Retroarch addon for Openelec on MK808B+ and MXQ

[sammaz]

JoKeRz has done so much amazing work in re-compiling this addon that this is now the official release for this thread!


JoKeRz decided to make a few changes to the kodi addon and am sharing my version here. It is all based on the source addon published by Kszaq and the good information provided by sammaz, as well as the latest binary/cores from Lakka project for Odroic C1 (plus more info I found on the internet). Thanks to you all!

What is new:

• Added settings to control how kodi is handled while launching retroarch. There are two options so far: kill kodi process (default) or pause kodi process.
• Added setting to set execution permissions on the scripts an executable (so no more need to ssh into the box for doing that)
• Added a whole settings section were some parameters from retroarch.cfg can be changed via kodi UI. I added a few that seem to play a role with performance so you guys can play with those around. If you find more parameters you want me to add, post a message and I will look into doing that.
• Added a very very very simple launcher code to the addon. The main goal is for a quick way to test the addon as well as to provide folks with a non-fancy non-pretty solution to launch games. More details on how to use below. If you disable the simple launcher, opening the addon in kodi will automatically start retroarch menu.
• Made the xmb menu UI the default and copied some assets for xbm ui from Lakka project so you have nicer UI experience with some themes and logos.
• Since I plan to maintain this addon from time to time, I created a kodi repository for it. Feel free to add this repo to your libreelec/openelec kodi to keep your version up-to-date. Keep in mind this repo will have addons specifically compiled to / or compatible with Amlogic armv7 S805 devices.
• My versions of the addon have an ...-jNN ending to track my updates separate from modifications made by kszaq on his version. Hence, latest from my repository is currently version 7.0.0.2-j04.

Link to latest version of the addon in zip format:
https://github.com/JoKeRzBoX/JoKeRzB...-7.0.2-j04.zip

Link to a zip to repository where this addon will be maintained:
https://github.com/JoKeRzBoX/JoKeRzB...s805-1.0.0.zip

Source code of the addon will be maintained here: (binary and libretro cores are not there and need to be extracted from the Lakka builds):

https://github.com/JoKeRzBoX/emulator.tools.retroarch

How to use the Very Very Very Simple Game Launcher:
- Copy your roms to a location you can access from your box such as a local folder on the box. If you have a box cover or any image you ant to see for an specific rom, you can copy such in either jpg or png format to the same folder with same name as rom plus extension (.jpg or .png)
- Configure addon settings to choose what core to use and what folder to look for the rom files (can be zipped).


Thanks

kszaq, sammaz and folks from Lakka project

Please post comments. I hope I am not hijacking the original intent of this thread, sammaz, but please let me know otherwise.

Cheers!

[vn800art]

Never (quite ) played on Android, but technical difficulties intrigue me a lot! And these devices are so quick under OE, with Kszaq and Wilro builds!... I have a spare MXQ S85 red stripe and square central on/off button I will reprogram with Nand OE installation! Great work and fine people, good luck sammaz !
Alessandro

[pigbait]

Awesome work sammaz thanks for all this.

[Hercules Man]

Thanks Sammaz, I could do with a Rom Collection Browser tutorial and Advanced Launcher. At the moment I have tried genesis, snes, and mame. I had no luck with the mame from the Odroid build, I had to import mame078 which plays some roms, I have n64 emu working on all roms I have tried so far but things can slow down quite a bit causing music to speed up and slow down. I am going to keep trying to get rcb working because launching roms from a terminal all the time is a real pain.

Cheers for your help


H MAn

[sammaz]

Thanks Sammaz, I could do with a Rom Collection Browser tutorial and Advanced Launcher. At the moment I have tried genesis, snes, and mame. I had no luck with the mame from the Odroid build, I had to import mame078 which plays some roms, I have n64 emu working on all roms I have tried so far but things can slow down quite a bit causing music to speed up and slow down. I am going to keep trying to get rcb working because launching roms from a terminal all the time is a real pain.

Cheers for your help


H MAn

Agreed N64 emulation using the mupen64_plus core is too slow to be fun. I have removed it from my collection. I believe that the mame core is using the latest romset version which means it is very slow in most roms.

I have these sets working perfectly with no slow down using the RCB browser with artwork (night skin in showcase mode) :

SNES
NES
Atari2600
SegaMasterSystem
Genesis
CPS1 using fb_alpa_cps1 core
CPS2 using fb_alpa_cps2 core
old mame roms are running on the MAME core

As for tutorials..there are plenty out there that are similar to our setup but I have not found any that can be followed completely.

[Hercules Man]

Internet archive rom launcher looks interesting. Also Emulationstation. I wounder if we will get any of these working one day


H MAn

[Hercules Man]

I have just installed Internet archive rom launcher, seems to run ok. I am having a play around with it. You can get the zachmorris Repo here http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231339

I have not got any roms working with it yet, still playing. but the add on is working great with all the artwork being pulled off the internet without configuring anything.

Happy Days



H MAn

[sammaz]

I have just installed Internet archive rom launcher, seems to run ok. I am having a play around with it. You can get the zachmorris Repo here http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=231339

Happy Days



H MAn

Nice find!!!

