RetroPie forum home
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Home
    • Docs
    • Register
    • Login
    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Noob trying to first time navigate File Manager to delete ._ files

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Help and Support
    file managernoobnoobienewbie questiondeleting roms
    16 Posts 5 Posters 19.3k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • pjftP
      pjft @ClarkNova
      last edited by

      @ClarkNova welcome!

      Sure, happy to try and help. I assume you're keeping your ROMS in a USB drive and want to clear those files, or did you transfer them over to your pi's SD card?

      I usually do it in the Mac's command line terminal, let me look up the recursive script I have to run dot_clean on every folder. I'll have my laptop with me within 2 or so hours, but confirm that you are referring to the USB drive, and that you can plug it in your Mac.

      Thanks!

      C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • C
        ClarkNova @pjft
        last edited by ClarkNova

        @pjft I clicked on the Finder icon in my doc, clicked on Networks and found my Retropie through there. After that I navigated through Retropie's rom folders and started dumping them in. I restarted my Retropie and found that there were matching ._ files for every rom I added. I looked online for help, found different suggestions of combating this issue, though there was no sure fire way to eliminate these hitchhiking files (many conflicting opinions). After that I decided it might be a good idea to start familiarizing myself with Retropie's File Manager. It looked simple enough though with a lack of basic coding I was stumped fast (I mean I don't even know how to access the menu bar on the top left with my keyboard). So here I am, posting my plea for HELP!

        pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • pjftP
          pjft @ClarkNova
          last edited by

          @ClarkNova Got it.

          Unfortunately, I don't quite know much about Retropie's File Manager, but maybe we can try the following if you have a keyboard connected to your Pi.

          1. Exit EmulationStation by pressing F4

          2. Type the following commands:

            cd RetroPie
            cd roms

          3. Now, navigate to each of the system folders where you have that problem, and remove the files. In this case, I'm starting with arcade, but other names are nes, snes, gb, etc.

            cd arcade
            rm ._.
            cd ..

          and then move on to another system.

          Be very careful with the rm command, as it will delete all files that match the pattern. In this case, we're matching "._<anything>.<anything>" (note the "dots" and the "underscore" character that make the pattern for those files from your Mac).

          Then, if you restart EmulationStation it should all be good to go. You may want to reboot your RetroPie:

          sudo reboot now
          

          A good practice is, in your Mac, before copying over the files, to remove them in your Mac.

          Using the Mac terminal (in Applications > Utilities), navigate to your rom folders and run

          dot_clean
          

          Let me know if you'd have trouble doing that.

          Best of luck.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • M
            Macaque
            last edited by

            If you're not comfortable running scripts you can also just search in Finder for "._". Right-click and delete the files.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • BuZzB
              BuZz administrators
              last edited by BuZz

              @pjft said in Noob trying to first time navigate File Manager to delete ._ files:

              cd arcade
              rm ._*.*
              cd ..
              

              To do all folders -

              rm -rf ~/RetroPie/roms/*/._*
              

              To help us help you - please make sure you read the sticky topics before posting - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

              pjftP C 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
              • pjftP
                pjft @BuZz
                last edited by pjft

                @BuZz said in Noob trying to first time navigate File Manager to delete ._ files:

                rm -rf ~/RetroPie/roms//._

                Thanks for the Unix clarification.

                A question: would ._* also include files with extensions? (i.e. how strict is Unix with matching the asterisk character - do we need ._*.* ?)

                Cheers!

                BuZzB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • BuZzB
                  BuZz administrators @pjft
                  last edited by BuZz

                  @pjft It would. It will delete anything in any folder in roms starting with ._

                  I assume you meant ._* and not .* - you need to use inline code markup on this forum or info will be lost as styling.

                  To help us help you - please make sure you read the sticky topics before posting - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

                  pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • pjftP
                    pjft @BuZz
                    last edited by

                    @BuZz Got it - yes I did. I'll edit that. I struggled to use back-quotes with my current keyboard layout until recently. :)

                    I believe DOS did only match empty file extensions if we omitted the last (.*), hence the question.

                    Happy Easter weekend everyone!

                    BuZzB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • BuZzB
                      BuZz administrators @pjft
                      last edited by

                      @pjft Yeah - dos treats extensions differently. Unix doesn't really have "extensions" in the same way - it has filenames, which can contain various characters. you can have lots of dots in a filename if you want for example.

                      To help us help you - please make sure you read the sticky topics before posting - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • C
                        ClarkNova @BuZz
                        last edited by

                        @BuZz So do I type in:

                        rm -rf ~/RetroPie/roms//._

                        While in the File Manager or after pressing F4 to exit out of Emulation Station?

                        BTW "THANK YOU" EVERYONE - I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

                        pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • pjftP
                          pjft @ClarkNova
                          last edited by

                          @ClarkNova I don't know how the file manager works, but yes - if you exit EmulationStation to the command line via F4 and run that, that will work.

                          Do make sure to use the right command, though :) Copy exactly the one from Buzz, with asterisks and dots.

                          C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • C
                            ClarkNova @pjft
                            last edited by ClarkNova

                            @pjft I'm holding F4 while it boots and I'm still taken to the Emulation Station.

                            pjftP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • pjftP
                              pjft @ClarkNova
                              last edited by

                              @ClarkNova sorry it wasn't clear. You press f4 when in ES. Or alternative just navigate to the menu and select Exit ES.

                              Use Buzz's command exactly as it's spelled.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • C
                                ClarkNova
                                last edited by ClarkNova

                                Okay, it looks like I have it running pretty clean now. Thank you all so much. Next I'll try to figure out how to add Famicom CDS, Super Famicom, Virtual Boy and maybe Game & Watch directories/roms to my build. Time to start hunting through the threads [slaps and rubs hands together in eager excitement] :)

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • First post
                                  Last post

                                Contributions to the project are always appreciated, so if you would like to support us with a donation you can do so here.

                                Hosting provided by Mythic-Beasts. See the Hosting Information page for more information.