Author Topic: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X  (Read 20847 times)

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« on: March 07, 2016, 10:32:59 AM »
Hi,
 I have gotten RetroArch on my OS X device running and working.
 I'm trying to start it from within RetroArch without much luck.
 I've tried various command line arguments that I've seen in here as well as the wiki.
 Currently I have the following defined.

executable           $HOME/Applications/retroarch.app
args                      -L $HOME/Applications/retroarch.app/contents/resources/cores/snes9x_libreto.dylib "[romfilename]"
rompath               $HOME/downloads/usa
romext               .zip
 
  Any help would be appreciated.
  Thanks

omegaman

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 880
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2016, 04:09:02 PM »
Hi!

I'm not an os x guy, but have you tried open -a on the cmd line.

open -a ApplicationName /file/to/open 

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2016, 04:15:08 PM »
So I got a little farther...
From terminal the  /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch line starts RetroArch, however trying to add the core by adding /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/snes9x_libretro.dylib seems to launch RetroArch, I don't get the GUI just an blank terminal window.
 I applied executable=/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
               Arg=/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/snes9x_libretro.dylib "[RomFileName]"
 However it freezes up AM until I close the blank terminal window.
 :(

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2016, 04:32:36 PM »
And a little farther, however I'm not sure about the terminal output I'm seeing.

From the terminal
 /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/snes9x_libretro.dylib ./Documents/Aladdin.zip

I get a black screen until I hit escape and then I get following feedback in the terminal window...
[bsnes]: XML map:
cartridge region=NTSC
  rom name=program.rom size=0x2a5508
  ram name=save.ram size=0x1000
  map id=rom address=00-7f,80-ff:8000-ffff mask=0x8000
  map id=ram address=70-7f,f0-ff:0000-7fff

[bsnes]: [Memory]: ID 7, Request "manifest.bml".
[bsnes]: Complete load request.
[bsnes]: [Memory]: ID 8, Request "program.rom".
[bsnes]: Load ROM.
[bsnes]: Complete load request.
[bsnes]: [Memory]: ID 9, Request "save.ram".
[bsnes]: Complete load request.
[bsnes]: [Memory]: ID 6, Request "".
[bsnes]: Complete load request.
[bsnes]: SRAM memory size: 4096.
[bsnes]: SRAM memory size: 4096.

I'm not sure why I'm seeing a bsnes ? I'd think I'd see [snes9x]:

« Last Edit: March 07, 2016, 04:37:01 PM by Brewski »

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2016, 06:08:18 PM »
Ureka!
Executable =/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
Command Arguments = -L /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/bsnes_balanced_libretro.dylib "[RomFileName]"
Rompath=$HOME/rompath/

Phew!
So I downloaded retroarch from http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/apple/osx/x86_64/2016-03-06_RetroArch.dmg
I dropped the Retroarch program in my Mac's Application directory and applied the lines above to a new emulator setting. Hope this helps any other new Mac users.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2016, 06:37:11 PM by Brewski »

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2016, 06:28:17 PM »
This is great news!  I'm gonna give it a whirl tonight! :D  Thank you for the putting the work in, brewski!   

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2016, 10:53:17 AM »
I couldn't get this to work fully.. any help is super appreciated!! :D

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2016, 04:12:38 AM »
From your description, it sound like some thing might be missing.
Try the following steps, hopefully it helps..
1. make sure you can run you roms from retroarch itself. Retroarch needs to have the core you want to use installed. You can do this directly in retroarch.
2. The retroarch.app like all mac apps? Has it's sub set of directories in the app itself. So after dropping retroarch in your applications directory, right click on the retroarch.app and select "open package" explore the directory structure (I would think it's the same as mine as they are the same program);D. In here this is where you can find the retroarch(exe) and the core you want to use.
 In my case the retroarch(exe) is here /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/
 and the cores are located here /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/
3. Using the above info you can open terminal and build your command line, in my case the following works.

/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/snes9x_libretro.dylib ./Documents/Aladdin.zip

The -L tells retroarch to ignore the retroarch.cfg and load the core defined in the command line.
The Aladdin.zip is the rom that is in my documents directory.
If this works then you should be able to place it in your emulator config in AM and run it successfully.
BTW my AM is also in my application directory if that makes a difference.

Sorry if this is redundant for you, I'm not an expert with OSX/Terminal myself and am not sure what level of knowledge you have already, hopefully my explanation helps and my assumptions about the operating environment are correct.
 Let me know...

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2016, 08:50:30 AM »
Hey Brew.. thanks for the reply..

So I'm able to launch from the terminal.  I'm using nestopia as an emulator to test this. 
This is the command I can launch from the terminal:  /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib /Users/inkagnito/Documents/ROMS/NES/Monopoly.zip

I put the following  info into attract mode in the emulators setup:
For executable: /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
Command arguments: /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
Rom Path: /Users/inkagnito/Documents/ROMS/NES/Monopoly.zip

It will launch retroarch with a blank window but will not proceed further.  What am I doing wrong?   Thanks!
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 08:55:42 AM by inkagnito »

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2016, 10:40:05 AM »
(Sorry Originally I referenced it backwards, the -L should be at the end of the executable line in AM
not the beginning of the Command Arguments line...
It looks like you may have forgotten the -L in the executable in AM? This tells retroarch to ignore it's config
and use the core you are pointing to.
For executable: /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L
Command arguments:/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
Let me know if it works for you.
 
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 10:51:15 AM by Brewski »

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2016, 10:47:56 AM »
Opps, I was just gonna say I forgot to put the -L in the post, but yes, it's in there.  Weird thing is, without putting the -L in the argument, it opens the emulator in retroarch but not the game.  Hmm..

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2016, 10:57:52 AM »
Darn maybe the -L does go in the front of Command Argument. (Sorry, I don't have my Mac in front of me right now)
Tell you what,
Try it like this...
executable: /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L
Command arguments:/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
and if that doesn't work try it like this.
For executable: /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
Command arguments: -L /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
Let me know if one of those works.

Also try putting the rom path as
$HOME/Documents/ROMS/NES/Monopoly.zip
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 11:01:01 AM by Brewski »

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2016, 11:01:58 AM »
Command Argument: -L /applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
 
Will definitely launch the blank window, and putting it at the end of .dylib as well.  I tried putting it on the executable and nothing happened.  Damn!

Brewski

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2016, 11:11:44 AM »
What the heck let's throw the kitchen sink at it..  :)
executable: $HOME/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
Command arguments: -L $HOME/applications/retroarch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/nestopia_libretro.dylib
Rom Path: $HOME/Documents/ROMS/NES/Monopoly.zip

 If this doesn't work I'll double check my set-up when I get home :)

inkagnito

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile
Re: AM Config for RetroArch on OS X
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2016, 11:15:45 AM »
Nope, no go with the $HOME either.  Let me know when you get home!  I really super appreciate your help!  I feel like it's so close!    Driving me a little batty :)