Raspberry Pi 3 Booting into single rom

[philby95]

Hi All,

Here is another way to boot into a single rom on a pi. This is using retropie 4.02

Use win32diskimager to install retropie on your sd card.
Setup retropie as per normal configuring controllers and adding roms etc.

Exit emulationstation to the retropie prompt.

type sudo nano /boot/cmdline.txt

when this opens you should see one line of commands, it must stay as one line.
look for console=tty1 replace it with console=tty3
at the end of the line add, quiet loglevel=3 then add logo.nologo

control x to bring up exit hit Y then enter to overwrite

type sudo nano /boot/config.txt
scroll to bottom of file add the following lines
disable_splash=1
avoid_warnings=1

this will stop the raspberry temperture icon showing during boot.

You need to enable splashscreens.
The Splash Screen Menu can be accessed from the RetroPie Menu in EmulationStation or through the setup script under option 3.
Choose Own Splashscreen: Once you've opened up the splashscreen menu in the setup script at least once a folder will be created in /home/pi/RetroPie/splashscreens you can also access this splashscreens folder from samba shares once its created. (Note you may need to install or restart samba shares from the setup script for the splashscreens folder to show up over samba shares) Make sure you create a new folder to place your splashscreen in
I created a folder called splashscreen black and placed the png file in there.

Open the splashscreen menu, choose splashscreen you then should see your custom splashscreen folder choose the file you added as your splashscreen.

reboot and hopefully you should see no boot messages


booting into a single rom

On RetroPie 4.0 there is /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh edit it
and add as the top line
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-mame4all ~/RetroPie/roms/mame-mame4all/romname
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-libretro ~/RetroPie/roms/mame-libretro/romname

Here is a quick vid of it booting up, no boot text, straight into the rom.




cheers

Phil

[MikeAlex]

Thanks for that, I was trying to do this for a long time! Cheers!

[Slippyblade]

I'm still at a loss why you'd go through all the extra overhead of RetroPie if it's just running a single ROM.  Oh well, if it works for ya, go with it.

[philby95]

I guess because retropie makes it easy to setup and configure controllers etc.

[jamesjones626]

I'm still at a loss why you'd go through all the extra overhead of RetroPie if it's just running a single ROM.  Oh well, if it works for ya, go with it.

Sometimes you just care about one game so why go through the trouble of going through the menu.

[nordemoniac]

I'm still at a loss why you'd go through all the extra overhead of RetroPie if it's just running a single ROM.  Oh well, if it works for ya, go with it.

Sometimes you just care about one game so why go through the trouble of going through the menu.

I guess the question was -> Why not start directly to the emulator with the one ROM instead of running RetroPie at all.

[thestobbster]

In my case it was easy to use a pre-built image. I set it up to how I wanted it to work. Floob had an image that already had Attract Mode already setup. I started with his. My outlook is why re-invent the wheel. All I did was setup my controls, deleted the retro-pie splash, added my own startup video and loaded my roms. It was easy.

Then I just made an image of my install. Now if I build another Cab I just clone my image and it just works.

I even went to the extent of putting my pre-built image up for others to try out.

All they need to do is buy the same usb controller off Amazon for $12 and flash my image. It's like Linux Distros... You download it, install it, and see if it works for you. If it does you keep it and use it.

USB Controller  -  https://www.amazon.com/Reyann-Arcade-Encoder-Joystick-Fighting/dp/B00UUROWWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476571199&sr=8-1&keywords=reyann+zero+delay+arcade+usb+encoder

Image -    http://stobbs.us/rpi/stobbster_pi_alpha_release.zip

[shrunkenmaster]

Image -    http://stobbs.us/rpi/stobbster_pi_alpha_release.zip

Have you got a working link?

[1500points]

Phil!!!!  Thank you for this!  It works.  I had asked at multiple places about this topic and no one had a clue.  Google doesn't find this thread for some reason.

I updated your instructions a bit to match what I just had to do from Retropie 4.2........

Updated for Retropie 4.2 release from March 2017

Here is another way to boot into a single rom on a pi.

1- Use win32diskimager to install retropie on your sd card.
1a- Setup retropie as per normal configuring controllers and adding roms etc.

2- Start Retropie to load Emulation Station, hit F4 to exit to the retropie command prompt.

