fix: clone resolution in common.py, move clone map to root

moved _mame_clones.json out of bios/ (was indexed by generate_db.py
as BIOS file). clone resolution now in common.py resolve_local_file
so all tools (verify, pack, cross_reference) resolve clones
transparently. removed duplicate clone code from generate_pack.py.
added error handling on os.remove in dedup.py. consistency check
now passes for Batocera/EmuDeck/Lakka/RetroArch (4/6 platforms).

database.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
-  "generated_at": "2026-03-24T20:29:18Z",
+  "generated_at": "2026-03-24T20:51:56Z",
-  "total_files": 6734,
+  "total_files": 6733,
-  "total_size": 5288666957,
+  "total_size": 5288644732,
   "files": {
     "520d3d1b5897800af47f92efd2444a26b7a7dead": {
       "path": "bios/3DO Company/3DO/3do_arcade_saot.bin",
@@ -67323,16 +67323,6 @@
       "crc32": "0a4e2e07",
       "adler32": "4d032232"
     },
-    "065c00ac8244d46e75448f667bbdfcf64dfc37c4": {
-      "path": "bios/_mame_clones.json",
-      "name": "_mame_clones.json",
-      "size": 22225,
-      "sha1": "065c00ac8244d46e75448f667bbdfcf64dfc37c4",
-      "md5": "178e3d546f24924ccf71160799a09bc4",
-      "sha256": "098e8ee3af19d9c290a082a03b923f25b0c333b52c689a99ac75cee69f569af3",
-      "crc32": "834c7566",
-      "adler32": "12de26b9"
-    },
     "ecfc092fe6371dbf38e238a8ba5f90785b5db52d": {
       "path": "bios/xrick/data.zip",
       "name": "data.zip",
@@ -74078,7 +74068,6 @@
       "6f68e4baf89c8ee4623c19617319184b": "cee76080884af97c20059da0eb1ca956a835f3d0",
       "2010e5b85f9e1d60685ccb3d84a17115": "c7cc306fb921754ba00794153292d533cf0765ef",
       "39e5bc84ce9aac3a2d297d8aeb2a0d05": "22bcfeb5b6c6481569b90db96aa3f4b5f06c8848",
-      "178e3d546f24924ccf71160799a09bc4": "065c00ac8244d46e75448f667bbdfcf64dfc37c4",
       "a471e64e9f69afbe59c10cc94ed1b184": "ecfc092fe6371dbf38e238a8ba5f90785b5db52d"
     },
     "by_name": {
@@ -92631,9 +92620,6 @@
       "default.sf2": [
         "22bcfeb5b6c6481569b90db96aa3f4b5f06c8848"
       ],
-      "_mame_clones.json": [
-        "065c00ac8244d46e75448f667bbdfcf64dfc37c4"
-      ],
       "data.zip": [
         "ecfc092fe6371dbf38e238a8ba5f90785b5db52d"
       ],
@@ -102100,7 +102086,6 @@
       "8419990c": "cee76080884af97c20059da0eb1ca956a835f3d0",
       "3cacb086": "c7cc306fb921754ba00794153292d533cf0765ef",
       "0a4e2e07": "22bcfeb5b6c6481569b90db96aa3f4b5f06c8848",
-      "834c7566": "065c00ac8244d46e75448f667bbdfcf64dfc37c4",
       "74b76447": "ecfc092fe6371dbf38e238a8ba5f90785b5db52d"
     },
     "by_path_suffix": {

scripts/common.py

@@ -292,9 +292,38 @@ def resolve_local_file(
                     if os.path.exists(path):
                         return path, "zip_exact"
 
+    # MAME clone fallback: if a file was deduped, resolve via canonical
+    clone_map = _get_mame_clone_map()
+    canonical = clone_map.get(name)
+    if canonical and canonical != name:
+        canonical_entry = {"name": canonical}
+        result = resolve_local_file(canonical_entry, db, zip_contents, dest_hint)
+        if result[0]:
+            return result[0], "mame_clone"
+
     return None, "not_found"
 
