Files
libretro/wiki/faq.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

3.3 KiB

level, order, nav_title
level order nav_title
start 50 Common questions

FAQ

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. What is a BIOS?

How do I know which BIOS I need?

Run the installer with --dry-run. It lists what it would install and changes nothing.

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

Your setup's page also lists every file, console by console.

Is the command safe?

  • It checks the installer's fingerprint before running it. If the download does not match its expected fingerprint, it stops.
  • It checks every file before saving it.
  • It writes only in your BIOS folder.

To read the script before you run it:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh -o install.sh
less install.sh && sh install.sh

Details: How the installer checks itself.

Will it change my other files?

No. It never touches games or saves, or a file it does not know. It replaces a BIOS file with the wrong contents, and keeps yours.

Windows or my antivirus blocks the command

Download the ZIP of your setup instead, from Get your files. It holds the same files.

Can I run it again?

Yes. That is how you update. It downloads only what is missing or wrong.

Can I undo it?

Yes. It keeps every file it replaces in a retrobios-backup folder, beside your BIOS folder. The end of the run prints the line that puts them back: the same command with --restore and that folder.

Details: Files you already had.

Fill an SD card from a computer?

Yes. Name your setup and the BIOS folder on the card:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh \
  | sh -s -- --platform retroarch --dest /path/to/sdcard/retroarch/cores/system

On Windows the line is different. Details: Passing options.

Does a BIOS work on every setup?

Yes. Only the folder changes, and sometimes the name.

Why is a file missing from the ZIP?

Some files come with the emulator when you install it. 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.

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 shows how to check.

Laws on copying console firmware differ by country. The question is not settled, and nothing here is legal advice. Details: The project's legal position.

To ask for a file to be removed, open an issue and name the file. A file is removed when the owner of its rights asks.

Why keep recent consoles too?

Files disappear when stores close, like the 3DS and Wii U shops in 2023. We keep them while they can still be found.

:::tip[Next]