docs: one pack per platform, the complete one

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Abdessamad Derraz committed 2026-09-04 04:10:15 +02:00
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@@ -3476,26 +3476,22 @@ extract the whole archive directly. To join the parts manually instead:
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## Full pack or Platform pack?
## One pack per platform
Each platform has two pack types on the [latest release]({rel}).
The [latest release]({rel}) carries one pack for each platform, and that
pack holds everything the platform runs: the BIOS list it publishes, plus
every file its emulator cores load, read from their source code. There is no
lighter variant to choose, because a pack that leaves out a file a core needs
means a game that does not boot, with no message saying why. It is not a
guarantee either: source profiles can document files nobody has dumped or
that only the user can provide, all of them visible in the
[gap analysis](gaps.md).
**Full pack** (recommended)
Contains the platform's own BIOS list plus all files needed by each
emulator core available on that platform. This covers alternate cores,
optional firmware that improves accuracy, and edge cases. Larger download,
and the best default when storage is not constrained. It is not a guarantee:
source profiles can document missing, user-provided or unsourceable files, all
of which remain visible in the [gap analysis](gaps.md).
**Platform pack**
Contains only the files the platform officially checks for. Much smaller
download. Good for limited storage (SD cards, handhelds) or setups that
only use default cores.
When in doubt, take the full pack and verify it against the platform page.
Want less than everything? The installer takes `--target switch` to install
only what one machine's cores need. From a clone of the repository,
`python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform retroarch --region us` keeps one
BIOS per region and `--required-only` the bare minimum each core needs to
start; `--help` lists every way to build your own.
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