(so TAB works for the GUI and you will have "auto frame skipping" by default)

I added ti99_4a with the predefined options for :
exbasic -ioport peb -ioport peb -ioport:peb:slot2 hfdc with flop1 support.
With this we will be able to load programs from floppydisk.

Btw.
Shaders will take a lot of resources, try not using them or find a shader that uses less resources.

Let me know how it goes.

Be aware of the fact that this is probably a temporary test-script because I will try to work towards loaders that contain our %DIRNAME% solution.

Folly

@jamrom2

Loading the first game from floppy (selecting 2) (commands are upper-case):

BIOS files in /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame :
exbasic.zip (from ti99_cart)
ti99_hfdc.7z

jamrom2

@folly Looks great.

So I copied the script as usual, and cleared out all the other version I loaded, deleted the emulators.cfg from ti99_4a.

Where is this one located once I load the new script? In the long list under "T" as the other set was and which one is it? I see Ti99/4a Home Computer US. Do I just load that one?

Maybe as each of these are worked on, you can move them into the same area as the Dragon and Tandy are just for ease of finding it.

Once I get it loaded, I'll play around with it for sure.

Thanks!

Folly

@jamrom2

Hi,

When installing it from next selections it doesn't matter, ti99_4a will always be installed the same way.
Installing the regular basename loaders and the regular loaders with the media option (if the system supports them).

However, installing it with the extra options this is placed in Systems: with extra options because the install procedure is different.

You will find it in the blue selected part.

I didn't make any auto-boot loader lines, so in section 3 you will not find anything.

When starting the game, then you can select something like this in the dialog on start.

I agree it's a long, not obvious, name and in the blue section you can't really see if you picked the correct one.
Beneath "Emulator:" you can view the whole line and see if you picked the correct one.

The disadvantage is that the more options we add the longer the name becomes.
I would like it to be shorter and perhaps I can use the install description name for that.
It is still something that could be improved upon but not directly in the priority list.

On the other hand it's nice to see all the options in the name from a learning perspective.
Then people can basically see what the options are called in mame/lr-mess.

jamrom2

@folly Well, after playing with this for a long time...

It works, but nothing I tried in .dsk format worked with it. The only file I got to run was some silly music file called 5 foot 2.

Everything else I ran comes back with either an * I/O Error 52 or it crashes with a SYNTAX line error.

So I don't know if this was successful for me. It does work though. And I noticed I can only run the "extended basic" option (lr-mess-system-ti99_4a_exbasic...). The other choice that you have selected in that screenshot gives me the unrecognized file black screen error.

I downloaded every variant of the Ti99/4a BOIS from the usual archive, so I'm thinking I have enough of them.

Not sure why I'm getting all these errors in the games.
I tried:
Defender
Virus Attack
Astro Blitz
Attack of the Creepers

Again, they will run after I type in the OLD DSK1.GAME command... in fact Astro Blitz gets to the menu where you choose between the two games, but when it starts to load the actual game file, it crashes.

Are you planning on adding cartridge support to this as well?

Folly

@jamrom2

For me it also something new, so I will try some more.

I did add cartridge support.
This is what I added :

new basename loaders for lr-mess which will load only cartridges because there is only a 1 hash file for ti99 with cartridges (use .zip with .bin inside from ti99_cart)
a new ti99 loader that adds the speech sythesizer and sets the keyboard into natural mode and load cartridges (use .rpk files because it's a media loader not a basename)
a new ti99 loader that adds extended basic and a floppy drive and sets the keyboard into natural mode and load dsk files

Folly

@jamrom2

I updated the installer from :
TI-99/4A Home Computer + exbasic + keyb_nat + flop1
to :
TI-99/4A Home Computer (32Kb) + superxb + keyb_nat + flop1

I have tested quite some disks and many work. (but not all)
Many games require the "super extended basic" so I used that.
superxb seems the newest extended basic and seems to be backwards compatible too.
(superxb.zip)(place the file from the ti99_cart to BIOS files in /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame)
Most games require 32kb memory, so I added that too.
Most games, that I tried, load automatically now.

I tried these too :
Defender (I have no disk file but the cart file works )
Virus Attack (disk auto boots but has an error, can't load a file)
Astro Blitz (disk auto boots and works)
Attack of the Creepers (disk auto boots but has an error, can't load a file)

jamrom2

@folly sound good. I'll pull down the new script and try it later. Just have to assume some of the games are just bad ROM or Disk dumps.

Looking forward to the changes. I'll let you know how it goes

Folly

@jamrom2

I just made a huge improvement.

All loader descriptions are shortened and added with better descriptions, especially for the loader lines with "extra's" and "autoboot".
I manually added these description addons in the CSV structure of the script.

