Make binaries available for DietPi? (is it possible?)

[tavuntu]

Hi there. So I've been trying to create my own custom OS image with DietPi + retroarch, just for fun. I have successfully installed retroarch by following this guide (+ some extra steps) but I am still unable to make binaries available, and I understand that is expected because DietPi is not an officially supported system but.. is it possible to make some changes in the code to try this at least in an experimental mode?

I'm trying to install some packages by using the install_bin flag but I can't since they're just not there for DietPi. So the question is, again, is there something I can tweak in RetroPie Setup code to test this out even tho this OS is not supported? I'm not really good at bash code.

[Folly]

@tavuntu

Don't have enough knowledge about DietPi but you can try to fool the scripts into thinking you run something different, so the binaries can be installed.

You are on your own !
Try it on your own risk !
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31924/could-not-successfully-build-sdl2-on-bullseye/7

Let me know if it works.

[tavuntu]

@Folly 'll try that and let you know how that went, thanks!

[Folly]

Edit:
Read this post :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/32714/make-binaries-available-for-dietpi-is-it-possible/5
Then use the information described in this post.

---

@tavuntu

I experimented a bit with dietPI 32 bit OS**(on my RPI4 !)** and installed mate desktop with it.
(with startx you will get into the desktop environment)

I installed RetroPie-Setup :
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup

SDL2 will install with my patch :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31924/could-not-successfully-build-sdl2-on-bullseye/8

To be able to install the binaries you have edit line 72 :
binary_path+="/kms

And edit the lines 169-170 :
__os_release="10"
__os_codename="buster"

Emulationstation will install with my patch (commenting lines 140,141,142) but will not run because we are root in dietPI.
So if we want to be able to run it we need to add a normal user in the beginning and install RetroPie under that user.

I use my script, RetroRun, for now as an alternative for emulationstation :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroRun

I tested amstradcpc with success but at the right and left side of the screen there I still see the desktop environment.

Hope it helps a bit.

[Folly]

@tavuntu

In my last post I had to get a bit acquainted with DietPI.
I was thinking there wasn't a normal user so I added user "pi" now.
I overlooked that a normal user "dietpi" already exists.
So we user "dietpi" is usable in the future.

Anyway, I did somewhat a new RetroPie-Setup as user "dietpi" again.
Everything seems to work ok now and Emulationstation works too.
The desktop parts at the right and the left when starting a libretro core, that I described in my earlier post, are gone now too.

The experience is just like the normal "Debian 11 Bullseye / 32 bit" with mate desktop installed.

Conclusion :
After making a fresh OS you have to :

• login as "dietpi"
• get RetroPie
• patch the sdl2.sh, system.sh and emulationstation.sh files
• install sdl2
• install the core, main and other packages
• enjoy

Edit :
Too bad, I have no sound from hdmi, it seems some audio packages could be missing ;-(
Jack output works though. ;-)