How can I use the fceumm Libretro/Retroarch core in retropie

[Malman35]

Hi,
I kinda already asked this question in a different thread but since that thread was focused more on something else I thought it best to ask in a new thread.
What I'm wondering is how can I change the Nestopia core to the fceumm Libretro/Retroarch core? I tried pressing buttons when a rom is loading but the only options that came up was stuff about video quality/size etc. and but nothing about the core that is being used. I am using adafruits pigrrl img so I think it might be an older version of retro pie. Any help would be appreciated.

[Malman35]

Am I not making sense? If not please let me know. Is there no solution? Can someone please help.

[Malman35]

Hey can someone help here?!?! I have spent several hours researching but came up with nothing. I am still having problems with some more intensive nes games being laggy. I tried doing this
http://raspberrypihq.com/how-to-change- ... onstation/
but when I got to the part where you make it, I got this

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[email protected] ~/RetroPie/emulatorcores/QuickNES_Core/libretro $ make
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found.  Stop.
[email protected] ~/RetroPie/emulatorcores/QuickNES_Core/libretro $ 

Why isn't anyone answering? I asked on the adafruit forum but nobody replied there either.

Edit: I just read this https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/game-boy-zero/ and now feel very discouraged about my own project . I guess I just need to learn more.

[Vanfanel]

I don't know about RetroPie, but in normal Raspbian you clone the git repository:

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git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/libretro/libretro-fceumm.git

Then you cd into the directory where it has been cloned:

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cd libretro-fceumm

And then you build the core with the Raspberry Pi 1 platform definitions which will activate the right compiler flags:

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make -f Makefile.libretro platform=rpi1 -j8

You can load the core manualy with RetroArch doing:

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retroarch -L libretro-fceumm.so game.nes

What I do personally is put all the cores in a directory, and create a simple script for each system.
For example, the NES script is simply called "nes" and contains:

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./retroarch -L cores/libretro-fceumm.so -c cfg/nes.cfg "$1"

You can give it execution rights with chmod +x
Then you simply do
./nes nintendo/mario.nes

So use Raspbian instead and learn on your way to NES playing. Or use Lakka (http://www.lakka.tv) instead of RetroPie: it's far better and you can easily chose what core you want to use.

I know how you feel, but be patient. My advice is to use normal Raspbian, disable X server, learn how to disable un-needed services (I can help you if you want), become friends with the text console, and you will soon see you can do ANYTHING you want and your Pi is actually very capable for your retro-gaming projects.
But by using RetroPie you are very restricted I guess...

[Malman35]

I don't know about RetroPie, but in normal Raspbian you clone the git repository:

Code: Select all

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/libretro/libretro-fceumm.git

Then you cd into the directory where it has been cloned:

Code: Select all

cd libretro-fceumm

And then you build the core with the Raspberry Pi 1 platform definitions which will activate the right compiler flags:

Code: Select all

make -f Makefile.libretro platform=rpi1 -j8

You can load the core manualy with RetroArch doing:

Code: Select all

retroarch -L libretro-fceumm.so game.nes

What I do personally is put all the cores in a directory, and create a simple script for each system.
For example, the NES script is simply called "nes" and contains:

Code: Select all

./retroarch -L cores/libretro-fceumm.so -c cfg/nes.cfg "$1"

You can give it execution rights with chmod +x
Then you simply do
./nes nintendo/mario.nes

So use Raspbian instead and learn on your way to NES playing. Or use Lakka (http://www.lakka.tv) instead of RetroPie: it's far better and you can easily chose what core you want to use.

I know how you feel, but be patient. My advice is to use normal Raspbian, disable X server, learn how to disable un-needed services (I can help you if you want), become friends with the text console, and you will soon see you can do ANYTHING you want and your Pi is actually very capable for your retro-gaming projects.
But by using RetroPie you are very restricted I guess...

Hi Vanfanel,
Thank you for your reply. Thanks for explaining about the core. I checked out the Lakka website you told me about (They have a pretty nice website ) and the frontend of the system looks really nice . There is just one small problem. Do you have any idea how I can get this to work on the adafruit 2.8" tft display. That is kinda important because that is what I am using for my project. I also noticed it said that it doesn't currently work with wifi, only ethernet which is a bit of a problem for me because I don't have a way I can easily set up ethernet (if there is a will there is a way. ). I do have a wifi dongle though. Do you know how I could get this to run well on my tft display. The reason I originally went with Retro Pie is
1. There was an image of retro pie that already worked with my tft screen
2. It was what everyone else was using so I figured people would know how to help me if I needed help (apparently no one knows how to get a that core working with it)
Oh BTW this is the first time I have heard about Lakka.

[Malman35]

Say I found the file that says what command is run for each system. It's path was /etc/emulationstation/es_systems.cfg
This is what it said about NES

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   <system>
    <fullname>Nintendo Entertainment System</fullname>
    <name>nes</name>
    <path>~/RetroPie/roms/nes</path>
    <extension>.nes .NES .zip .ZIP</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 4 "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/neslibretro/fceumm_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg --appendconfig /opt/retropie/configs/nes/retroarch.cfg %ROM%" "neslibretro"</command>
    <platform>nes</platform>
    <theme>nes</theme>
  </system>

So does this mean I was already using the fceumm Libretro core?

[Vanfanel]

That TFT display doesn't support dispmanx-driven EGL/GLES rendering contexts, so there's no way you will get a good performance with it. Lakka uses dispmanx/GLES so it won't work with it. I consider that TFT display a scam.

As for emulationstation/retropie, I can't help you as I don't know about it and I am not interested. Sorry.

[Malman35]

That TFT display doesn't support dispmanx-driven EGL/GLES rendering contexts, so there's no way you will get a good performance with it. Lakka uses dispmanx/GLES so it won't work with it. I consider that TFT display a scam.

As for emulationstation/retropie, I can't help you as I don't know about it and I am not interested. Sorry.

Well I got the screen for my birthday last year and I don't have the money to buy a different one so I have to work with what I have.
About it being a scam, I don't know about that. It seems like so many people use it for retro gaming and it makes me frustrated because I don't understand why they can get it to work but I can't (the instructions on adafruit don't work any more )
Thanks for your help though Vanfanel. Is there someone else that knows how to get it to work?
I mean it makes me soooo FRUSTRATED! All I want to do is set up retro pie to run on the screen and to run smoothly on my rpi 1 b+ with the 4 buttons to do varius functions (save/load/esc/reset). I currently have got the buttons working and retro pie sorta working. There is no theme. I managed to get a theme installed even though there was no menu for it but it didn't work right. As for smoothness well that is what this thread is about.