The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: kldavis on October 28, 2003, 01:34:00 am
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Ok, I've tried RedHat (too bloated) and VectorLinux (install is buggy), but now can someone please tell me the best Linux distribution to use for a Mame arcade cabinet? I had been running my cabinet under Win9X (with a 'nogui' boot), but I'm switching to Linux so I can add it to my home network. Can one of you Linux gurus recommend a good Linux distribution that offers the minimal footprint necessary to run an arcade cab?
Of course, I realize I can recompile the kernel for any Linux distro and do some other "rm -rf" work to pare down any of the Linux distros to what I want, but I'd rather start with something at least *close* to what I want so as to minimize my need to read FAQs about compiling kernels and installing video drivers and such. Can someone help me out here? I'm sure I can't be the only person wondering about this issue. Thanks in advance for any help...
Kyle
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This question is better suited for the software forum.
Or you could try the gang at alt.games.mame
There are several folk that have knowledge of linux.
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Can one of you Linux gurus recommend a good Linux distribution that offers the minimal footprint necessary to run an arcade cab?
I'm not a linux guru, but I guess Debian will do the trick for you.
just do a minimal base install
check the apt documentation, and voila
my "still planning cab will run debian"
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I have had really good luck with Slackware. I've been using it for years.
In terms of a front end (since this is going into a cabinet) there are a few options available. Gamelauncher aparently will compile on Linux, but I haven't tried it. You can also run several X frontends.
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Best linux distro for MAME?
Why... that's easy. Gentoo of course. www.gentoo.org
Here's how you make it "go" :
Step 1: Install Gentoo from binary packages
Step 2: emerge mame
You're done.
There's already an ebuild package for several mame front ends (Both for Gnome and KDE) as well as XMAME, and AdvanceMAME.
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Don't use gentoo if your going to install the binary packages. use Debian.
And don't use gentoo too compile either, the improvements are negligable (you WON'T see a difference trust me).
Slackware may be nice but debian's package system macks it very convienient. install the base system, bare minimum, and then slowly apt-get each package you need. I would still recommend compiling xmame yourself for the latest version. Oh and don't run stable, use testing or unstable. the the latest stable is woefully out of date, and the current testing is starting the freeze for a new stable as we speak.
I've run Debian for years, and until recently I even had a machine that ahad run Debian for about 7 years and NEVER needed a re-install just periodic "apt-get dist-upgrades" I don't think you'll find another distro that can make that claim.
Recently I switch a machine to gentoo to see what the fuss was about. I was NOT impressed. basically it ran into upgrade troubles frequently, and coming from years of never having a problem I didn't cause on Debian was a pain, plus I benchmarked no speed improvement at all. Needless to say I am back to an all Debian man now. Thats 6 machines running debian that I maintain and use. and of course I am stilling learning better ways to do things each day :)
Of course I would definately recomend GNU/Linux for anything MAME I benchmark a 10-15% speed increase between mame and xmame on my home desktop. that makes a lot of games playable on GNU/Linux that aren't so on Windows.
just my 2 cents.
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I use redhat. It's bloated unless you know how to slim it down. I play armagetron and many other games that I find at the Linux Tome (http://happypenguin.org/). So having a distro with all the bling bling right away is nice for compiling stuff.
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Wasn't there a knoppix self boot linux CD that was optimized for mame? You don't even need a hard disk (hows that for small footprint!) Just need a machine with enough memory to boot knopix in memory with a ram drive.
If that image isn't being maintained anymore, I'm sure you could probably make a custom knoppix build for your graphics card and load mame on it.
[mod] Here is more info on KnoppixMame: http://freshmeat.net/projects/knoppixmame/ (http://freshmeat.net/projects/knoppixmame/). The homepage/download take awhile to load but looks like its still there. [/mod]
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There's advancecd too.
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There's advancecd too.
Have you tried advancecd? Its been a while since I did so maybe its been updated but at the time I thought it made mame32 look good.
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Cap'n Rotundo -
If you had all those problems you say with Gentoo, then you screwed something up.
Gentoo is just as stable as (actually, quite a bit more stable) Debian, and the package mangement system stomps all over apt-get.
Gentoo isn't for the lightweight though, you have to know what you're doing to use Gentoo properly. So definitely not the best for the linux neophyte.
