From f6ab47a330a62376cb3b85a8ecd8869fa9a1d8ed Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Abdessamad Derraz <3028866+Abdess@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:34:48 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: answer arcade, offline and keys in the faq --- wiki/faq.md | 98 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------------ 1 file changed, 53 insertions(+), 45 deletions(-) diff --git a/wiki/faq.md b/wiki/faq.md index 0499bf38..3ae3cd47 100644 --- a/wiki/faq.md +++ b/wiki/faq.md @@ -7,74 +7,78 @@ order: 50 ## Do I need BIOS files? -For many consoles, yes: PlayStation 1 and 2, Saturn, Dreamcast, Neo Geo and -many home computers. For NES or Super Nintendo cartridges, usually not. +- **Yes** for PlayStation 1 and 2, Saturn and Neo Geo. +- **Better with it** for Dreamcast: some games need it. +- **Usually not** for NES or Super Nintendo cartridges. + [What is a BIOS?](what-are-bios-files.md) ## How do I know which BIOS I need? -Run the command with `--dry-run`. It lists what it would install and changes -nothing. +Run the command with `--dry-run`. It lists the files and changes nothing. ```sh curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --dry-run ``` -Your setup's page lists every file. - ## Do I need every file of a console? -No. A console often has one BIOS per region. The ZIP holds them all. To keep -only yours, add your region, like `--region us`. +No. A console often has one BIOS per region. To keep only yours, add your +region, like `--region us`. + +## Does the BIOS set the game's language? + +Rarely. It comes from the game. Some games follow the console's setting, like +Flycast's **Language** option. ## Zip or unzip? { #zip-or-unzip } -Unzip the ZIP you downloaded once, into the folder your setup's page names. -Leave the ZIP files inside it as they are, like `neogeo.zip`. Arcade emulators -read them zipped. +Unzip the ZIP you downloaded into the folder your setup's page names. Leave +the ZIPs inside as they are, like `neogeo.zip`. ## Does a BIOS work on every setup? -The same file usually works everywhere. Some setups also check the version and -report one they do not expect. Arcade files like `neogeo.zip` change with the -emulator. The command installs the version your setup expects. +Usually. The command installs the version each setup expects, like its +`neogeo.zip`. + +## My arcade game does not start + +The game set must match the emulator's version, and `neogeo.zip` stays zipped. +Reference: [Which version each emulator reads](technical-faq.md#which-mame-version-do-the-arcade-bios-sets-match). + +## Keys, firmware or BIOS? + +- **BIOS** or **firmware**: the console's own program, like `scph5501.bin`. +- Some newer consoles need a system update, like `PS3UPDAT.PUP`, installed from the + emulator's menu. +- **Keys** unlock encrypted games, like `prod.keys` for Switch. ## Can I play without the BIOS? -Sometimes. Some emulators carry a stand-in for it. Some games then glitch or -do not start. +Sometimes. Some emulators carry a stand-in, and some games then fail. ## Is the command safe? { #is-piping-the-installer-into-a-shell-safe } -- It checks the installer's fingerprint first. If it does not match its expected - fingerprint, it stops. -- It checks each file before saving it. -- It writes in your BIOS folder. For some emulators it also adds files to your - save folder. +- It checks the installer's fingerprint, then each file before saving it. +- It writes in your BIOS folder, and for some emulators in your save folder. - It never changes or deletes a game or a save. -- It keeps any file it replaces in a `retrobios-backup` folder, next to your - BIOS folder. `--restore` puts it back - ([details](installer.md#files-you-already-had)). +- It keeps any file it replaces in `retrobios-backup`, next to your BIOS + folder. `--restore` puts it back. -Read the script first: [install.sh](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.sh), -[install.ps1](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.ps1) and +Read them first: [install.sh](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.sh), +[install.ps1](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.ps1), [install.py](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.py). -Details: [How the installer checks itself](installer.md#what-the-bootstrap-does). +[How the installer checks itself](installer.md#what-the-bootstrap-does). ## Windows or my antivirus blocks the command -Download the ZIP of your setup instead, from [Get your files](../which-pack.md). -It holds the same files. - -## Can I run it again? - -Yes, to update. It downloads only what is missing or wrong. +Download your setup's ZIP from [Get your files](../which-pack.md) instead. ## Fill an SD card from a computer? -Yes. Name your setup and the BIOS folder on the card. On Windows, `E:` stands -for the card. +Yes. Name your setup and the BIOS folder on the card. For RetroArch on a Switch +card in drive `E:`: ```sh @@ -82,24 +86,28 @@ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh \ | sh -s -- --platform retroarch --dest /path/to/sdcard/retroarch/cores/system ``` +## No internet on the device? + +Unzip your setup's ZIP into the folder its page names. To check each file, use +`--from-pack`: [Without a network](installer.md#without-a-network-offline-install). + +## My setup is not in the list + +- Name your emulator's BIOS folder with `--dest`. +- ES-DE, LaunchBox: the command fills the folders of the emulators they start. +- iPhone, iPad: no terminal. Use the ZIP. + ## Why is a file missing from the ZIP? -Some files come with the emulator. The ZIP leaves those out. - -## Required or optional? - -- **Required:** the emulator does not start games without it. -- **Optional:** games start, with small differences, like no start-up screen. +Some come with the emulator, so the ZIP leaves them out. ## My game shows a black screen -Most of the time, a BIOS file is missing or is the wrong version. -[When a game does not start](troubleshooting.md) shows how to check. +A BIOS file is often missing: [When a game does not start](troubleshooting.md). ## Is this legal? -Laws differ by country, and nothing here is legal advice. Details, and how to -ask for a file to be removed: [Is it legal?](legal.md) +Laws differ by country. [Is it legal?](legal.md) ## Next steps