I'm sorry, New/Easy Question

[iamnaeth]

I just ordered a complete and new (.87) set of MAME roms from <link removed> .  They will arrive of DVDs sometime this week.  Now that I have a complete new set, I would like to do my best to keep up-to-date with newest version of mame and the roms.  Which leads to my question:

Can someone please give me a step by step process on how to do this?  
What are the .diff files?  
What are .dat files?  

I mean step by step as detailed as possible.  I

[iamnaeth]

Sorry, forgot to add.  I'm tired of fishing out the keyboard for the OK screens in mame.  Not the ones you can disable in the .ini files but the ones stating that the colors or sounds may not be just right.  What do I need to do for this as well?

[Lilwolf]

1) you shouldn't buy roms.  Its illegal (1) and pisses everyone off who writes free software for you to use (mame team... frontend programmers ect... basically everyone).  Why does some greesy haired twirp able to make money off Mames good name.  In his disclaimer he even talks about Never selling the roms he is selling... what a small di@k Ja&^--I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules--

2) diff files are source code changes between a major release needed to get the compile the latest build for yourself.  Get the patch app on mames site and follow the directions to compile... Or wait a day or so and you will find a bunch of builds.

[Lilwolf]

One quick note... After trashing the guy...

He is charging 29bucks for 9 DVD's... And that seems like about what cost + a bit.  So I now retract all my bitching...  

I thought it was 29bucks PER DVD and that ticked me off.  3 bucks per DVD is not making a profit...  

So sorry for the statements.

[DougHillman]

Sorry, forgot to add.  I'm tired of fishing out the keyboard for the OK screens in mame.  Not the ones you can disable in the .ini files but the ones stating that the colors or sounds may not be just right.  What do I need to do for this as well?

Waggle the P1 joystick left/right a few times.  

[iamnaeth]

I don't have my player 1 keys mapped to left and right on my cabinet.

[wj2k3]

Good, because then it would not work.   Remap your p1 left-right ( or p2, or any two buttons) to "O" and "K".   Then you just have to use the appropriate joystick/buttons to enter the necesary "OK"

Otherwise you need to hack the MAME source code and re-compile it.

Better to just re-map.

Best place I found to keep up to date on new/changed ROMS is to use the program Rom Center to manage them and the news groups to get the necessary updates.

 -wj2k3

[iamnaeth]

What exactly do the .dat files do?  Whats the advantage of using them?  Do they produce any extra information in mamewah?  why is there a cheats.dat, a highscore.date a, etc.dat haha.

[clanggedin]

Sorry, forgot to add.  I'm tired of fishing out the keyboard for the OK screens in mame.  Not the ones you can disable in the .ini files but the ones stating that the colors or sounds may not be just right.  What do I need to do for this as well?

Waggle the P1 joystick left/right a few times.  

Actually, Doug is correct. You don;t need to re-map your P1 joystick left and right to O and K. Just wiggling it will get you passed those screens.

 

[iamnaeth]

LOL, alright.  I really am less concerned about the OK screens and more concerned with how keep the collection up to date with mame and the dat files.  In addition, i thought of this a few minutes ago, how does mamewah use the dat files?

[wj2k3]

Cheat.dat info

Hiscore.dat info

[DougHillman]

Good, because then it would not work.   Remap your p1 left-right ( or p2, or any two buttons) to "O" and "K".   Then you just have to use the appropriate joystick/buttons to enter the necesary "OK"

Otherwise you need to hack the MAME source code and re-compile it.

Better to just re-map.

Best place I found to keep up to date on new/changed ROMS is to use the program Rom Center to manage them and the news groups to get the necessary updates.

 -wj2k3

Clangeddin already stated it, but I'll reiterate.  wj2k3 is incorrect here.  There's no need to remap anything.  

Default MAME mappings are left arrow & right arrow for P1 joystick left & right.  MAME is set up to accept left & right to bypass the "OK."   Just move the stick left & right a few times.  No need to type "OK" or change anything so that you're actually entering "OK".  Left/right works just fine.

Load up MAME32 or whatever and check it out on your keyboard.  When it asks for "OK" hit your left & right arrows.

There ya go.

[KHAN]

HEY boy!
               YOU ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A PUDDING.
Try to ask questions in the first post so it will be easy for
you and all of us to provide you any suitable answers.
 
Mame wah only cantains Dat files like MAME.DAT to get
a rom information of supported games which are provided in the MAME.EXE.These are related with mame.
while the other DAT files like :
HISTORY.DAT[shows history of games in mame.]
CHEAT.DAT[ require to enable cheats in mame.
HISCORE.DAT[use for hiscore information/to save hicores]