Attract-Mode Support Forum

Attract-Mode Support => General => Topic started by: thermo on April 04, 2020, 01:28:21 PM

Title: HELP: RetroArch works fine, but when triggered from AM it freezes
Post by: thermo on April 04, 2020, 01:28:21 PM

Hey guys,

I experience a strange phenomenon:
When I launch a game in RetroArch via Terminal, it works great:

Code: [Select]

/Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib "/Volumes/Roms/arcade/xxx.zip" --appendconfig "/Users/xxx/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|/Users/thermo/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
But from AM with the same config nothing happens:

Code: [Select]

executable           /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/MacOS/RetroArch
args                 -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib  "[romfilename]" --appendconfig "$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
rompath              /Volumes/Roms/arcade
I tried to dig a little deeper and found somewhere a clue with a force command "-f".
So I added it:

Code: [Select]

args                 -f -L /Applications/RetroArch.app/Contents/Resources/cores/mame2015_libretro.dylib  "[romfilename]" --appendconfig "$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/MAME2003.cfg|$HOME/Documents/RetroArch/overlays/configs/ARCADE/[name].cfg"
What happens is: RetroArch opens and the rom loads, but the screen freezes after some seconds...  :o
(and in the background still plays the sound from the AM snap)

Is there a problem with AM starting other Apps?
Has someone solved a similar or the same problem?

Thanks in advance!

Title: Re: HELP: RetroArch works fine, but when triggered from AM it freezes
Post by: rand0m on April 04, 2020, 08:44:16 PM

might be an issue with appendconifg, have you tried loading without that? If the rom files are zipped try adding "/" after the path i.e.

Code: [Select]

rompath              /Volumes/Roms/arcade/

Title: Re: HELP: RetroArch works fine, but when triggered from AM it freezes
Post by: thermo on April 05, 2020, 02:47:54 AM

Hi rand0m,

thanks, that was worth a try!
But the problem still stays the same :-(

is on macOS a way to inspect which command AM is sending to RA?

Title: Re: HELP: RetroArch works fine, but when triggered from AM it freezes
Post by: thermo on April 05, 2020, 01:09:57 PM

OK, I think I could solve the issue...
it was the 'Non-blocking Wait Mode' in the AM config of MAME.

Setting it from 0 to 1 solved it for me.
Like mentioned here:
http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=2589.0

And for all who are stuck with other Machines launching from AM to RA:
Go to the Settings of RetroArch and do this:
Settings > Video > Full Screen Mode > Start in Fullscreen Mode > ON

This solved an issue I had with SNES.
When I launched a SNES rom without this setting AM freezed and didn't show the RA window which was already loaded in the background.
After setting that, everything is great :-)