 
+def _get_mame_clone_map() -> dict[str, str]:
+    """Load and cache the MAME clone map (clone_name -> canonical_name)."""
+    if not hasattr(_get_mame_clone_map, "_cache"):
+        clone_path = os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))),
+            "_mame_clones.json",
+        )
+        if os.path.exists(clone_path):
+            import json as _json
+            with open(clone_path) as f:
+                data = _json.load(f)
+            _get_mame_clone_map._cache = {}
+            for canonical, info in data.items():
+                for clone in info.get("clones", []):
+                    _get_mame_clone_map._cache[clone] = canonical
+        else:
+            _get_mame_clone_map._cache = {}
+    return _get_mame_clone_map._cache
+
+
 def check_inside_zip(container: str, file_name: str, expected_md5: str) -> str:
     """Check a ROM inside a ZIP — replicates Batocera checkInsideZip().
 

scripts/dedup.py

@@ -170,7 +170,11 @@ def deduplicate(bios_dir: str, dry_run: bool = False) -> dict:
             if dry_run:
                 print(f"  WOULD REMOVE: {dup}")
             else:
+                try:
                     os.remove(dup)
+                except OSError as e:
+                    print(f"  WARNING: cannot remove {dup}: {e}")
+                    continue
                 # Clean up empty .variants/ directories
                 parent = os.path.dirname(dup)
                 if os.path.basename(parent) == ".variants" and not os.listdir(parent):
@@ -204,7 +208,7 @@ def deduplicate(bios_dir: str, dry_run: bool = False) -> dict:
 
     # Write MAME clone mapping
     if mame_clones:
-        clone_path = os.path.join(bios_dir, "_mame_clones.json")
+        clone_path = "_mame_clones.json"
         if dry_run:
             print(f"\nWould write MAME clone map: {clone_path}")
             print(f"  {len(mame_clones)} canonical ZIPs with "

scripts/generate_pack.py

@@ -100,31 +100,6 @@ def _sanitize_path(raw: str) -> str:
     return "/".join(parts)
 
 
-def _load_mame_clones(bios_dir: str) -> dict[str, str]:
-    """Load MAME clone mapping: clone_name -> canonical_name."""
-    clone_path = os.path.join(bios_dir, "_mame_clones.json")
-    if not os.path.exists(clone_path):
-        return {}
-    with open(clone_path) as f:
-        data = json.load(f)
-    # Invert: clone_name -> canonical_name
-    result = {}
-    for canonical, info in data.items():
-        for clone in info.get("clones", []):
-            result[clone] = canonical
-    return result
-
-
-_MAME_CLONE_MAP: dict[str, str] | None = None
-
-
-def _get_mame_clone_map(bios_dir: str) -> dict[str, str]:
-    global _MAME_CLONE_MAP
-    if _MAME_CLONE_MAP is None:
-        _MAME_CLONE_MAP = _load_mame_clones(bios_dir)
-    return _MAME_CLONE_MAP
-
-
 def resolve_file(file_entry: dict, db: dict, bios_dir: str,
                   zip_contents: dict | None = None,
                   dest_hint: str = "") -> tuple[str | None, str]:
@@ -145,17 +120,8 @@ def resolve_file(file_entry: dict, db: dict, bios_dir: str,
     if path:
         return path, status
 
-    # MAME clone fallback: if the file was deduped, resolve via canonical
-    name = file_entry.get("name", "")
-    clone_map = _get_mame_clone_map(bios_dir)
-    canonical = clone_map.get(name)
-    if canonical:
-        canonical_entry = {"name": canonical}
-        cpath, cstatus = resolve_local_file(canonical_entry, db, zip_contents)
-        if cpath:
-            return cpath, "mame_clone"
-
     # Last resort: large files from GitHub release assets
+    name = file_entry.get("name", "")
     sha1 = file_entry.get("sha1")
     md5_raw = file_entry.get("md5", "")
     md5_list = [m.strip().lower() for m in md5_raw.split(",") if m.strip()] if md5_raw else []