3- Type> sudo nano /boot/cmdline.txt
3a- Note- When this opens you should see one line of commands, it must stay as one line.
3b- Look for console=tty1 replace it with> console=tty3
3c- Confirm you have this toward the end of the line> quiet loglevel=3
3d- Add to the end of the line> logo.nologo
3e- Hit Control X to bring up the Save command
3f- Hit Y then hit Enter to overwrite the file

4- Type> sudo nano /boot/config.txt
4a- Scroll to bottom of file add the following lines>
    disable_splash=1
    avoid_warnings=1
4b- Note- this will stop the raspberry temperture icon showing during boot.

5- Enable splashscreens
5a- Note- The Splash Screen Menu can be accessed from the RetroPie Menu in EmulationStation or through the setup script under option 3.
5b- Navigate to Retropie Menu in EmulationStation
5c- Choose Splashscreens
5d- Use WinSCP from your computer to put a .png image of the desired game in the /home/pi/RetroPie/splashscreens
5e- Select Own Splashscreen in the menu
5f- You should then see your custom splashscreen folder, choose the file you added as your splashscreen.
5g- Reboot and hopefully you should see no boot messages


6- Setup Booting into a Single Rom
6a- Optional methods- Login to the Pi using Putty from your computer or F4 from the Retropie menu
6b- Type> sudo nano /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh
6c- Add as the top line>
       /opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-mame4all ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip
6d- Optional- If you want to boot into a game running MAME2016 instead.  Make sure that lr-mame2016 is the only "lr-" version of mame installed on the pi.
Use this as the top line>
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-libretro ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip

Here is a quick vid of it booting up, no boot text, straight into the rom.

[1500points]

I guess because retropie makes it easy to setup and configure controllers etc.

I have a question about the autostart.sh.

update- figured out a workaround. just make sure mame2016 is the only lr- version of mame on the pi and this line works for booting to a mame2016 emulation of the desired game.

6d- Optional- If you want to boot into a game running MAME2016 instead.  Make sure that lr-mame2016 is the only "lr-" version of mame installed on the pi.
Use this as the top line>
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-libretro ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip

[mahuti]

You might be able to do this instead:

Code: [Select]

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 1 "/home/pi/RetroPie/emulators/some_emu_folder/some_emu ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip"

[1500points]

do you know how to boot directly to a daphne game like dragon's lair?

I tried the obvious-
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ daphne ~/RetroPie/roms/daphne/roms/lair.zip

It boots to a daphne message about unable to find lair.zip lair.txt rather than starting the game, so my guess must be off the mark.

I already confirmed DL will load directly from Daphne in the emulation station menu.

Thank you.

[mahuti]

I haven't tried, but you might try calling the emulator specifically like I mentioned in the previous post, but instead of ~/RetroPie, use the full path: /home/pi/RetroPie...

I dunno...

[philby95]

Phil!!!!  Thank you for this!  It works.  I had asked at multiple places about this topic and no one had a clue.  Google doesn't find this thread for some reason.

I updated your instructions a bit to match what I just had to do from Retropie 4.2........

Updated for Retropie 4.2 release from March 2017

Here is another way to boot into a single rom on a pi.

1- Use win32diskimager to install retropie on your sd card.
1a- Setup retropie as per normal configuring controllers and adding roms etc.

2- Start Retropie to load Emulation Station, hit F4 to exit to the retropie command prompt.

3- Type> sudo nano /boot/cmdline.txt
3a- Note- When this opens you should see one line of commands, it must stay as one line.
3b- Look for console=tty1 replace it with> console=tty3
3c- Confirm you have this toward the end of the line> quiet loglevel=3
3d- Add to the end of the line> logo.nologo
3e- Hit Control X to bring up the Save command
3f- Hit Y then hit Enter to overwrite the file

4- Type> sudo nano /boot/config.txt
4a- Scroll to bottom of file add the following lines>
    disable_splash=1
    avoid_warnings=1
4b- Note- this will stop the raspberry temperture icon showing during boot.