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no gentoo would frequently fail on an ebuild, and then all I would have to do is run it again and it would work. when I was using it it never succeeded in ebuilding a bunch of stuff at a time, it would choke and then you'd have to run emerge again for it to succeed.
now mind you I was using "unstable" ebuilds, but seeing as I've bene running Debian Unstable for two years straight on two machines I use every day at work and only had one upgrade issue I have high standards.
and I have to beg to differ if you think emerge stomps all over apt you are clearly not very familiar with apt.
if I were concerned about compiling everything i ran I wouldn't use gentoo I'd go back to linux from scratch, hows that for a recommendation for a newbie ?
but I digress this flamewar if for another site :)
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I would pass on using Linux all together and go for FreeBSD (http://www.freebsd.org/). FreeBSD is less messy than Linux and will do the job fine.
In either Linux or FreeBSD, do not install X, but go for SVGAlib. You won't regret it. X is quite a resource hog.
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no gentoo would frequently fail on an ebuild, and then all I would have to do is run it again and it would work. when I was using it it never succeeded in ebuilding a bunch of stuff at a time, it would choke and then you'd have to run emerge again for it to succeed.
now mind you I was using "unstable" ebuilds, but seeing as I've bene running Debian Unstable for two years straight on two machines I use every day at work and only had one upgrade issue I have high standards.
and I have to beg to differ if you think emerge stomps all over apt you are clearly not very familiar with apt.
if I were concerned about compiling everything i ran I wouldn't use gentoo I'd go back to linux from scratch, hows that for a recommendation for a newbie ?
but I digress this flamewar if for another site :)
I'm not disputing you had those issues... I was trying to point out that that is not the *usual* case, and generally speaking, from what you've described, it results from misconfiguration on the user end of things, not a problem with the ebuilds.
But since you say you were using unstable ebuilds, I don't see how you can complain... they are masked (unstable) for a reason. That's like complaining that the discount wood you buy that has some water damage doesn't hold up as well as regular wood... it's kind of a "duh" scenario. If you are using unstable ebuilds, expect your system to be unstable *boggle*.
Anyway, typically speaking, there's only rare instances of ebuilds failing to build... and if you want to eschew ebuilds all together, you are free to install the binary packages, just like Debian. With Gentoo, you have the choice which way you want to go :) If you're happy with Debian, great! But don't bad mouth Gentoo because you tried to build a house of cards and it all came crashing down on you. That's your fault, not the distro's.
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I ran AdvanceCD today and I thought it was pretty cool. The download comes with a batch file to build the ISO after you put whatever snaps and roms you want in the folders.
Then you stick it in the drive and boot the machine. It finds the hardware and presents you an alphabetic list of games, with screenshots. Pressing buttons on the keyboard takes you to the games starting with that letter.
It would be super cool for MAME on someone elses machine (like the company laptop) without leaving *any* traces.
Bob
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BTW, there is no longer going to be a redhat linux by the end of this year. They are now pointing to fedora.redhat.com
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:laugh2:
I just saw this post. This is something I've been working on for a year.
Lubuntu is the best software for a Mame Cabinet.
I use AdvanceMame, AdvanceMenu and AdvanceMess. In Peppermintos, LXLE, PointLinux - the result is the same. The sound is delayed by 30 seconds. In Lubuntu, everything works perfectly.
I have Lubuntu installed on a 16gb SanDisk Usb.
1) sudo apt-get install build-essential
2) sudo apt-get install libsvga1-dev
3) sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev
Extract advancemame, advancemenu and advancemess in it's own folder. cd - change directory to each folder.
1) ./configure
2) make
3) sudo make install
After all 3 steps are performed in the last folder, run the following commands:
advmess
advmenu
Open your HOME folder, and view hidden files. You should see a folder named .advanced
In this folder is a folder named roms. Drop your roms in here.
The whole process took under 2 hours, only because it takes awhile for the system to run sudo make install.
For fun, I added a folder named MP3, added my favorite songs in here, and then edited advmenu.rc
sound_background_loop_dir /home/mame/.advance/mp3
It will play all songs in this folder in a random order. Perfect for parties, even if nobody wants to play video games.
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I've done the same with PClinuxOS lxde .
Except due to updates in GCC had to make a few changes to the make file.
I like that distro because it let's you make a liveusb of your install very easy.
I have no idea how you can get lag on different distro's.
Advmame and Mame .149 up to .153 I've compiled on a pclinuxos, slitaz, sparky Linux and crunch bang and had no issues.
Both 32 and 64 bit.
You don't need advmame .106 for a 64 but again its easier to compile than newer Mame and comes with no nag and high scores.
With advmame you do need to tell it to use SDL for sound.