GroovyArcade live-CD 2020

[MonkeyJug]

Can anyone advise on how to filter my Attract Mode romlist so it doesn't show the thousands of fruit machine and mahjong games please?

Or, can someone send their 0207 romlist MAME.txt file?

Filtering lists
https://github.com/mickelson/attract/wiki/Example-filters

All killer tag list for attract
https://github.com/keilmillerjr/attract-tags

WOW! Thanks a million!

All Killer, No Filler looks like the way to go!

[keilmillerjr]

It is! I thank the people here on this forum for starting the project. You can create a new tag list and add ones you think of that are not in it. Check out the other ones I created like vsnes. Any ideas for other lists, let me know!

[bodine1231]

Should I be doing everything on my arcade monitor when first installing? What I mean is,when I first put the disc in the new computer to setup,will it boot into 15khz on my arcade monitor or do I need to be doing all of this on a regular monitor,then move the pc to the arcade when its all done?

[Calamity]

Should I be doing everything on my arcade monitor when first installing? What I mean is,when I first put the disc in the new computer to setup,will it boot into 15khz on my arcade monitor or do I need to be doing all of this on a regular monitor,then move the pc to the arcade when its all done?

It will boot instantly into a menu where you select the output and kHz, this will be in 31-kHz. Once you select the right option, it'll launch the OS in 15 kHz. For the first boot screen, usually the JPAC will do its job and show it in split-screen so you'll still be able to pick the right option.

[bodine1231]

Cool,thanks. I’m so used to installing groovymame that I assumed you set it up on one monitor then moved it over to the cab. I’ll try a fresh install just on the cab from the beginning tonight.

[Substring]

Hi,

I'd love to contribute to groovyarcade development. Hacen't fou d much resource yet, but i hope a git repo can be setup !

For some background info, i'm a former Recalbox dev, so i'm quite used to linux and making a friendly OS

[bodine1231]

Did a fresh install straight into the arcade monitor and everything works great now,thanks. Only problem now is that I cannot see my mouse at the desktop. I can click on stuff I just cant see the pointer.

[keilmillerjr]

Hi,

I'd love to contribute to groovyarcade development. Hacen't fou d much resource yet, but i hope a git repo can be setup !

For some background info, i'm a former Recalbox dev, so i'm quite used to linux and making a friendly OS

Thats what I am saying! Some sort of repo would allow us to come together to make this even better! I don’t want to use windows again. I explored the raspberry pi and made a system that is lightweight and loads way faster than retropie. Can do the same for my arcade machine! Just need to resolve my faulty hardware. Got like 3 hours run time and I think the new mb already failed.

[Substring]

Just to motivate ves and calamity to share, here are some of the many ideas I have :

- add a new UI to gasetup that would also work with X. In fact, it's something that can handle anythin among zenity/dialog/whiptail/gtkdialog/xdialog. One code to write, works on console AND graphical output. A little less options than dialog, but hey, more user friendly, easy to maintain -> I'm already working on it
- see how one could include retroarch and use its CRT feature based on the current monitor configuration. Retroarch uses some super resolutions, which may not be th real idea behind groovy*
- ease configuration (mostly inputs configuration), ease emulators input configuration
- seems ves thought about an upgrade system but it doesn't seem implemented yet -> make the dream come true
- add some samba shares to easily upload stuff to your cab
- try to get rid of a keyboard/mouse for the whole setup

Regarding the OS and development part :
- git repositories (1 for gasetup, 1 for the build system etc ...)
- Make a build system for groovyarcade that would produce the final .iso/.img -> CI kicks in !!! -> i'm not very familiar with arch linux yet, so i'm gathering info on how to do that. Got a few leads, expereimented with one already
- why not make some AUR packages for groovymame and a 15kHz linux kernel

What I'm in deep need of is :
- kernel patches : found some 15khz patches, but they don't have the specific 31kHz parameter
- groovymame path to mame : haha kidding, got this one hopefully;)
- any patch to any other software

Hope I got you motivated !

