RetroArch on Raspbian: the tutorial

[fivealive]

I was hoping for game boy colour, advanced and snes




so could the problem be I was running the instructions in the startx.

[welshy]

fivealive
It could well be!
Check the Emulation on the Raspberry Pi Thread there are pre-compiled Binaries available for GameBoy Advance (GpSP) and SNES (PiSNES) which perform better than RetroArch versions in most instances. When you gain more experience and wish to compile your own emulators from Source Code there are also listing and 'Guides' for many there (as well as a link to this Tutorial).

[fivealive]

I actually noticed those 2 already I couldn't get the pi snes to work properly, loading a game gave me a black screen

[welshy]

fivealive
Ok, heres a quick 'Guide' from memory

turn on your RPi and type startx to go into XWindows
Download Retro Arch Zip File
Here - https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch
Open a Terminal and install the SDL Dependencies
sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev (these MAY not be needed however, I don't recall)
Extract the Zip
CD into the RetroArch Folder and Type
./configure
Once completed Type
make
When finished there should be an executable in the folder 'retroarch' (looks like a cog/gear)

Download pocketsnes
Here - https://github.com/ToadKing/pocketsnes-libretro
Extract the Zip
CD into the pocketsnes folder and Type
make

Once completed Make a folder and put your SNES ROMS in it
Now exit X back to console
cd into the RetroArch folder and run the executable
./retroarch

A GUI should appear, select Core (press x) and navigate to the pocketsnes folder and select the libretro.co file (that's the core)
then select Game (press x) and load a game from your ROMS folder

Cursor Keys are Joypad Directions, a, s, z,and x buttons and Enter is Start.(I cant recall what the shoulder pad keys are, I use an XBox360 Pad)

It wont be as Optimised as the previously described Build, but it works and should be easier to follow. I cant help with a GB or GBA Core as I haven't build them but they should be available from the Libretro GitHub, but each require different Build commands.

[fivealive]

I got as far as loading the guy and getting to pushing x on core but I don't see the snes file

[welshy]

fivealive
It opens to a Browse function, just browse to the folder required (in this case pocketsnes-libretro-master) and load the libretro.so (the pocketsnes Core).

[fivealive]

Got it, just controls don't work once I am in the game, controls work for game menus then it stops once I am in game play, like super Mario world, get as far as the black box with the story and controls don't work, yet I was able to select my profile

[welshy]

fivealive
Ok
1. Make sure you run RetroArch from Console NOT XWindows
2. There is a retroarch.cfg file in the RetroArch 'master' folder. In the home/pi directory there is a 'Hidden' folder .config (right click and select 'show hidden' if you cannot see it. In this folder make a new folder called retroarch and place the cfg file in it to make sure its reading the correct settings.
3. Are you using the Mario All Stars ROM? There is an issue with it in most emulators, try the standard Super Mario World ROM.

I will also check my Build to confirm it all works ok using keyboard Controls (I recall that it did).

[fivealive]

Yes that was the roms I was using

[welshy]

fivealive
I just checked my Build and controls work flawlessly with the Keyboard. First thing, try another ROM, if that also doesn't work -
run retroarch thusly
./retroarch --features
At the top of the list does it read
SDL:
SDL drivers: yes

If it says no then you either
1. didn't install them before you built retroarch so they are not included in the program (sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev)
2. or they installed incorrectly

So what do I do?
Delete the retroarch executable from the folder (the cog/gear symbol)
Then
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev

Make sure you read everything the command line is telling you with its feedback, DONT just blindly type commands in, this will help with your understanding of Linux and how it works. Its pretty good with its communication, MUCH better than MS-DOS which on error often only gives 'this command is not recognised' even if its a simple syntax error e.g. '/' instead of '\'! Linux often reply's did u mean 'correct syntax of command'?

CD into the RetroArch folder and ./configure and make again
This should resolve the issue (if its SDL related, I believe input/output handling is SDL by default), it may however have affected the 'Core' Build so delete the pocketsnes-libretro.so and remake that also

Update - See below discussion with Vanfanel, to Build retroarch WITHOUT SDL libraried add --disable-sdl into the configure command
i.e. ./configure --disable-sdl
So try this first!

[Vanfanel]

@whelsy:

RetroArch on the Pi should NOT use SDL: RetroArch is an API itself, and it's not optimal to have it relying on another API of the same level. From my own binaries:

Code: Select all

SDL:
		SDL drivers: no

One of the many *great* features of RetroArch on the Pi is direct linuxraw input support without SDL, and direct EGL/GLES rendering without ANY X11 stuff.