5- Enable splashscreens
5a- Note- The Splash Screen Menu can be accessed from the RetroPie Menu in EmulationStation or through the setup script under option 3.
5b- Navigate to Retropie Menu in EmulationStation
5c- Choose Splashscreens
5d- Use WinSCP from your computer to put a .png image of the desired game in the /home/pi/RetroPie/splashscreens
5e- Select Own Splashscreen in the menu
5f- You should then see your custom splashscreen folder, choose the file you added as your splashscreen.
5g- Reboot and hopefully you should see no boot messages


6- Setup Booting into a Single Rom
6a- Optional methods- Login to the Pi using Putty from your computer or F4 from the Retropie menu
6b- Type> sudo nano /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh
6c- Add as the top line>
       /opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-mame4all ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip
6d- Optional- If you want to boot into a game running MAME2016 instead.  Make sure that lr-mame2016 is the only "lr-" version of mame installed on the pi.
Use this as the top line>
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ mame-libretro ~/RetroPie/roms/arcade/romname.zip

Here is a quick vid of it booting up, no boot text, straight into the rom.

Glad this helped you out. Thanks for updating it for 4.2 appreciate it.

cheers

Phil

[1500points]

I haven't tried, but you might try calling the emulator specifically like I mentioned in the previous post, but instead of ~/RetroPie, use the full path: /home/pi/RetroPie...

I dunno...

I know from the lair error message that retropie is at least hitting daphne.  The lair.zip must not be the correct file to call.

I asked how the arpicade does it and got this.  So i will poke around on that image and see if it sheds any light but first I have to figure out how to turn on wifi so i can ssh with putty and see the files.....always a detail missing with raspberry pi projects. 

--------
if you use ARpiCADE you could make it boot to Dragons Lair by editing /boot/run.sh The command to run dragons lair would be:

/boot/launchers/daphne.sh lair >/dev/null 2>&1

put it just after the now loading message (the >/dev/null bit is just silencing the console output), if you leave either attract-mode or advmenu on a line later than the daphne one exiting daphne will make the menu load.



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[rablack97]

let me know if you get this working for you.  im looking to build a micro DL and have a working image that silently boots into the game no issues.

[KingofMetal79]

Good evening!
Further to the topic above I am trying to launch into a neo geo game and I'd imagine I could follow a similar formula using FBA but cant seem to get it to work. I suspect the middle section in bold below is whats causing the problems...any idea how i need to update it to get Final Burn Alpha to work? Any guidance/advice is greatly appreciated

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ fba-libretro ~/RetroPie/roms/neogeo/wjammers.zip

[KingofMetal79]

EVening!
After some messing around i discovered by simply replacing fba-libretro with fba it works! I'm guessing now this formula can be applied to most emulators in Emuation Station! Yay!

[1500points]

EVening!
After some messing around i discovered by simply replacing fba-libretro with fba it works! I'm guessing now this formula can be applied to most emulators in Emuation Station! Yay!

good work.
I haven't heard anything more about Dragon's Lair.
Had to rebuild my main image and haven't revisited toying with it.

[KingofMetal79]

I'll have a play around with it this weekend as Im keen to see if I can get it to boot to DL. I will let you know if I have any joy! 

[nhenry1647]

Great instructions but I find when I exit out of the auto loaded mame game to emulation station my keyboard controls don't work for other mame games.  I think because the system is waiting for a pi login?  Anyone else seen this?  I have been fighting with this for a long time and I'm not so savvy with linux systems to figure it out.  Help!

[ark_ader]

I got DL working finally, but my sdcard must be the bottleneck as the whole game is out of sync or lagging.  I changed the mpeg2 file to mpeg1.  Its about 200mb now and it works fine.  Gets pixally in places but it works, did it to all of them and now badlands works, and sdq doesn't wig out anymore.  You have to reparse each file by deleting the dat file.

[KingofMetal79]

Cool!
So can you just confirm what command/pathway you put in the "autostart.sh" file to get Daphne (DL etc) to work? 

Many thanks

[1500points]

I got DL working finally, but my sdcard must be the bottleneck as the whole game is out of sync or lagging.  I changed the mpeg2 file to mpeg1.  Its about 200mb now and it works fine.  Gets pixally in places but it works, did it to all of them and now badlands works, and sdq doesn't wig out anymore.  You have to reparse each file by deleting the dat file.

Yah how did you accomplish this .  Specifically?  Please and thank you


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[KingofMetal79]

*BUMP*

 

[1500points]

I can't seem to get this to work right using Advance MAME.
It will boot to the rom in advance mame no problem.
But then after a few seconds it comes up with a dos screen and some error text.  I didn't write it down.
I've had this happen on two different images with two different game titles.

[rablack97]

Been awhile, but i also have this working with dragons lair, its a silent boot to the game with a splash screen.

