Release PanMESS Beta

[mindlord]

PanMess - Multi Emulation Super System for the OpenPandora


Based on the AdvanceMess platform with code borrowed from mcobit,


ChangeLog:


Beta 2


* Makes use of Notaz's fabulous accelerated SDL library


* Full Screen menu, just like PanMame


* Displays all systems AdvanceMess supports that do not require any sort of bios


* Auto scaled full screen modes for all emulated platforms


* Uses OSS sound by default for best speed and compatibility


* Numerous tweaks to the default advmess.rc file to favor speed on all systems


Beta 1


* Includes Vectrex in the package as an example system.


* Just works


Known Issues:


your selection, and that's the end of the fun.


Download from the repo: http://repo.openpand...ss-advmenu-0102

 

[budweiser]

Nice Thank You

 

[mcobit]

Nice start!


Now for the polishing


If you have any questions, just ask!

 

[sparkymark79]

Mcobit, is there any way you could work with Mindlord if he is short of time because of the experience you already have?

 

[mcobit]

sparkymark, I'd love to, but I am short on time, too


I will help where I can though.

 

[mindlord]

I have mcobits source code to the changes he's made in AdvanceMAME. Most of which apply to AdvanceMESS as well. The problem is, when I'm at work I don't have a proper development environment, and I have to make the changes right on the Pandora. It's slow going, but getting done.


We are entering the "slow season" and I should be getting more free time as the summer ramps up. I might even convince them to let me bring a laptop if things slow down enough. It might help if I could stop playing video games in the evenings too. (Not likely)

 

[MooTheKow]

I have mcobits source code to the changes he's made in AdvanceMAME. Most of which apply to AdvanceMESS as well. The problem is, when I'm at work I don't have a proper development environment, and I have to make the changes right on the Pandora. It's slow going, but getting done.


We are entering the "slow season" and I should be getting more free time as the summer ramps up. I might even convince them to let me bring a laptop if things slow down enough. It might help if I could stop playing video games in the evenings too. (Not likely)

Hey mindlord - mind sharing that sourcecode for advanceMAME? I can't seem to locate it.. wanted to try using the AdvanceMenu on some other emu's.

 

[mindlord]

Hey mindlord - mind sharing that sourcecode for advanceMAME? I can't seem to locate it.. wanted to try using the AdvanceMenu on some other emu's.

mcobit occationally posts his source code in this thread. The last version he posted was for beta 8. mcobit just said he was going to post is most recent build soon. You might want to hold out for that.

 

[mindlord]

Beta 2 has been uploaded to the repo.


I tested a few more systems and found the NES emulator to run suprisingly well at 600mhz. Although the sound it a bit - off. Switching to ALSA sound in the advmess.rc file produces much better audio, but sacrifices some speed.


The vast majority of 8-bit computers I tested work full speed with good sound at 600mhz, except for (sadly) the Vectrex. I find that I have to crank that beast up to 1000mhz to get full speed with sound, and even then it drops frames.


I tested the CoCo/Dragon extensively and found it to be a most enjoyable experience. However, the CoCo3 driver squashes the screen vertically because it can't quite double the x axis on the 800x480 Pandora screen. Pity.


16-bit era devices appear to be out of reach on the Pandora with this stock AdvanceMess source. Megadrive and SNES run at about 75% speed, but it shows what kind of horsepower AdvanceMess can deliver on the Pandora.


I still haven't figured out why the file selector inside the MESS emulator wipes out the selection like it does. Apparently it's a known issue for AdvanceMess and there's a patch floating around out there somewhere. I just have to find it and apply it.


Enjoy!


Quick list of changes:


* Makes use of Notaz's fabulous accelerated SDL library


* Full Screen menu, just like PanMame


* Displays all systems AdvanceMess supports that do not require any sort of bios


* Auto scaled full screen modes for all emulated platforms and maintains the Aspect ratio very well.


* Uses OSS sound by default for best speed and compatibility


* Numerous tweaks to the default advmess.rc file to favor speed wherever possible on all systems, but can be changed in the emulator menu on a per system basis.

 

[mcobit]

Try emulation instead of internal for the resample setting in advmess.rc for better sound.

 

[mindlord]

Try emulation instead of internal for the resample setting in advmess.rc for better sound.

I already am. Thanks though.


NES emulation sounds fine with the ALSA driver. It sounds like the OSS output can't attenuate the pitch and volume of a sound after it had been created.So, picking up a coin in SMB just rings out for a whole second instead of fading away. It's odd.

 

[tuki_cat]

Hi Mindlord,


Thanks for your work on this. I had no trouble running beta 1, but I can't get beta 2 to work.


When I first run the PND it creates the panmess folder in /appdata. However, when I try to run the programme after this just won't start. I have tried to re-download it case there were any issues there but that doesn't work. I have also deleted the panmess folder in /appdata. As I say the PND re-creates the panmess folder ok, just can't get it run.


Any suggestions?

 

[mcobit]

Do you have at least one rom in the romfolder?


Else the contents of the /tmp/pndrun_panmess.out file might help

 

[tuki_cat]

Thanks, I thought that might be the issue, so i put in some .nes roms I had, but still not running.


Contents of /tmp/pndrun_panmess.out file below:


=======================================================================================


PND : /media/16GB/pandora/menu/panmess.pnd


PND_FSTYPE : Squashfs


APPDATADIR : /media/16GB/pandora/appdata/panmess


APPDD_FSTYPE : vfat


PND_CPUSPEED : <unset>


EXENAME : scripts/advmenu.sh


ARGUMENTS : <unset>


=======================================================================================


[ START ]--- Mount the PND ----------


Mounting : mount -t squashfs -o ro "/dev/loop0" "/mnt/utmp/panmess"


Mounting the Union FS : mount -t aufs -o exec,noplink,dirs="/media/16GB/pandora/appdata/panmess=rw+nolwh":"/mnt/pnd/panmess=rr" none "/mnt/utmp/panmess"


[sUCCESS]--- Mount the PND ----------


[ START ]--- Starting the application (scripts/advmenu.sh ) ----------


mkdir: cannot create directory `/mnt/utmp/panmess/.advance': File exists


./bin/advmenu: error while loading shared libraries: libdirectfb-1.4.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory


[sUCCESS]--- Starting the application (scripts/advmenu.sh ) ----------


[ START ]--- Restoring the frame buffer status ----------


[sUCCESS]--- Restoring the frame buffer status ----------


[ START ]--- uMount the PND ----------


[ START ]--- Waiting the Union to be available ----------


[sUCCESS]--- Waiting the Union to be available ----------


rmdir: failed to remove `/mnt/utmp/panmess': Device or resource busy


[ START ]--- Waiting the PND mount dir to be free ----------


[sUCCESS]--- Waiting the PND mount dir to be free ----------


cleanup done


[sUCCESS]--- uMount the PND ----------


=======================================================================================


Return code is : 3

 

[mindlord]

@Tuki_cat


What firmware version are you running?


It might be where I'm on hotfix 7 beta 1 or 2. I'll boot into 6 and see what dependencies are missing.

 

[mcobit]

It needs the community codec pack. That is a strange issue, that occured with notaz latest sdllib.

 

[mindlord]

DirectFB shouldn't have any restrictions. Maybe I'll just include it in the /kind folder for users who can't/don't use the codec pack.

 

[mcobit]

Good idea. Also see, if iconv is needed.

 

[tuki_cat]

Hi mindlord,


I'm on HF beta 2.

 

[mcobit]

tuki_cat: You saw, that you should install the community codec pack or wait for next release?


http://openpandora.org/downloads/CodecPack.pnd