Homebrew RetroArch Switch

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

What's the deal with Thumbnails? I've loaded a couple Gameboy roms and none of them show thumbnails. I updated the thumbnail database, updated the databases, assets. all that.

lordelan · Dec 20, 2018

SpartanG01 said:
What's the deal with Thumbnails? I've loaded a couple Gameboy roms and none of them show thumbnails. I updated the thumbnail database, updated the databases, assets. all that.

Then your rom names or your playlist name don't match.

What I'll write now is just one way. Of course you could use different names for anything but I recommend staying as close as possible to the Libretro naming convention.
To actually display the thumbs make sure that you

have your roms in folders according to these
for example: sd:/roms/Nintendo - Game Boy/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).zip (or .gb if you don't like them zipped)
have a playlist lpl file for your GB roms in a playlist folder named exactly like the folder containing the roms
for example: /playlists/Nintendo - Game Boy.lpl
(don't know where the playlist folder is by default, I always adjust it in RetroArch -> Settings -> Directory Settings)
have an entry for each of your GB games in that playlist, here's one example for the Turtles III rom (note that one entry always has to consist of six lines:
sd:/roms/Nintendo - Game Boy/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).zip
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA)
sd:/retroarch/cores/gambatte.nro
Game Boy (Gambatte)
DETECT
Nintendo - Game Boy.lpl
(I don't know whether the path pattern in my example is right. To be sure just look into your sd:/retroarch/history.lpl how the paths have to be after you played some games)
have a thumbnails folder somewhere (if there's none by default, create one and point to it in the above mentioned RetroArch directory settings
have a folder for Game Boy games in that thumbnails folder following the naming convention which contains the three needed sub folders for box arts, screens and titlesnaps and in each of those three have an image file for your rom(s). Here's the example for Turtles:
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Boxarts/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Snaps/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Titles/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png

That's it. Look at the example Box Art for Turtles here and/or do some further reading on how thumbnails work here.

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

lordelan said:
Then your rom names or your playlist name don't match.

What I'll write now is just one way. Of course you could use different names for anything but I recommend staying as close as possible to the Libretro naming convention.
To actually display the thumbs make sure that you

have your roms in folders according to these
for example: sd:/roms/Nintendo - Game Boy/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).zip (or .gb if you don't like them zipped)

have a playlist lpl file for your GB roms in a playlist folder named exactly like the folder containing the roms
for example: /playlists/Nintendo - Game Boy.lpl
(don't know where the playlist folder is by default, I always adjust it in RetroArch -> Settings -> Directory Settings)

have an entry for each of your GB games in that playlist, here's one example for the Turtles III rom (note that one entry always has to consist of six lines:
sd:/roms/Nintendo - Game Boy/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).zip
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA)
sd:/retroarch/cores/gambatte.nro
Game Boy (Gambatte)
DETECT
Nintendo - Game Boy.lpl
(I don't know whether the path pattern in my example is right. To be sure just look into your sd:/retroarch/history.lpl how the paths have to be after you played some games)

have a thumbnails folder somewhere (if there's none by default, create one and point to it in the above mentioned RetroArch directory settings

have a folder for Game Boy games in that thumbnails folder following the naming convention which contains the three needed sub folders for box arts, screens and titlesnaps and in each of those three have an image file for your rom(s). Here's the example for Turtles:
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Boxarts/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Snaps/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png
/thumbnails/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Titles/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - Radical Rescue (USA).png

That's it. Look at the example Box Art for Turtles here and/or do some further reading on how thumbnails work here.

My understanding was Retro Arch was supposed to make this work automatically? I'm supposed to individually download, rename, and place thumbnails for over a thousand games? (the idea is making this a sort of portable retro arcade which.. well im given to understand is the intended purpose of retro arch...

lordelan · Dec 20, 2018

SpartanG01 said:
My understanding was Retro Arch was supposed to make this work automatically? I'm supposed to individually download, rename, and place thumbnails for over a thousand games? (the idea is making this a sort of portable retro arcade which.. well im given to understand is the intended purpose of retro arch...