[KingofMetal79]

Cool! Did you achieve it using the method stated above? And if so, do you mind listing the command/pathway? Many thanks

[rablack97]

yeah same method

this needs to go in your autostart.sh

clear
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ daphne ~/RetroPie/roms/daphne/dle21.zip
emulationstation #auto

Zipped roms go here, I can't remember why, but i had to create a roms folder inside of the daphne folder which contains the dle21.zip, even though the command above does not reflect the additional roms folder.

\\RETROPIE\roms\daphne\roms

[1500points]

Finally got back to setting up a Dragon's Lair image.

Your info above did NOT work.

at the command prompt-
sudo nano /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh

Replaced the contents of the file with-
clear
/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ daphne ~/RetroPie/roms/daphne/lair.zip
emulationstation #auto

saved and exited the text editor.

NOTE- I did have to set the splashscreen to disabled in the retropie menu otherwise it came up with the same black screen message like advancemame does when setting up single boot.

When the system starts up it will attempt to launch dragon's lair in daphne then comes up with a daphne error stating-
Could not open frame file: /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/daphne/lair.zip/lair.txt

I found a lair.txt in the lair.daphne folder so I put it inside the lair.zip.
Still the same error when it attempts to boot up directly.

NOTE- Dragon's Lair IS running properly when it boots from the Retropie menu.
I am using the "ComicBook" theme which is actually quite cool, just learned of it today.

[RIJOSROBERTO]

hello hops all is well I have a questions how can I get it to boot into a favorites list ??I know that you can do it thru the emustation settings but is there a way to make it stay there that way you cant accidently back out and end up in the from menue , I also have to figure out how to make the picture fit the screen , iam trying to build a cocktail  iam using mame-advmame
can any one help I would truly appreciate it thanks ,

[DJ Tidalwave]

I am a noob as far as the Pi goes.  I have been doing cabs with 60-1 and 19-1 jamma boards, and a few ELF boards for several years and have always been anti-mame, but I wnat to build 2 single game cabs.  I downloaded all the parts, unpacked in to a file and used etcher to burn to a 16gb card ( it wont fit on any of my 8 cards) but it will not boot. It starts, red pi light on, green one flashes a lot, screen goes black but nothing after that. Pi 2, Pi 3, I trued 4 working Pi's and can not get it to boot.  All I want to do is make a tron cab and a Ninja Turtles cab. Thanks for any help.

[barrymossel]

I am a noob as far as the Pi goes.  I have been doing cabs with 60-1 and 19-1 jamma boards, and a few ELF boards for several years and have always been anti-mame, but I wnat to build 2 single game cabs.  I downloaded all the parts, unpacked in to a file and used etcher to burn to a 16gb card ( it wont fit on any of my 8 cards) but it will not boot. It starts, red pi light on, green one flashes a lot, screen goes black but nothing after that. Pi 2, Pi 3, I trued 4 working Pi's and can not get it to boot.  All I want to do is make a tron cab and a Ninja Turtles cab. Thanks for any help.

If Retropie doesn't fit on a 8GB SD card, there's something wrong with your image. Just download it from here: https://retropie.org.uk/download/ and make sure you get the right one.

[Azurden]

I assume it is possible to load a single from from something other than MAME?  Would like to do a MegaDrive rom I have.  What would that look like?

Here is what I have tried to no avail...


/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ megadrive ~/RetroPie/roms/megadrive/FixItFelixJr

It will show "Launching FixItFelixJr" and "Press any key to configure"

But after that just goes to the retropi prompt and does not load.  Game rom works fine when I launch from RetroPi itself manually.

[DJ Tidalwave]

I am really lost on the pi stuff, I am looking for someone that could make me a  image custom-configured for TRON, (PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE THE ROM) This would be for use with a IPAC-2 ( I can run the spinner and joystick on that)  I learn best by reverse engineering , and I want to make this work and learn from it as well. Thanks in advance!

[iyouwas]

Hello,
I know this is an old post,
But rather than try to start a new one I'd figure I'd try this way first.

I am running a Raspberry Pi 3b+ and want it to load just one NES ROM from start up.

Can someone help?
I'm very new to Raspberry Pi programming, and if someone has ALOT of patience to help me and walk me thru it, I'd be so appreciative!
Gladly throw ya a couple bucks to make this idea a reality. 
Thanks in advance for any help!

Tom