From 479ad7fd8cfd4bfb4a7a30c2d4159245164afa9c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Abdessamad Derraz <3028866+Abdess@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:07:48 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] fix: arbitrate slots for the target and source

---
 scripts/generate_pack.py |  6 ++++--
 scripts/slots.py         | 10 ++++++++--
 scripts/verify.py        |  3 ++-
 tests/test_slots.py      | 15 +++++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 29 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index 0291085a..363bbcbd 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -610,7 +610,8 @@ def generate_pack(
         validation_index = _build_validation_index(platform_profiles)
     validation_owners = destination_owners(platform_profiles)
     slot_overrides = slots.pack_overrides(
-        config, emu_profiles or {}, db, zip_contents, data_registry
+        config, emu_profiles or {}, db, zip_contents, data_registry,
+        target_cores=target_cores, source=source,
     )
 
     # Filter systems by target if specified
@@ -3437,7 +3438,8 @@ def generate_manifest(
     if data_registry is None:
         data_registry = load_data_dir_registry(platforms_dir)
     slot_overrides = slots.pack_overrides(
-        config, emu_profiles, db, zip_contents, data_registry
+        config, emu_profiles, db, zip_contents, data_registry,
+        target_cores=target_cores, source=source,
     )
 
     def manifest_destination(full_destination: str) -> str:
diff --git a/scripts/slots.py b/scripts/slots.py
index 2eacb548..4e771559 100644
--- a/scripts/slots.py
+++ b/scripts/slots.py
@@ -416,6 +416,8 @@ def pack_overrides(
     db: dict,
     zip_contents: dict | None = None,
     data_dir_registry: dict | None = None,
+    target_cores: set[str] | None = None,
+    source: str = "full",
 ) -> dict[str, str]:
     """Full pack destination -> the file a platform pack serves there instead.
 
@@ -428,10 +430,14 @@ def pack_overrides(
     """
     from common import resolve_platform_cores
 
-    if not profiles:
+    # A baseline-only pack serves what the platform declares, and a target's
+    # pack answers to the cores that hardware builds: DuckStation does not
+    # exist on any RetroArch target and still replaced its scph5000.bin.
+    if not profiles or source == "platform":
         return {}
     platform_profiles = {
-        name: profiles[name] for name in resolve_platform_cores(config, profiles)
+        name: profiles[name]
+        for name in resolve_platform_cores(config, profiles, target_cores=target_cores)
     }
     mode = config.get("verification_mode", "existence")
     overrides: dict[str, str] = {}
diff --git a/scripts/verify.py b/scripts/verify.py
index d0864c38..135f8af7 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.py
+++ b/scripts/verify.py
@@ -912,7 +912,8 @@ def verify_platform(
     slot_overrides = {
         (key[len(base_dest) + 1:] if base_dest and key.startswith(f"{base_dest}/") else key): path
         for key, path in slots.pack_overrides(
-            config, emu_profiles or {}, db, zip_contents, data_dir_registry
+            config, emu_profiles or {}, db, zip_contents, data_dir_registry,
+            target_cores=target_cores,
         ).items()
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_slots.py b/tests/test_slots.py
index e3d67bc0..d23b6d6d 100644
--- a/tests/test_slots.py
+++ b/tests/test_slots.py
@@ -715,6 +715,21 @@ class AnArchiveIsClaimedByItsMembers(unittest.TestCase):
         config["verification_mode"] = "md5"
         self.assertEqual(slots.find_conflicts(config, self.profiles, self.db, "system"), [])
 
+    def test_a_target_without_the_core_keeps_the_pin(self):
+        """DuckStation exists on no RetroArch target and still replaced the
+        scph5000.bin System.dat pins in every --target pack."""
+        config = self._config("existence", "short")
+        self.assertTrue(slots.pack_overrides(config, self.profiles, self.db))
+        self.assertEqual(
+            slots.pack_overrides(config, self.profiles, self.db, target_cores={"other"}), {}
+        )
+
+    def test_a_baseline_pack_serves_the_baseline(self):
+        config = self._config("existence", "short")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            slots.pack_overrides(config, self.profiles, self.db, source="platform"), {}
+        )
+
     def test_a_pin_holding_the_members_is_agreement(self):
         config = self._config("md5", "full")
         self.assertEqual(slots.find_conflicts(config, self.profiles, self.db, "system"), [])