I've only written how to make sure that they are displayed.

Usually you get a full no-intro romset (like it's recommended by the Libretro team itself in the last link from my post above), use the built in scan feature or playlist buddy to create that playlist, use the online updater for thumbnails (or get them manually) and they should appear.
Again: Most likely your rom names are not matching the names of the image files in the thumbnails sub folders.
Most romsets you can download are already named correctly to avoid that.

Edit: If you just have something like "Turtles.gb" - how would RetroArch know which game it is and from which region (USA/EUR, as they have different box arts).

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

lordelan said:
I've only written how to make sure that they are displayed.
Usually you get a full no-intro romset (like it's recommended by the Libretro team itself in the last link from my post above), use the built in scan feature or playlist buddy to create that playlist, use the online updater for thumbnails (or get them manually) and they should appear.
Again: Most likely your rom names are not matching the names of the image files in the thumbnails sub folders.
Most romsets you can download are already named correctly to avoid that.

Ah. Gotcha. my roms are showing up as like "Pokemon - Blue Version (SGB Enhanced)" and stuff. I'll take a look at that. So I need to find a set of "no intro" roms? I think the set I have is intended for a Hyperspin system. I didn't realize the naming convention was that important.

lordelan · Dec 20, 2018

SpartanG01 said:
Ah. Gotcha. my roms are showing up as like "Pokemon - Blue Version (SGB Enhanced)" and stuff. I'll take a look at that. So I need to find a set of "no intro" roms? I think the set I have is intended for a Hyperspin system. I didn't realize the naming convention was that important.

Well at least your rom name has to match the image names.

You're Pokémon game has to have this name for example:
Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).png

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

lordelan said:
Well at least your rom name has to match the image names.
You're Pokémon game has to have this name for example:
https://github.com/libretro/libretro-thumbnails/blob/master/Nintendo - Game Boy/Named_Boxarts/Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).png

huh I'm like 90% sure that's what it says? wait. Does the physical rom need that name as the file name? Because in Retroarch it shows up as "Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced)" but that's not the file name it self. The file name on disk is "Pokemon - Blue Version"

lordelan · Dec 20, 2018

SpartanG01 said:
huh I'm like 90% sure that's what it says? wait. Does the physical rom need that name as the file name? Because in Retroarch it shows up as "Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced)" but that's not the file name it self. The file name on disk is "Pokemon - Blue Version"

I'm not completely sure about that but I'd guess you would have to name it exactly Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).gb and (if you want) put it in a zip named Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).zip

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

lordelan said:
I'm not completely sure about that but I'd guess you would have to name it exactly Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).gb and (if you want) put it in a zip named Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).zip

Is the playlist thing necessary? Today is my first day touching Retro Arch. I've been using SNES9X on 3DS. I have no idea what the playlists are or what an lpl file is. Can the generalized rom list not display thumbnails?

Edit: Nvm I figured out what that all was.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

lordelan said:
I'm not completely sure about that but I'd guess you would have to name it exactly Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).gb and (if you want) put it in a zip named Pokemon - Blue Version (USA, Europe) (SGB Enhanced).zip

Ooooh it's failing the thumbnail database update entirely.... huh. can I manually download that somewhere?

EDIT: JK Figured that out too I think. It's a shame the thumbnail database updater doesn't just work. It gets to like 10% and fails outright.

lordelan · Dec 20, 2018

SpartanG01 said:
It's a shame the thumbnail database updater doesn't just work. It gets to like 10% and fails outright.

It's too slow on the Switch anway. Downloading the thumbs manually on a PC and transfering them to the SD then is the better way.
You figured out how to do this?

SpartanG01 · Dec 20, 2018

lordelan said:
It's too slow on the Switch anway. Downloading the thumbs manually on a PC and transfering them to the SD then is the better way.
You figured out how to do this?

Yep I got everything working. Thanks for all your help

LibretroRetroArc · Dec 20, 2018

Added the px68k core for Switch, should be in next nightlies.

