How to launch lr-mess directly from Emulationstation?

[teller]

I could setup lr-mess (MESS) directly in Emulationstation via es_systems.cfg but unfortunately it won't launch into the GUI.

<system>    
<name>mess</name>    
<fullname>MESS</fullname>    
<path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/mess</path>     
<extension>.sh .SH</extension>     
<command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mess</command>
<platform>mess</platform>    
<theme>mess</theme>    
</system>

"lr-mess" can be started empty (without loading any content) via Retroarch.

I made an .SH file with the following content:

lr-mess = "/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/run_mess.sh /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mess_libretro.so -ui_active"

I hope someone can give me a hint getting the .SH code correctly, so that MESS will be launched from Emulationstation.

[Folly]

@teller

This is most likely the runcommand you want (the most basic one) :

lr-mess-direct = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mamemess_libretro.so 'mame -ui_active'"

No need for an sh script.

[teller]

@Folly Thanks, I can finally launch MESS from Emulationstation. I wanted to change some general settings in MAME, add Rom and software list (hash) folder, but as soon as I save the changes MESS is quitting and going back to Emulationstation. Something is blocking to save my MAME settings. What can it be?

These are my "retroarch-core-options.cfg":

mame_mame_paths_enable = "enabled"
mame_read_config = "enabled"
mame_softlists_auto_media = "enabled"
mame_softlists_enable = "enabled"
mame_write_config = "enabled"

[Folly]

@teller said in How to launch lr-mess directly from Emulationstation?:

@Folly Thanks, I can finally launch MESS from Emulationstation.
That's ok now.

I wanted to change some general settings in MAME, add Rom and software list (hash) folder, but as soon as I save the changes MESS is quitting and going back to Emulationstation. Something is blocking to save my MAME settings. What can it be?

A suggestion, try to be specific if you are loading a libretro-core with retroarch and name it lr-mess, for example.
You have to take into account that retroarch has it's own configs and that the lr-mess core also has it's own configs.
Usually the config locations are within the runcommand or you can use an lr-mess specific mame.ini.
Also try to be very specific in what you are trying to save.
Btw. if you installed lr-mess the hash files are already there.

In my suggested runcommand there are no config locations added as options in the runcommand.
So the lr-mess core will probably want to save it where the core is located.
Files in that location can only be added as super user so when you are trying as regular user it will fail.

To get it working like you want it will need total dedication and persistence, because it's very complicated.
So before I go any further in explaining, because it will take a lot of time.
Is this really something you want to understand and want to make a project of it so it can be shared ?
Or is it just that you want it to have working ?
If it's the last then I have another suggestion.

[teller]

@Folly Thanks for replying. If you know where the mame.ini is located which will read before launching lr-mess then I could edit the file and replace it with the file commander. Normally that ini file would be in the bios/mame directory but it's not working yet. lr-mess needs to know the roms folder and the software list. Also I would like to map my joystick so that I could navigate it without keyboard.

[Folly]

@teller

I think you should look at our project over here :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/29682/development-of-module-script-generator-for-lr-mess-lr-mame-and-mame-standalone

Let me know if this is the thing you are looking for.

[teller]

@Folly Thanks, I got everything running now!