[Doozer]

- kernel patches : found some 15khz patches, but they don't have the specific 31kHz parameter

Hi Substring,

What is exactly the 31khz parameter you are looking for?

[Substring]

- kernel patches : found some 15khz patches, but they don't have the specific 31kHz parameter

Hi Substring,

What is exactly the 31khz parameter you are looking for?

Hey Doozer,

At boot, you can select a DVI/VGA monitor at 15/25/31 kHz. Those frequencies (at least 15 and 25) need special patching to the kernel to allow low pixel clocks + new video modes + add a flag to the DRM code to tell the kernel which mode to use. The patches i have found only add the 15 and 25 kHz flags. I expected 31kHz not to need anything, but it does have a specific kernel parameter which doesn't exist by default unless I'm mistaken.

It would have been much easier to explain if i had the grub config file at hand (which I don't for now) ...

[Doozer]

Hi,

The 31KHz video mode is the default option under Linux. There is no need to provide an option to the kernel. Nevertheless, you can specify the framebuffer resolution using the vga= parameter as kernel parameter (eg vga=791)

Envoyé de mon Pixel 3 en utilisant Tapatalk

[Substring]

Reading Kernel 4.20 code for the drm mode parser https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/v4.20/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_modes.c#L1465-L1538 and the only 15kHz patch I know https://github.com/Ansa89/linux-15khz-patch/blob/master/linux.diff#L166-L177, and then reading a 31kHz kernel parameter line like

Code: [Select]

LINUX /arch/boot/x86_64/vmlinuz quiet rd.udev.log-priority=3 splash vga=0x311 video=VGA-1:640x480ey, I wonder where the y of the video parameter comes from. So the kernel is probably further patched, or its an unuseful value

[Doozer]

Indeed the 'y' is unusual.

What are you trying to acheive exactly?

I have maintained the 15kHz patch with interlace resolution fix and recent scanline position development up to kernel 5.0. My goal is to make then a available on git or Google drive as soon as the next GM development cycle is completed.

[Substring]

I'm trying to make groovyarcade open source, including how to build groovyarcade -> kernel, tools added to the base arch linux, whichever else customization. This way, people would contribute to making groovyarcade better. Any repo is just totally outdated (sourceforge, googlecode, if not others). and why make a groovyconsole.

[Doozer]

I'm trying to make groovyarcade open source, including how to build groovyarcade -> kernel, tools added to the base arch linux, whichever else customization. This way, people would contribute to making groovyarcade better. Any repo is just totally outdated (sourceforge, googlecode, if not others). and why make a groovyconsole.

Do you want to bootstrap and build with addons or do you want an Arch with Groovy dedicated repo with aur packages for automated setup/install?

Let me check if particular licensing apply to parts composing the 15kHz patch. I plan to maintain it with other patches. Defconfig is ATI oriented but can be tailored to be generic. In case GitHub is used, what mechanism (folder structure, branch , release tag...) do you suggest to retrieve correct kernel patch?

[ves]

New version GroovyArcade-Arch2019.03.09-x86_64.iso

-Delete Options-
-Wahcade.
-Rejoystick.
-Update Old

-New Options-
-Splash Orientation "vertical right, vertical left,  horizontal".
-Qjoypad  "joy2key"
-Antimicro "joy2key"
-Fix network config.
-Fix attractmode.
-Fix daemon, smb, netct etc..................
-Update working again, we can update the system Online or Local Site from Update folder.


Updated all links Gdrive and github repositories

[Substring]

Do you want to bootstrap and build with addons or do you want an Arch with Groovy dedicated repo with aur packages for automated setup/install?

Let me check if particular licensing apply to parts composing the 15kHz patch. I plan to maintain it with other patches. Defconfig is ATI oriented but can be tailored to be generic. In case GitHub is used, what mechanism (folder structure, branch , release tag...) do you suggest to retrieve correct kernel patch?