SmashinGit · Dec 20, 2018

LibretroRetroArc said:
Added the px68k core for Switch, should be in next nightlies.

Thanks for adding this. Any chance you could add 'Atari 8-bit computer systems and 5200 (Atari800)' core?

Spider_Man · Dec 20, 2018

is there a way to run retroarch under sx os?

each time i try i keep getting black screen

SeongGino · Dec 20, 2018

Retroboy said:
is there a way to run retroarch under sx os?

each time i try i keep getting black screen

Use FAT and Atmosphere. Those are all we officially support.

Illuminaticy · Dec 20, 2018

SeongGino said:
Use FAT and Atmosphere. Those are all we officially support.

What? No. Wrong. Dumbest comment I've read today, so far. Woks just fine on sxos

Retroboy said:
is there a way to run retroarch under sx os?

each time i try i keep getting black screen

Are you trying from the NSP? Launching from Homebrew menu? Fat32 or ExFat?

Spider_Man · Dec 20, 2018

SeongGino said:
Use FAT and Atmosphere. Those are all we officially support.

can atmos be set to boot if needed.

for example if i want to just boot sx os i can do as normal, or select to boot atmos if needed but still keep my switch running ofw unless i insert dongle

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Illuminaticy said:
What? No. Wrong. Dumbest comment I've read today, so far. Woks just find on sxos

Are you trying from the NSP? Launching from Homebrew menu? Fat32 or ExFat?

im using retroarch_switch.nro via homebrew tab in sx os and sd is fat32

SeongGino · Dec 20, 2018

Illuminaticy said:
What? No. Wrong. Dumbest comment I've read today, so far. Woks just fine on sxos

Looks like someone's late to the party. TX's homebrew support is as shoddy as it can get, so there's no guarantee it'll work for everyone as it would for Atmos, Kosmos-Atmosphere, or even ReiNX.

Illuminaticy · Dec 20, 2018

Retroboy said:
can atmos be set to boot if needed.

for example if i want to just boot sx os i can do as normal, or select to boot atmos if needed but still keep my switch running ofw unless i insert dongle

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

im using retroarch_switch.nro via homebrew tab in sx os and sd is fat32

Download the latest build https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/nintendo/switch/libnx/
The big RetroArch folder goes on root of SD.
The .nro goes into Switch/RetroArch/ (or it can just be in /switch, if you want to)

(Optional)
Install the .NSP, it's needed for N64. https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.7.5/nintendo/switch/libnx/RetroArch.nsp

If it still doesn't work we'll go deeper. There's not really a reason you'd have black screen unless something didn't install right or you're missing something.

SeongGino said:
Looks like someone's late to the party. TX's homebrew support is as shoddy as it can get, so there's no guarantee it'll work.

Yeah, it may be "shoddy" But RetroArch has worked 100% as intended on my 2 switches, and all my friends/family's, using SXOS. You're just spreading shit info because TX is controversial. It's almost always user error when it comes to RetroArch not working. Other homebrew is a different story though, I agree on that.

Spider_Man · Dec 20, 2018

Illuminaticy said:
Download the latest build https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/nintendo/switch/libnx/
The big RetroArch folder goes on root of SD.
The .nro goes into Switch/RetroArch/ (or it can just be in /switch, if you want to)

(Optional)
Install the .NSP, it's needed for N64. https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.7.5/nintendo/switch/libnx/RetroArch.nsp

If it still doesn't work we'll go deeper. There's not really a reason you'd have black screen unless something didn't install right or you're missing something.

Yeah, it may be "shoddy" But RetroArch has worked 100% as intended on my 2 switches, and all my friends/family's, using SXOS. You're just spreading shit info because TX is controversial. It's almost always user error when it comes to RetroArch not working. Other homebrew is a different story though, I agree on that.

thanks, ill wipe everything and start again, noticed i had 2 retroarch directories looking identical for some reason, one in the root and one in the switch folder.

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