emulator or game specific configuration files

[Scott Nath]

Hi all,

I’m shifting around controllers regularly and would rather change configuration files than go into each system/game and run through the settings options.

Are there config files that I can edit for each emulator? For each game?

I’ve tried the retroarch configs for MAME here for instance:

/opt/retropie/configs/mame/retroarch.cfg

but even after making in-MAME changes, that file is still empty.

I’ve checked out the emulators config area. For instance this file for Gauntlet:

/opt/retropie/emulators/mame4all-pi/cfg/gauntlet.cfg

But I don’t even recognize what those characters are when I open them in a text editor.

MAMECFG<*ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€+ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€,ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€-ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€€€ 8/99€0€:@ÿÿ€€ÿ€€1ÿÿ€0ÿÿ€/ÿÿ€.ÿÿ€€ðÿÿ€89999*ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€+ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€,ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€ÿÿ€ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€-ÿÿ€ÿÿÿÿ€ÿÿ€ÿÿ ÿÿ€@ÿÿ€€ÿÿ€€ÿÿÿ€€€ 8/99€0€:@ÿÿ€€ÿ€€1ÿÿ€0ÿÿ€/ÿÿ€.ÿÿ€€ðÿÿ€8999900 Pÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ00 Pÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ

So…is there a way to config these games and emulators in a text editor?

thanks all,
Scott

[Floob]

In RetroPie 2.4 beta, the config file is held here (for mame4all)
/opt/retropie/configs/mame4all/cfg

but this is not editable with a text editor.

To edit mame controls you do it in the GUI like this

[Scott Nath]

Thanks Floob. That’s what I’m trying to get around though – doing it in the GUI.

Is there any way to edit those files as text?

thanks,
Scott

[Floob]

As far as I know, the default and game specific controller files for mame4all-pi have to be edited via the GUI.

[mytheral]

I have somewhat of a similar problem.

I am using a wired XBOX 360 controller and I use the GUI to change the inputs as shown in the video and the changes work just fine during the game but when I escape the game and go back to Emulationstation and start a new game, the configuration is set back to default without my inputs I have just setup.

Anything I am missing?

[sncboom2k]

I had the same problem you’re having mytheral. I had to ftp in and delete the cfg folder for mame4all – then reboot my Pi and ftp in and create the cfg folder. Once I did that, I fired up MAME again and configured my controller. It has held ever since. I assume it was a folder permissions issue. See if it works for you. (But backup your cfg folder first to be safe.)

[mytheral]

Hmm I will have to try that. I haven’t used ftp with my pi but I’m sure it’s easy enough with my pi ip. I’ll let you know the results. Hopefully I can get to it tomorrow. Thank you!

[sncboom2k]

NP – Just remember to use SSH connection type on port 22. Cyberduck and FlashFXP both support this.

Good luck!

[mytheral]

Ok i was able to FTP and delete the corresponding config folders for mame and mam4all… both times it did not work. below are the screenshots and it includes my path to make sure I am in the right place.

When i deleted the folder, i did not add the contents that were in that folder into the new folder I created. was this correct?

[mytheral]

another screen shot

[brakanje]

from ssh set your root password “sudo passwd root” i think then use the root account to ftp in. you then have the ability to delete folders anywhere. another option is to use “sudo chown pi (folder name)” from the SSH client. this will give you right permissions on the file without having to delete it.

Everything I said to do from SSH can be done from terminal too. I just don’t like using terminal because my pi keyboard is a sucky portable one and doesn’t feel good to use. :P actually even the deleting could be done from terminal so yeah if you like terminal you don’t need your main pc at all.

[sncboom2k]

Brakanje is correct in you usually need root permission to delete those. Sorry I failed to mention that.

So Mytheral when you say it did not work, what exactly did not work? You were able to delete the config folders for mame (mine is only mame4all) – and then you ran mame and saved your config settings? But the next time you load it you had lost your mapping again?

[sncboom2k]

Ok I see something missing in yours that I created in mine. Open the configs folder for mame4all and create a folder in there called cfg

Then reboot your pi and try mame again – map your keys and they should stick.

Mine was lacking the cfg folder as well. It had that folder listed in your image – cfg,hi,etc….

But you need a folder named just “cfg”

Once you have that mame4all will save game info in it. Mine has a bunch in it now.

Good luck!

[Floob]

Remember that all the paths (except the main .cfg file) and folders for mame4all in RetroPie 2.4.x are in
/opt/retropie/configs/mame/

[dennis]

hi @all can someone please tell me how i can get the sd Card Image? becouse when i klick on the downloadbutton nothing happens. sorry for my bad english i am from Germany thanks

[Floob]

[quote=86213]hi @all can someone please tell me how i can get the sd Card Image? becouse when i klick on the downloadbutton nothing happens. sorry for my bad english i am from Germany thanks[/quote]

Try this link:
https://www.petrockblock.com/download/retropie-sd-card-image-v2-4-2-beta/

[mytheral]

Ahh Haa!! thank you all for your help. I was able to FTP into my config directory again and created the cfg folder sncboom2k said to make and it worked perfectly after that! My buttons are staying to what I configure them as in the GUI. Thank you all again for your help!!

I think I only have one more problem to post about (not related to input configuration) and this project of mine should be good to go!

[Author]

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