mirror of
https://github.com/Abdess/retroarch_system.git
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117 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
117 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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level: start
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order: 50
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---
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# Common questions
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## Do I need BIOS files?
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- **Yes** for PlayStation 1 and 2, Saturn and Neo Geo.
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- **Better with it** for Dreamcast: some games need it.
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- **Usually not** for NES or Super Nintendo cartridges.
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[What is a BIOS?](what-are-bios-files.md)
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## How do I know which BIOS I need?
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Run the command with `--dry-run`. It lists the files, changing nothing.
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<!-- os-tabs -->
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```sh
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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh | sh -s -- --dry-run
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```
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## Do I need every file of a console?
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No. A console often has one BIOS per region. To keep only yours, add your
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region, like `--region us`.
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## Does the BIOS set the game's language?
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Rarely. It comes from the game. Some games follow the console's setting, like
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Flycast's **Language** option.
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## Zip or unzip? { #zip-or-unzip }
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Unzip the ZIP you downloaded into the folder your setup's page names. Keep
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the ZIPs inside zipped, like `neogeo.zip`.
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## Does a BIOS work on every setup?
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Usually. The command installs the version each setup expects, like its
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`neogeo.zip`.
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## My arcade game does not start
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The game set must match the emulator's version, and `neogeo.zip` stays zipped.
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Reference: [Which version each emulator reads](technical-faq.md#which-mame-version-do-the-arcade-bios-sets-match).
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## Keys, firmware or BIOS?
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- **BIOS** or **firmware**: the console's own program, like `scph5501.bin`.
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- Some newer consoles need a system update, like `PS3UPDAT.PUP`, installed from the
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emulator's menu.
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- **Keys** unlock encrypted games, like `prod.keys` for Switch.
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## Can I play without the BIOS?
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Sometimes. Some emulators carry a stand-in, and some games then fail.
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## Is the command safe? { #is-piping-the-installer-into-a-shell-safe }
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- It stops if the installer does not match its expected fingerprint, then
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checks each file before saving it.
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- It writes in your BIOS folder, and for some emulators in your save folder.
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- It never touches a game or a save.
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- It keeps any file it replaces in `retrobios-backup`, next to your BIOS
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folder. `--restore` puts it back.
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Read them first: [install.sh](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.sh),
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[install.ps1](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.ps1),
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[install.py](https://github.com/Abdess/retrobios/blob/main/install.py).
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[How the installer checks itself](installer.md#what-the-bootstrap-does).
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## Windows or my antivirus blocks the command
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Download your setup's ZIP from [Get your files](../which-pack.md) instead.
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## Fill an SD card from a computer?
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Yes. Name your setup and the BIOS folder on the card. For RetroArch on a Switch
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card in drive `E:`:
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<!-- os-tabs windows: --platform retroarch --dest E:\retroarch\cores\system -->
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```sh
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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Abdess/retrobios/main/install.sh \
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| sh -s -- --platform retroarch --dest /path/to/sdcard/retroarch/cores/system
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```
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## No internet on the device?
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Unzip your setup's ZIP into the folder its page names. To check each file, use
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`--from-pack`: [Without a network](installer.md#without-a-network-offline-install).
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## My setup is not in the list
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- Name your emulator's BIOS folder with `--dest`.
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- ES-DE, LaunchBox: the command fills the folders of the emulators they start.
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- iPhone, iPad: no terminal. Use the ZIP.
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## Why is a file missing from the ZIP?
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Some come with the emulator, so the ZIP leaves them out.
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## My game shows a black screen
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A BIOS file is often missing: [When a game does not start](troubleshooting.md).
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## Is this legal?
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Laws differ by country. [Is it legal?](legal.md)
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## Next steps
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- [Get your files](../which-pack.md)
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- [Words used on this site](glossary.md)
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