For the normal media lines I removed the -system part.

I think the loader descriptions look much better now.

Just like earlier, I advise to remove the specific emulators.cfg before installing that system again, so the emulators.cfg will contain the latest loader lines.

I did some tests and it seems there are no issues. (fingers crossed)

Here is the commit :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/6c6aa49ba9a9ffd2e211698997c299349d436b11

jamrom2

@folly

I don't know what to make of this... I had some success and some failures I don't understand.

Loaded new script and looks good in menus and emulator choices. Easy to read now. I have all the new options you created.

alpiner.zip (3 zipped .bin files) and barrage.zip (zipped .bin)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-basename" --> fails with all grey screen. missing BIOS?
"mame-ti99_4a-basename" --> works but performance is disastrous.
Seems like no matter what zipped .bin files I try, I get the same result.

4a_flyer (zipped .rpk file)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - fails with all black initialization error
"mame-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - runs, but again... un-playable slide show

as_shamus.rpk (unzipped .rpk file)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - WORKS - need to add ".rpk and .RPK" to es_systems.cfg to display in ES gamelists

13 Extended Basic Games (198x)(-)(PD) - From TOSEC batch - (zipped .dsk file)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-32kb-superxb-keyb_nat-flop1" - WORKS and autoloads. Performance sucks, game crashed anyway.

The following zipped .dsk files all worked - performance is definitely a problem. For such an old system, you would imagine it would run like the Dragon, Tandy, C64 or A800.

Micro Pinball II (1984)(Software Specialities)[req. PHM 3026]
Night Mission (1985)(Millers Graphics)
Old Dark Caves 2 (1986)(Donn Granros)
Astroblitz (1988)(-) & TI-Mazogz (1988)(B. Waldmann)(PD)

All unzipped .rpk files seem like they work. Enough do that I stopped testing.

We're definately on the right track. The zipped .bin files are the only ones that didn't work for me at all in the new script using the lr-mess side. If it can be done from the script, it needs to add in the missing file names to the es_systems.cfg... and maybe remove many of the formats that won't be used. Seems to be a lot of them...again... if that's possible.

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

I will do some tests.

For such an old system, you would imagine it would run like the Dragon, Tandy, C64 or A800.

The TMS9900 was ahead of it's time, you might want to read these links :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TMS9900
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-inside-story-of-texas-instruments-biggest-blunder-the-tms9900-microprocessor

This is probably why it's slower.

Folly

@jamrom2 said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess and mame standalone:

Thanks for testing !

alpiner.zip (3 zipped .bin files) and barrage.zip (zipped .bin)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-basename" --> fails with all grey screen. missing BIOS?

"mame-ti99_4a-basename" --> works but performance is disastrous.
Seems like no matter what zipped .bin files I try, I get the same result.

Tested both.
For me both worked with both loaders.
My files are in : /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ti99_4a/ti99_cart
You should try again and check your runcommand.log if it doesn't work.

4a_flyer (zipped .rpk file)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - fails with all black initialization error

"mame-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - runs, but again... un-playable slide show

I don't have that file so I can't test.
The zipped .bin file works for me with the basename loaders.

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" - WORKS - need to add ".rpk and .RPK" to es_systems.cfg to display in ES gamelists

I had a look at the issue that the .rpk extension isn't in the es_systems.cfg.
I discovered that when installing the multiple extra lines, extension are overwritten when installing a different one (from the same system).
To fix it I have to add all available extensions to the extra CSV lines.

While testing for this issue another issue has risen :
When extra media as slot-devices are added like a floppy or a harddrive the extension can be added like the fix above.
But the regular install will not see them because these extensions aren't in the default.
This means that the extra slot-device extensions are lost when doing a regular install after an install with extra predefined devices.
After I have fixed the script the only solution to get all available extensions into the es_systems.cfg is to do the extra installs after the regular install.

All unzipped .rpk files seem like they work. Enough do that I stopped testing.

Works for me too.

13 Extended Basic Games (198x)(-)(PD) - From TOSEC batch - (zipped .dsk file)

"lr-mess-ti99_4a-32kb-superxb-keyb_nat-flop1" - WORKS and autoloads. Performance sucks, game crashed anyway.

Here it works, I noticed some lag too.
These games are probably written in basic, so I think the are also slow on real hardware.

maybe remove many of the formats that won't be used. Seems to be a lot of them...again... if that's possible.

For the regular loaders the script just takes over the extension from the mame data base.
When I started writing the script I added a filter for removing some unnecessary media.
That way a lot of unnecessary extensions were also filtered out.
Though I had to remove some filters because otherwise some systems could not be installed.
I think, for the best compatibility the most extensions have to be added though.
Otherwise I am restricting users too much in what the want to try out, you see.
So I think it's better to keep it this way.