Were you able to get it to launch roms? I have it running also and it downloads correctly but I am unable to get it to launch roms.

[Hercules Man]

Nice find!!!

Were you able to get it to launch roms? I have it running also and it downloads correctly but I am unable to get it to launch roms.

I must have edited my above post before I saw your post, anyway I have not got any roms working with it either, still playing. but the add on is working great with all the artwork being pulled off the internet without configuring anything.


Let me know if you have any luck, it must be something simple to get it going. I am running ksaq 6.90.2 Jarvis and Retroarch seems to be working fine from terminal.


H MAn

[sammaz]

Its all in the .xml files in /storage/Userdata/addon_data/plugin.program.iarl/dat_files

You can see :

        <emu_name>Internet Archive Best Of - Arcade</emu_name>
        <emu_parser>MAME_parser.xml</emu_parser>
        <emu_description>Best of Arcade</emu_description>
        <emu_category>Top 50</emu_category>
        <emu_version>20160102</emu_version>
        <emu_date>01/02/2016</emu_date>
        <emu_author>Zach_Morris</emu_author>
        <emu_homepage>http://www.no-intro.org</emu_homepage>
        <emu_baseurl>http://archive.org/download/MAME_0.151_ROMs/MAME_0.151_ROMs.zip/MAME%200.151%20ROMs%2F</emu_baseurl>
[COLOR=#FF0000][B]      <emu_launcher>external</emu_launcher>
        <emu_ext_launch_cmd>/storage/.kodi/addons/emulator.tools.retroarch/bin/retroarch.sh mame "%ROM_PATH%"</emu_ext_launch_cmd>
        <emu_downloadpath>/storage/emulators/MAME/</emu_downloadpath>[/B][/COLOR]
        <emu_postdlaction>none</emu_postdlaction>

EDIT : This is the correct syntax for the emu_ext_launch_cmd !!!!

[Hercules Man]

I wish I could fix it, maybe we could post on Kodi forum and see if anyone can help


H MAn

[sammaz]

Hercules Man

I got it all working

1. Verify your Retroarch is working correctly by launching a rom from command line.

1. Install the IARL app

2. ssh in and run these 2 commands :

chmod +x /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.program.iarl/dat_files/*.xml

[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Consolas]chmod a+rx[/FONT][/COLOR] /storage/.kodi/addons/plugin.program.iarl/resources/bin/*.sh

3. REBOOT

4. From the Kodi home screen select System>Settings>Addons>My Addons

5. You should see the Internet Archive ROM Launcher available now. Highlight the addon and bring up the context menu (right click or press C on your keyboard) and select Add-On Settings / Configure.

6. Select the External Launchers settings tab, then select the RetroArch Executable setting. Navigate to your installation of Retroarch on your computer. You can now save and close this config screen.

7. Open up the IARL addon

8. Highlight your desired archive. ex "Internet Archive Best Of - Atari 2600" ... Bring up the context menu (right click or press C on your keyboard) and select ‘Update Launcher’. Select "External"..Then press ok

9. Once again, highlight your desired archive. ex "Internet Archive Best Of - Atari 2600" ... Bring up the context menu (right click or press C on your keyboard) and select ‘Update External Launcher Command’. Select your core...for this example I select stella...Then press ok

Now we go in and edit the launch command that is saved in /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.program.iarl/dat_files/

10. edit each of the provided XML's in /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/plugin.program.iarl/dat_files/ and add the following line :

<emu_ext_launch_cmd>/storage/.kodi/addons/emulator.tools.retroarch/bin/retroarch.sh stella "%ROM_PATH%"</emu_ext_launch_cmd>


Edit : I have tested Atari 2600 using the attached Atari_2600_Bestof_ZachMorris.xml file. It will be a good example of a working IARL romset.

I will be testing all of the cores now...This is so awesome!!!!

[sammaz]

I found a version of Advanced Launcher that works on our hardware :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxdG04mQGssLdHpBTW9QR21vYnM/view?usp=sharing

[Hercules Man]

Hercules Man

I got it all working

I tried to follow this guide but I have had no luck. When I select a game I briefly see the game loading, then Kodi resets. I am using Jarvis 6.90.2. I have just reflashed back to Isengard 6.0.3.4 and will try again. Thanks for working this out.


H MAn


Update: I just tried again with Isengard and its the same. I see working spin a little, then freezes and Kodi resets.

[sammaz]

I tried to follow this guide but I have had no luck. When I select a game I briefly see the game loading, then Kodi resets. I am using Jarvis 6.90.2. I have just reflashed back to Isengard 6.0.3.4 and will try again. Thanks for working this out.


H MAn


Update: I just tried again with Isengard and its the same. I see working spin a little, then freezes and Kodi resets.

Hi Herc,

I think that the chmod commands are the most important...it was after executing them that my .xmls properly launched my retroarch.sh...Not sure but i think the basic issue is permissions for having the iarl.sh launch our retroarch.sh ...I think that it needs elevated permissions to do that.