I'm more in the bootstrap mind I think, though I've not explored that path yet. Here's what I've tried with arch wiki:
- remaster the arch iso -> easy to setup, and add some more stuff, but not suitable for compiling
- archiso -> that's my next attempt

Technically speaking, I'm more of a gitlab guy because there CI is powerful. One can easuly setup a gitlab-ci worker and contribute easily to share some CPU power.

And building inside a docker container is also what I'd wish

@ves As you're the one who would be very concerned with this topic, some feedback from you would be greatly appreciated. And by the way the wiki link still points to some dead googlecode site

[keilmillerjr]

In the middle of moving and have a dead motherboard. Friendly bump because i am excited for the project and would like to know how we can handle community driven updates.

[depressd]

I'm trying to make groovyarcade open source, including how to build groovyarcade -> kernel, tools added to the base arch linux, whichever else customization. This way, people would contribute to making groovyarcade better. Any repo is just totally outdated (sourceforge, googlecode, if not others). and why make a groovyconsole.

I'm looking forward to this being available. It would be nice to customize the install and get a better understanding of the whole process.

[Substring]

@depressd @keilmillerjr thank you for your interest ! I really hope we can find a way to get in a more collaborative way for groovyarcade very soon.

[Calamity]

Hi all,

Some words regarding Groovy Arcade collaboration. First of all please be aware that I (Calamity) am not providing direct support for Groovy Arcade. I, like some others, have done a few contributions in the past, basically testing things, but it's not my project. It's Ves who has been mantaining it over the years.

I contacted Ves and talked about how to deal with potential contributors. He reminded me that some years ago he opened this git site: https://github.com/GroovyArcade, but it has not been used yet since then *

In short, he's open to other users contributing to the project, as long as the main idea behind the project is preserved: a distribution for arcade cabinets built upon the Switchres project.

All the files required by the project, like the setup menu scripts, are already available inside the live-cd. The kernel patches are in Google Drive as well. It's a matter of committing everything to github. Currently, live-cds are created manually by Ves for each release, as far as I know.

That said, it's often forgotten that usually the most efficient way of contributing is just testing the most recent release and providing sensible bug reports. The common strategy of letting others test before upgrading kills these home-made projects in the long term.

* VeS mentioned that he'd rather use gitlab than github.

[Substring]

Don't be so cautious

Despite it's probably better to open a different topic for GA dev so we don't pollute here, let me give a small insight of what i'm currently doing :
- setup some CI to build a 15kHz + groovymame + attractmode + quite a bunch of AUR packages that seem embedded in GA. That's my success of the day : it does work. Adding some packages is quite easy. I have enabled ccache, which gives a major build speed when compiling the same things over and over.
- use the CI to build the GA iso : that's the next step. Works on my pc, not in the CI yet
- deploy regular updates in the pacman way : quite easy to do, but must find a server, and make the updates part of the CI
- write documentation ...

Once i'm done with this (hopefully this should occur in the next days/weeks), i'll make the repo public and hope to get to work with Ves. I'll then focus on packing in ves' specific work on GA, and eventually make the whole gasetup thing a repo in itself for better contribution from the community. And I have a few more ideas.

Now i thought about adding retroarch, but this may be out of GA's original scope. We'll see.

And i'm a gitlab guy too ^^

[keilmillerjr]

Don't be so cautious

Despite it's probably better to open a different topic for GA dev so we don't pollute here, let me give a small insight of what i'm currently doing :
- setup some CI to build a 15kHz + groovymame + attractmode + quite a bunch of AUR packages that seem embedded in GA. That's my success of the day : it does work. Adding some packages is quite easy. I have enabled ccache, which gives a major build speed when compiling the same things over and over.
- use the CI to build the GA iso : that's the next step. Works on my pc, not in the CI yet
- deploy regular updates in the pacman way : quite easy to do, but must find a server, and make the updates part of the CI
- write documentation ...

