Files
libretro/wiki/troubleshooting.md
T
Abdessamad Derraz 123d698e43 feat: build the site with Astro Starlight
generate_site.py writes the Starlight project in website/ and nothing
else: mkdocs.yml, the MkDocs hooks, theme overrides and stylesheet go,
and the wiki is written in Starlight's syntax. Both workflows set up
Node with the official actions/setup-node pinned by commit, run npm ci
from the committed lockfile, build with the strict link validator and
check the result with validate_site.py.

The search weighs a page by what it answers: Start here pages first,
a system page's cards and file names before a guide citing them, deep
guides, launchers, aliases and frozen copies after. Status badges,
hash blocks and the export change lists leave the index. The ranking
sits at the centre of a range where the 13 queries of search_gate.py
all answer, in the search box itself.

839 pages, every URL and 45,611 ids match the MkDocs build. The tests
read the Starlight content and syntax.
2026-10-22 18:47:22 +02:00

2.7 KiB

level, order
level order
start 40

When a game does not start

Most of the time, a BIOS file is missing or is the wrong version. Three checks find it.

1. Check your BIOS folder

Run the command with --check. It changes nothing.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --check

Read the count line:

  1/109 present (0 verified, 1 wrong hash)
  • wrong hash: a file is there, but its contents are wrong. It may be for another region or model, or damaged.
  • Fewer present than the total: some files are missing.
  • 0 wrong hash and all present: your files are fine. Go to step 3.

2. Fix the files

Run the same command without --check. It adds the missing files and replaces the wrong ones. It keeps the old ones in retrobios-backup, beside your BIOS folder.

3. Check the folder and the names

  • Right folder? Your emulator must read the folder the command used. Your setup's page names it.
  • Is the name exact? scph5501.bin and SCPH-5501.BIN are two different names. On Linux, capital letters count too.
  • Unzipped by hand on Linux? Use the command. Some emulators there need a lower-case name the ZIP lacks.
  • A ZIP in parts will not open? Download every part, like Pack.part1of2.zip and Pack.part2of2.zip. Unzip each one into the same folder.

One console only

Add --system and its name:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --check --system sony-playstation --verbose

--verbose names each missing or wrong file. --list-systems shows every console name.

My setup says UNTESTED

Batocera shows UNTESTED for a file whose contents it does not expect. Run the command without --check to replace it.

If the command fails

  • Network error: check that github.com opens, then try again.
  • Permission denied: on Batocera, Recalbox and ROCKNIX, put sudo and a space before the command. It then runs as the administrator.
  • No setup found: name it yourself, with your BIOS folder:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --platform retroarch --dest ~/.config/retroarch/system

Other messages: Details: When something goes wrong.

:::tip[Next]