Folly

@jamrom2

I changed the lr-mess loaders that use the runmess.sh script to distinguish these from loaders and future loaders that don't use the runmess script.
The will look like this :
lr-run_mess-********

I added all possible extensions to all the extra and autoboot install lines.
This should fix the issue with missing extensions in es_systems.cfg.
For systems with added media slot-devices such as ti99_4a and apple2gs, for example, the extra and autoboot installers have to be installed after the regular install to make sure all required extensions are added in the es_systems.cfg.
(I probably should add it in the help for these installers)

I added 32kb to the "**********-ti99_4a-speech-keyb_nat-cart" loader, so it will become :
************-ti99_4a-32kb-speech-keyb_nat-cart

I added speech to the "**********-ti99_4a-32kb-superxb-keyb_nat-flop1" loader, so it will become :
************-ti99_4a-32kb-speech-superxb-keyb_nat-flop1

Edit :
Oops I made some mistakes yesterday with above install options.
I used slot1 but that slot doesn't exist ;-)
I can't use (rm) in loader names otherwise I get duplicates in emulators.cfg.
I fixed it today !

I added the first lr-mess direct loaders for media.
They seem to work very good and savestate names are also ok with these media loaders
Added some HELP and improved the menu a bit.

Folly

@jamrom2

I am doing many changes and came across some issues I am trying to fix.
I advise you to wait a while until I think it's stable.

jamrom2

@folly No problem.

Just let me know and I'll pull it down.

Folly

@jamrom2

It looks like it's all stable now.
I would suggest you try this one (this file will always be the same) :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/7017185fb4756559de9ce31f7f22afdf24f09111/00-workdir-00/backup/add-mamedev-systems-0238_test.sh
Meanwhile I will work towards new updates.

I have changed, added and improved a lot of things when starting to work on this test script :

improve menu text and help text
add plain lr-mess loaders that don't use the run_mess.sh script
- reorganise the options in the commands so the savestate files don't have the command options in the filename (only issue is a space in the beginning of the filename)
change the name of the lr-mess loaders that do use the run_mess.sh script and add -autoframeskip to the name
prevent downloading the current version run_mess.sh script every time a system is installed
- it will download the first time when a system is installed, next time it will skip this version.
- this will help to prevent saving a corrupt run_mess.sh script when there is a bad internet connection
  - a corrupted run_mess.sh script could be the reason why the loader doesn't work
- if the database and run_mess.sh script are both stored locally then the script can be used offline
shorten the names of the all the loaders with extra options so we can find better what we need
remove the options in the filename of the generated basename/cmd module-scripts
add config directories to all the loaders
- normally a mame directory was created in the roms/<system> directory now the mame and lr-mess configs are stored in /opt/retropie/configs/<system>/mame (or lr-mess) (here are also the game-specific configs)
add both rompaths BIOS/mame and roms/<system> to all the loaders
- now we don't need to add , for example, "extended basic roms" to the BIOS/mame anymore if the are in the correct path of the roms/<system> directory (for the ti99_4a this will mean that the BIOS ti99_4a.7z is placed and found in BIOS/mame and that the extended bios superxb is placed and found in roms/ti99_4a/ti99_cart, so the superxb doesn't have to be placed in BIOS/mame anymore)
add extra predefined install options for ti99_4a
- loaders with different floppy drive types
- loaders with editass (editor/assember) needed to load PD/c99/asm software like "Attack of the Creepers" or asm games from "tigameshelf"
remove an obsolete function

Folly

@jamrom2

To make it working we really need to explore how this machine works.
I learned a lot of the ti99_4a and how it works.

In basic or extended basic (superxb) we can list what files are on the disk with call dir(1).
Loading files in basic old DSK1.<FILENAME>.
Typing run will run the file.

In the editor/assembler (editass) we can type 5 and type the filename DSK1.<FILENAME>.
The the game will start.

Some disk images are only properly read when using the correct floppy type.
I used both 525dd and 525qd successfully.
You also have to set the correct DIP switches in the GUI. (40 track / 80 track)

This is an example of loading "Attack of the Creepers" (dsk file is 254.1kb using 525qd / 80 track/2ms) :

jamrom2

@folly I'll be working with it tonight, but I can see you've done an amazing job on it.

This is more than any other emulator does. You're really able to work with it as if you're actually adding in modules and cart to run basic.

I assume it was done this way originally because the original system had no DOS system, much like a C64 or Tandy, not like MS-DOS based PC's that you loaded DOS onto a HD. Back then.. no HD's. LOL.

This is good. I'm sure there are a TON of games that will run now, just have to figure out what they need to run. I've pulled down many and just committed to them not working. I'll be messing around with all these options to try and get them to work now.