GB/GBC emulation

[apersonthinks]

Open Thunar, click on File System, and see if a /tmp folder or link exists. If so click on it and you should see a pndrun_gambatte-qt.out file.

 

[Kumaki]

By the way, If I have to re-flash to this 1.52 to make this work, I'd just as soon use VBA and live with it, I'm not risking making everything ELSE not work....

Open Thunar, click on File System, and see if a /tmp folder or link exists. If so click on it and you should see a pndrun_gambatte-qt.out file.

OK...I have that file.


Now what do I do with it?

 

[apersonthinks]

Open it in a text editor (such as mousepad) and paste what is inside it in a reply to this thread.

 

[Kumaki]

Open it in a text editor (such as mousepad) and paste what is inside it in a reply to this thread.

I can't exactly do that.


I'd have to type everything in there verbatim to here.


I can't hook my pandy up to my laptop...or my desktop that I know of...


What are you looking for in the file?

 

[moxie]

I'll try to do exactly the same thing. Hold on.


EDIT This thread moves quickly. We'll see if I find anything useful before you all have figured it out

 

[apersonthinks]

Are there any error messages after the line "[ START ]--- Starting the application (./run.sh) ----------"?


The only errors that should appear are "ERROR: UpdateRect W was out of bounds"

 

[Kumaki]

I can open the file and look at it...but I have NO IDEA how to save it somewhere else so that I can get it to my laptop for you.


Like I said, I'd love to know what it is you're looking for in that file, because I am telling you this program does not work, and everything else on my Pandy works beautiful.

 

[apersonthinks]

I need the pndrun_gambatte-qt.out file. I cannot help you without that file.

 

[Kumaki]

Are there any error messages after the line "[ START ]--- Starting the application (./run.sh) ----------"?


The only errors that should appear are "ERROR: UpdateRect W was out of bounds"

Those are currently the only error messages showing.


BUT it is there 4 times.


and it is RIGHT NOW working.


It is after I try to put ROMS in the folder...or anywhere else...that it no longer works.


Right now I can open Gambatte and get the pickle launcher.

Do you want me to try putting roms in again and see if I get different error messages??


I dunno.


I mean...if it's gonna be THIS much work...my God...I have not had this much trouble from ANY PND program EVER.

 

[Kumaki]

I will type here some other stuff that might be important, but it doesn't say error...


Qt: Session management error: Authentication Rejected reason: none of the authentication protocols specified are supported and host-based authentication failed


Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display


Now, I will tell you my roms are all .gb and .gbc files.


I dunno if this makes a difference.

 

[moxie]

I think I know what the problem is. When picklelauncher starts up first time, it starts on the path "/media/PANDORA/ROMS/GBC". I assume this comes from the development environment or something. However - If you dont have this directory (as most won't, I suppose), you'll just se a "<no files detected in directory>" error.


The fix is simple - You just need to back out of the non-existing directory Press the X button (game button, not keyboard key) several times, until you're back to just "/media/". There, you'll see your SD cards, so there you can navigate to the card where the roms are, press the B button to go down the directory and continue to the roms. For me, that means I move to the "EMU" entry (since this is what my card is called), press B, move to "roms", press B, move to "gbc", press B...And at that point I have the path "/media/EMU/roms/gbc/" at the top of the screen (below the Picklelaucher header), and all my roms in the window. And when I pick one, it starts straight to fullscreen with reasonable controls.


That initial non-existing directory is something that I'd not notice, usually - I'd just back out of it instinctively - but if you're not picklelaunchersavvy it might trip you up


Now, there might of course be some other problem, and then I don't know, but this is what struck me.

 

[Kumaki]

OK...I backed out in the pickle launcher all the way to the media/cardlabek/appdata/gambatte file


Of course, there are no roms in there at the moment.


I then closed out of gambatte.


Now, when I open gambatte...the pickle launcher starts right there.


So NOW I will try to add some roms in there and see what happens.


Maybe it is because it was trying to open a non-existent file.

 

[Kumaki]

BINGO!!!


THAT solved the problem!!

 

[moxie]

Excellent!


I usually try to avoid having roms or other "user-supplied" files in the appdata folder, personally. I like to let the apps manage the appdata directories by themselves, to avoid the (however remote) possibility that I add a rom or something with a name that the app mistakes for a config file or something like that. So on my emulation SD card(s), I have a structure like this:

EMUCard

    |

    +--pandora

    |	 +--appdata

    |	 +--apps

    |	 +--desktop

    |	 +--menu	 (...and pnds in here...)

    |

    +--roms

         +--NES

         +--gba

         +--gbc

		 +--(...and so on...)

...in order to make it so that I can add and remove roms and stuff without risking upsetting the settings. But that is of course up to personal preferences


Oh, and Apersonthinks: Gambatte even plays Mario Golf and Mario Tennis. I bow my head to you, sir.

 

[Kumaki]

Here's the caveat:


If you EVER close out Pickle Launcher to that non-existent directory...and then add roms, you're screwed.


You have to do THIS n order, to make this work out.