Once i'm done with this (hopefully this should occur in the next days/weeks), i'll make the repo public and hope to get to work with Ves. I'll then focus on packing in ves' specific work on GA, and eventually make the whole gasetup thing a repo in itself for better contribution from the community. And I have a few more ideas.

Now i thought about adding retroarch, but this may be out of GA's original scope. We'll see.

And i'm a gitlab guy too ^^

Thank you! I was just discussing this with a friend of mine today. What is CI? I looked into archiso. Im only interested in mame. I see others wanting retroarch. Does it make use of switchres?

[Substring]

Thank you! I was just discussing this with a friend of mine today. What is CI? I looked into archiso. Im only interested in mame. I see others wanting retroarch. Does it make use of switchres?

CI stands for Continuous Integration. A short description would be "automatically build the project as often as possible". You can also add some coverage tests. See https://about.gitlab.com/product/continuous-integration/

Retroarch does have a switchres-like feature for a year or so. I think it's based on super resolutions rather than "perfect timings setup".

[Calamity]

Retroarch does have a switchres-like feature for a year or so. I think it's based on super resolutions rather than "perfect timings setup".

Current Alphanu's implementation is a rework from scratch. My original plan was to convert Switchres into a library, independent from GroovyMAME, so it could be merged with MAME, Mednafen, Retroarch, etc. using the same configuration and monitor preset model (crt ranges, etc.). I'll definitely be working on this at some point this year.

[Substring]

Current Alphanu's implementation is a rework from scratch. My original plan was to convert Switchres into a library, independent from GroovyMAME, so it could be merged with MAME, Mednafen, Retroarch, etc. using the same configuration and monitor preset model (crt ranges, etc.). I'll definitely be working on this at some point this year.

oh! libcrt/libswitchres is indeed a GREAT idea! will do my best to help when time comes!

[roostaar]

Hi all

Does anyone know how to have GA automatically load a mame game on startup? Say for a dedicated cabinet?

I have seen a GA machine that can do this but don't know how they did it!

Also how can I change the front end to one not listed in the gasetup menu? I would also like to be able to simply load groovymame at startup.

Thanks in advance.

 

[galaxian77]

I'd also like to know if it's possible to "auto start" a game on startup. I use the Attract Mode front end, so perhaps there will be a way to start a game from there somehow ?

Check out my GroovyArcade inspired arcade build video!

[bumbervevo]

Also how can I change the front end to one not listed in the gasetup menu? I would also like to be able to simply load groovymame at startup.

I'd also like to know how to do this. AdvMAMEPlus works fine, but all of its documentation is in Spanish... I'm also not a big Hyperspin fan, and would love to be able to use EmulationStation with GroovyArcade. However, I'm not sure where to begin looking for GroovyArcade's configuration files and such.

[roostaar]

I'd also like to know if it's possible to "auto start" a game on startup. I use the Attract Mode front end, so perhaps there will be a way to start a game from there somehow ?

Found it!

In AM - Settings - General - Startup Mode

Select 'Launch Last Game'

 

[roostaar]

Also how can I change the front end to one not listed in the gasetup menu? I would also like to be able to simply load groovymame at startup.

I'd also like to know how to do this. AdvMAMEPlus works fine, but all of its documentation is in Spanish... I'm also not a big Hyperspin fan, and would love to be able to use EmulationStation with GroovyArcade. However, I'm not sure where to begin looking for GroovyArcade's configuration files and such.

Thought I had a workaround, but not quite...

[Substring]

Also how can I change the front end to one not listed in the gasetup menu? I would also like to be able to simply load groovymame at startup.

Regarding the frontend, you need to say which one you'd wish. EmulationStation and pegasus-fe are available in AUR but :
- ES hasn't been updated for aeons, so it lacks many features you can find in Recalbox or Retropie
- Pegasus is still under development, although it's very promising and already works rather well

In any case, you'd need to configure them to look for roms in the right folders. It's not that hard to do in fact, just need to read the respective docs to understand the syntax ... Pegasus can read ES configuration files though

[roostaar]

Also how can I change the front end to one not listed in the gasetup menu? I would also like to be able to simply load groovymame at startup.

