libretro/emulators/voxatron.yml

emulator: Voxatron
type: standalone
core_classification: other
upstream: "https://www.lexaloffle.com/voxatron.php"
profiled_date: "2026-11-09"
core_version: "0.3.5b"
version_basis:
  kind: unverified
  why: no_artifact
display_name: "Lexaloffle - Voxatron"
cores:
  - vox_official
systems:
  - voxatron
standalone_directories:
  - "executable directory"

notes: |
  Commercial voxel fantasy console by Lexaloffle Games LLP, sold as ZIP
  archives. The held binaries report voxatron 0.3.5b. Nothing in the
  program checks a hash of its own files.

  The program finds its own folder through /proc/self/exe and reads vox.dat
  beside itself. The paths below put the program in voxatron/: a launcher
  that runs vox from a folder places that folder there.

  Batocera's generator runs bios/voxatron/vox with LD_LIBRARY_PATH set to
  bios/voxatron. x86_64 only. vox_dyn is the variant linked against the
  system SDL2.

  Refs to binary code cite vox (sha256 045d95a428c10d7e) and vox_dyn
  (sha256 3e20fa90c40abe2d), both with their symbol tables. For a Looking
  Glass display codo_choose_display (0x16b7a0) matches the SDL display
  name against looking and holoplay. Neither binary loads
  libHoloPlayCore.so: no NEEDED entry, no string or immediate naming it or
  an hpc_ symbol, and every dlopen site is SDL's own loader for system
  libraries.

files:
  - name: vox
    path: voxatron/vox
    system: voxatron
    required: true
    description: "Voxatron main executable"
    source_ref: "batocera lexaloffleGenerator.py:20, 42, 48-52"
    note: "The Voxatron program vox, an x86_64 ELF with SDL2 linked in. Batocera's generator runs bios/voxatron/vox and raises when it is missing or not executable."

  - name: vox_dyn
    path: voxatron/vox_dyn
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Voxatron dynamically linked executable"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox_dyn, DT_NEEDED libSDL2-2.0.so.0 at 0x3b2780 (loader-resolved), codo_system_init 0x15f810 call SDL_Init@plt at 0x15f831, batocera lexaloffleGenerator.py:20, 42"
    note: "The same program linked against the system SDL2 (its only extra NEEDED library). Batocera's generator never runs it."

  - name: vox.dat
    path: voxatron/vox.dat
    system: voxatron
    required: true
    description: "Voxatron data file"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox load_all_pods 0x2a560 0x2a58d-0x2a5ad (movabs vox.dat, prefixed with the program folder, codo_load_pod_set, fopen rb at 0x122d65), 0x2a670-0x2a67a (retry vox.dat in the working directory), 0x2a687-0x2a6b0 (codo_fatal_error, exit at 0x16abe4), vox_dyn load_all_pods 0x1f180 0x1f1ad-0x1f1cd, 0x1f29a, 0x1f2d0 (same sequence)"
    note: "Opened from the folder of the binary that runs, then from the working directory. Absent from both, Voxatron stops with \"** FATAL ERROR: could not load vox.dat\"."

  - name: libHoloPlayCore.so
    path: voxatron/libHoloPlayCore.so
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Looking Glass holographic display support library"
    source_ref: "batocera lexaloffleGenerator.py:41, 87-90"
    note: "Put on LD_LIBRARY_PATH by Batocera's generator. Neither binary loads it."

  - name: config.txt
    unsourceable: "written by the emulator on exit, no canonical file"
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Voxatron settings"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox codo_config_load 0x11a970 0x11a974-0x11a9d8 (home folder, fopen r), 0x11b156 (vdisk), 0x11b167-0x11b1a3 (beside the binary), 0x11b1d2 (neither: return with defaults), codo_config_save 0x11b480 0x11b484-0x11b4df (written to the home folder, called from codo_exit.part.2 at 0x10eb30)"
    note: "Read from ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron, else from beside the binary, and written to ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron on exit."

  - name: sdl_controllers.txt
    unsourceable: "user supplied, no canonical file"
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Custom SDL controller mappings"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox add_sdl_controllers 0x169cc0 0x169cc4-0x169d06 (beside the binary, fopen r), 0x169d14-0x169d33 (home folder), 0x169d40-0x169d6b (created there with a comment line when absent), 0x169e1c-0x169e3a (fgets, SDL_GameControllerAddMapping per line), called from codo_joystick_init at 0x169f23"
    note: "Processed beside the binary when present, then from ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron, where Voxatron writes it when absent."

  - name: favourites.txt
    unsourceable: "written by the emulator, no canonical file"
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Cart browser favourites list"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox reload_favourites 0xf6bb0 0xf6bb1-0xf6be7, splore_init 0xfaeb0 0xfb15d-0xfb175 (populate_splore_list_from_text_file), save_splore_favourites 0xf4ee0 0xf4ee4"
    note: "Read from ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron and written there by the cart browser."

  - name: internal_carts.txt
    unsourceable: "written by the emulator, no canonical file"
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Voxatron internal cart list"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox splore_init 0xfaeb0 0xfaefc-0xfaf0e (codo_file_exists in the home folder), 0xfaf21-0xfaf45 (written from a built-in list when absent), 0xfaf54 (populate_splore_list_from_text_file), populate_internal_carts_list 0xfae10 0xfae12-0xfae87 (same sequence)"
    note: "Read from ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron, written there from a list built into the binary when absent."

  - name: player_1.vpp
    path: player/player_1.vpp
    unsourceable: "written by the emulator, no canonical file"
    system: voxatron
    required: false
    description: "Voxatron player profile"
    source_ref: "voxatron 0.3.5b vox switch_to_profile 0x88220 0x8822d-0x8828e (player/player_%d.vpp in the home folder), 0x882cf (codo_fopen rb), 0x882d7 (absent: nothing read), save_current_player_profile 0x88460 0x88463-0x884be (codo_fopen wb)"
    note: "Read from ~/.lexaloffle/Voxatron/player, and written there when absent."