retroarch.cfg scripting help

Dandelion

Greetings,

I have an iCode device which adds 6 buttons so I can better navigate Atari2600 games.

One issue I had was figuring out how to simulate the Select and Reset switches. By playing around I came up with and added the following to my Atari2600 retroarch.cfg:

input_player1_start_btn = 2
input_player1_select_btn = 3

That seems to work great! Then I thought I needed a button to exit the emulator. After digging around I ended up with a possible alternate method of doing the Select and Reset switches along with exiting the emulator:

input_start_btn = 2
input_select_btn = 3
input_exit_emulator_btn = 5

It exits perfectly! But the Select/Reset switch part didn't work.

Is there a list or documentation somewhere that lists what the possible scripts could be?

I'd also love to not have to use another controller to quit gaming for the day. I haven't explored the hot-keys, but could I somehow map one of the buttons (or better, pressing several buttons) to do a "Shutdown System"?

Thank you

mitu

@dandelion said in retroarch.cfg scripting help:

 input_start_btn = 2
 input_select_btn = 3
 input_exit_emulator_btn = 5

That's not a valid configuration when entered in retroarch.cfg, it works only when added to a gamepad auto-configuration file. In which file are you adding those lines ?

If you wish to have a button combo to exit, set one of the buttons as Hotkey and the other one to exit.

I'd also love to not have to use another controller to quit gaming for the day. I haven't explored the hot-keys, but could I somehow map one of the buttons (or better, pressing several buttons) to do a "Shutdown System"?

Not sure what you mean here - you can shutdown the system by using the EmulationStation's menu (press Start for the menu).

Dandelion

Thanks for the reply @mitu!

@mitu said in retroarch.cfg scripting help:

That's not a valid configuration when entered in retroarch.cfg, it works only when added to a gamepad auto-configuration file. In which file are you adding those lines ?

I added those lines in the retroarch.cfg file found in /opt/retropie/configs/atari2600. As I mentioned, only the last line worked.

input_exit_emulator_btn = 5

I guess that's what I'm looking for -> is there some master list somewhere of the syntax for the retroarch.cfg file vs. the autoconfig files? Or is that a learn linux kind of task?

I'd also love to not have to use another controller to quit gaming for the day. I haven't explored the hot-keys, but could I somehow map one of the buttons (or better, pressing several buttons) to do a "Shutdown System"?

Not sure what you mean here - you can shutdown the system by using the EmulationStation's menu (press Start for the menu).

I was just thinking that instead of using the EmulationStation menu by pressing Start, scrolling down to Quit, selecting Quit, and then scrolling down to Shutdown System, et al. that I could hot-key/map some of the buttons to do ALL of that. Not necessary - just the cat's pajamas

mitu

@dandelion said in retroarch.cfg scripting help:

I added those lines in the retroarch.cfg file found in /opt/retropie/configs/atari2600. As I mentioned, only the last line worked.
input_exit_emulator_btn = 5

I think it worked just because 5 is already mapped through an auto-configuration file.

I guess that's what I'm looking for -> is there some master list somewhere of the syntax for the retroarch.cfg file vs. the autoconfig files? Or is that a learn linux kind of task?

It's not Linux specific, it's just the RetroArch configuration syntax. For auto-config files, you don't need to set the playerX part, e.g. input_exit_emulator_btn is ok, but when configuring the button in retroarch.cfg file you need to specify the player #, e.g. input_player1_exit_emulator_btn.

I was just thinking that instead of using the EmulationStation menu by pressing Start, scrolling down to Quit, selecting Quit, and then scrolling down to Shutdown System, et al. that I could hot-key/map some of the buttons to do ALL of that. Not necessary - just the cat's pajamas

In EmulationStation this kind of 'hotkey'/shortcut is not available, at most you can exit emulationstation (no questions asked) with F4, but you'd need a keyboard for that.

Dandelion

@mitu Thanks for all of your help mitu! You've been awesome!!