Regarding the frontend, you need to say which one you'd wish. EmulationStation and pegasus-fe are available in AUR but :
- ES hasn't been updated for aeons, so it lacks many features you can find in Recalbox or Retropie
- Pegasus is still under development, although it's very promising and already works rather well

In any case, you'd need to configure them to look for roms in the right folders. It's not that hard to do in fact, just need to read the respective docs to understand the syntax ... Pegasus can read ES configuration files though

As stated originally, the Front End I wish to use is simply the GroovyMame GUI interface.

If anyone knows how to add this as an option to the gasetup script, that would be awesome. 

[Substring]

As stated originally, the Front End I wish to use is simply the GroovyMame GUI interface.

If anyone knows how to add this as an option to the gasetup script, that would be awesome. 

Adding it to gasetup would probably be a little complicated. But doing what gasetup does is much easier. It should work (I tried it on a LCD but looks like groovymame sarted in 15kHz, so I had a nice out of range error). You could try

Code: [Select]

nano ~/.xinitrc and replace the last line (should point to advmenu or attract) with

Code: [Select]

groovymame, press CTRL+X to save. Then Just

Code: [Select]

startx or reboot

[roostaar]

As stated originally, the Front End I wish to use is simply the GroovyMame GUI interface.

If anyone knows how to add this as an option to the gasetup script, that would be awesome. 

Adding it to gasetup would probably be a little complicated. But doing what gasetup does is much easier. It should work (I tried it on a LCD but looks like groovymame sarted in 15kHz, so I had a nice out of range error). You could try

Code: [Select]

nano ~/.xinitrc and replace the last line (should point to advmenu or attract) with

Code: [Select]

groovymame, press CTRL+X to save. Then Just

Code: [Select]

startx or reboot

Dude Dude Dude Dude Dude Dude Dude!

This is EXACTLY what I wanted. Thank you very much indeed! I reckon lots of people would want to know how to use an alternative front end to the limited options listed in the gasetup script, and this is what they need to know!

So, if you want GroovyArcade to boot to a specific game, just add

Code: [Select]

groovymame *romname* to the end of the .xinitrc file in the home folder

And if you want to auto boot to a specific game (eg. Double Dragon), but fallback to the GroovyMame GUI when  you quit the game, do the following...

Code: [Select]

export PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin
xhost +
xset s noblank
xset m 5/2 0
setxkbmap uk
if [ ! -f "/home/arcade/.advance/MAME.xml" ]; then
xmessage -buttons "" -timeout 10 -center Generating Mame XML Games Database &
groovymame -listxml > ~/.advance/MAME.xml
fi
openbox --config-file ~/.config/GAop.xml &
groovymame ddragon
groovymame
This is legit awesome. Thank you so much Substring. 

[Gurudumps]

If someone does another GroovyMAME live-CD release, be sure to fix the problem with the default es keymap which is less than ideal for 99% of people. The default keymap should be the most common 'us' keymap. Currently when selecting the keyboard type from GASETUP, there is an error saying it can't find a file and the keymap stays at es, thus requiring dropping out to a command prompt and typing 'localectl set-keymap us' to fix the problem. This is required if you want to modify any of the config files otherwise you'll go crazy trying to find certain keys that have moved ;-)
It looks to be an old bug as this install guide has the same problem (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=144155.0)

[Torro14]

On the first page is a link to a tutorial for Windows Users with no experience with Linux.
The link is broken, there are no entrys in the wiki.

Can anyone give me a link with a working tutorial for Windows?

[Gurudumps]

It's not that difficult.
Google 'groovymame windows tutorial' then start reading and watching Youtube videos.....

[aj8302]

So where can I find an up to date tutorial on setting up groovy arcade? Do I still need emudrive software with groovy arcade?