1. Download and install Gambatte.


2. Run Gambatte one time...in order to create the appdata folder.


3. BEFORE you exit Gambatte...be sure that you point it to an existing folder...it matters not what...because this is where it will start next time you start up.


4. I set mine to start at appdata/gambatte-qt - because I was going to put the roms there.


5. NOW...you can close out Pickle Launcher, and THEN you can add your ROMS.


6. Next time you start up, Pickle Launcher will start you at the right place, and you see your roms.


7. VERY IMPORTANT....if you close out in that default folder...you have to re-open and re-set where it starts...BEFORE you add the roms, or you are screwed. Even if you then take out the roms, you're still screwed. You have to wipe the gambatte-qt folder in your appdata folder and start again...MAKING SURE that before you close out, or add any roms...you re-set so that pickle launcher first opens into an existent folder.

 

[Kumaki]

Excellent!


I usually try to avoid having roms or other "user-supplied" files in the appdata folder, personally. I like to let the apps manage the appdata directories by themselves, to avoid the (however remote) possibility that I add a rom or something with a name that the app mistakes for a config file or something like that. So on my emulation SD card(s), I have a structure like this:

[font=courier new,courier,monospace]EMUCard[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] +--pandora[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |	 +--appdata[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |	 +--apps [/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |	 +--desktop[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |	 +--menu	 (...and pnds in here...)[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] |

+--roms[/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace]	 +--NES

	 +--gba

	 +--gbc

	 +--(...and so on...)[/font]

...in order to make it so that I can add and remove roms and stuff without risking upsetting the settings. But that is of course up to personal preferences


Oh, and Apersonthinks: Gambatte even plays Mario Golf and Mario Tennis. I bow my head to you, sir.

Hummm... I guess one could structure their card that way...but that would not have solved this particular problem...because even putting the roms in their own folder under pandora on my SD card...caused the same problem with this.


You HAVE TO...I repeat HAVE TO....set that pickle launcher from the defualt start-up to a folder which ACTUALLY EXISTS....before you add any roms anywhere or you are screwed. Because then it never opens to let you change it...you get the blink and nothing...like I was getting.


ONCE you have that thing set to an existent folder...you will never have the problem again...because, after that...it's impossible to set it to a non-existent folder....unless, of course, you were to set it to a folder, and then wipe out the folder!!


I suppose...if you knew exactlyt where it was trying to open, you could make a dummy folder in that location, in order to get it to open the pickle launcher for you...to rescue yourself...and then set it where it belongs....and then wipe the dummy file....but, still...


It is very important for people to know this when setting up this newest version of Gambatte...YOU HAVE TO...set the default open to an existing folder. the default is a folder which doesn't exist in most people's pandy's...and that is what causes this problem.


I'm super-glad I got this working now...and, see...it really WASN'T my fault, or anything I really did!! and it wasn;t the fault of my Pandy.


It's a good thing we got this worked out so now other people will know about this. Unless you fix this little issue so that it starts up initially at a folder most people DO have on their pandy....for example, have the default setting be


media/pandora/appdata


and just leave it there. EVERYBODY should have that file in existence on their Pandy.

 

[Kumaki]

And thank you very much for your help...and for putting up with my frustration.


But, again...this WASN'T really anything I actually did wrong....so you could understand my frustration. I hope.


I am gonna have to note this little problem when I get around to writing a wiki on this!!


So that everyone else will be able to work out the problem!


But right now, I'm doing nothing till after U.S. Election Day...I'm a very busy person on Election Day. I'm a poll-watcher this year.

 

[sareks]

Hi, I wanted to share my experiences for GB/C Emulation so far.I have a Pandora 1GHz Edition. Feel free to respond, so we can help ppl that don't know much about it yet.


1) Gambatte - supports 800×480 resolution, option menu, save/load states, I like the sharp graphics - thx to dsleaf67 for pointing this out to me, seems like the best choice


2) Gnuboy - supports 800×480 resolution, save/load states, can config rom dir, screen size, s+l slots


3) GnGB - supports 800×480 resolution, save/load states, there is even an option menu where you can config various things


4) VBA KK - not sure how to start games on KK, nor if save/load states or 800×480 resolution is supported


5) VBA 1.7.2.1 - No 800×480 resolution nor option menu, save/load states unconfirmed


Hope this helps newbies (like me), would appreciate supporting comments. Thanks


PS: If there are more GB/C Emulators, please add them to this topic

 

[dsleaf67]

Sorry, guy, but I if you haven't tried gambatte lately, almost all your issues are fixed.


Its the one I prefer.


- It now uses pickle launcher to choose games and Esc in game gives all the menu options it needs. CTRL-Q quits emulator


- 1-9 choose save state (with preview pic) and CTRL-S / CTRL-L to save and load states (also, allows using function keys for this but I prefer the former). Also, has normal saving as well.


- Only one to play Shantae perfectly (among some others apparently that I don't recall right now).


Prior to this, I'm not sure which vba I used but it was the best (only thing it had many graphic issues with Shantae) all other things where there (ie. Full screen, saves etc.)

 

[sareks]

Thanks for the fast response. Didn't know about the menu. Is there a way to save settings, so it starts fullscreen already with the perfect pandora scaling? Thanks again