[welshy]

Vanfanel
Yes, I'm aware of all that, but its not easy trying to assist a Linux beginner 'Blind' here with no feedback (see previous discussions with fivealive) off the top of my head! I would have guessed it should revert to raw input without the SDL libraries?. Using the information described it should 'Default' to SDL input and thus resolve his issue, hopefully!

Update - Ok, I just did a quick 'test' build WITHOUT SDL and it HAS defaulted to raw input. Now his issue really has me confused! Any ideas on why fivealive's Build controls the Menu but not in game?

BTW: 'RetroArch on the Pi should NOT use SDL: RetroArch is an API itself, and it's not optimal to have it relying on another API of the same level'. Agreed, but it seems to make little to no difference in RetroArch performance (on the RPi), you REALLY do have a beef with the SDL Libraries! lol

[fivealive]

The controls work flawlessly on other games

[welshy]

fivealive
Ok, could be the ROM then! I tested Super Mario World on my set up and controls work fine. Try a ROM from another source, see if that resolves the issue.

As for Game Boy Colour emulation, I haven't tested but it should build with no issues

Gamebattle
Download the Source Code - https://github.com/libretro/gambatte-libretro and extract
CD into the gamebatte-libretro-master/libgambatte folder (where the libretro Makefile is) and build the Core
Type
make -f Makefile.libretro

[KitchUK]

I find that Mario All-Stars bug so annoying! The main reason I started my Pi Project was so I could play this colleciton of games! Shame theres still no fix. At least Mario World standalone still works

[welshy]

KitchUK
I personally don't see it is much of an issue, Super Mario World is a 'stand alone' Super Famicom/SNES title and the others are Famicom/NES 'remixes' why not just play the Originals?

[KitchUK]

For me the main appeal of this collection was down to the nostalgia. When I originally had my Snes as a kid the first game I had was the All-Stars collection.

Also, I always preferred the all-stars version of Super Mario 2. It was the only Mario game I did not own for my NES, so my introduction to this game was the 'remix' version. It's not a deal breaker or anything, just a minor gripe.

[welshy]

KitchUK
Agreed, I pre-empted you may say that! Most emulation is down to nostalgia!
'Also, I always preferred the all-stars version of Super Mario 2 as well and this was the only mario game I did not own for my NES'
Well, technically isn't NOT a Mario game really! (IF you know the History of the title).

[KitchUK]

Ha! Yeah, loved how they explained all the new random elements by it all being a dream!

[fivealive]

I can't seem to download the file this is what I get

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ sudo apt-get install https://github.com/libretro/gambatte-libretro
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package https
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'https://github.com/libretro'

[fivealive]

I got it working now I think , excuse my stupidity I am really tired been up for awhile, anyway on to a slightly different issue, how the heck do I get the keyboard of the UK standard and have it using the American standard,pushing shift 2 and getting " instead of the at symbol is annoying.

[fivealive]

I can't seem to run the gameboy color I am assuming I am doing something wrong, just no idea what!, I open retro arch but can't seem to figure out what to do next. I navigate to the gameboy folder but can't find the core file.

[welshy]

fivealive
That's because it not a 'package' to install! Just a Website address with Zip file to download! What was it I said previously?
'DONT just blindly type commands in' etc lol

Keyboard configuration can be altered from the Configuration Menu
Type - sudo raspi-config
in Console or from a Terminal

Its in the directory (folder) gamebatte-libretro-master/libgambatte where the Makefile is
gambatte_libretro.so (this file is the RetroArch 'Core'
Don't forget, you have to Built it FIRST! (See Above)

BTW I tried the GBA Core 'Meteor', it Builds ok but its performance is far to slow to be usable

[fivealive]

I open retro arch, and when I get it open I open core but it doesn't let me try and find the color core it still shows the snes core.

[welshy]

fivealive
I Built the latest version for testing and found the same issue! (My original Build is from months ago). I replaced the cfg file with my old one and it eliminated the issue and now I cant replicate it. So, start a game from History, then press F1 and see if it allows you to change the Core, if not open the hidden folder .config/retroarch and delete the retroarch-game-history.txt file and try it again.
If it still causes the problem in the RetroArch-master folder there is a retroarch.cfg, delete all the files in the .config/retroarch folder and replace with that one.