libretro/emulators/dsda-doom.yml

emulator: dsda-doom
type: standalone
core_classification: game_engine
source: "https://github.com/dsda-org/dsda-doom"
profiled_date: "2026-10-20"
source_commit: "e443ff7a3e6090a1ff92ad7a426916c4fd35ecc5"
core_version: "0.29.4"
display_name: "Doom (dsda-doom)"
cores: [dsda-doom]
systems: [doom, heretic, hexen, chex]

data_root:
  macos:
    path: "~/Library/Application Support/dsda-doom"
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:367-393"
    note: "~/.dsda-doom instead when that folder exists"
  linux:
    path: "$XDG_DATA_HOME/dsda-doom"
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:333-358, 367-393"
    note: "~/.local/share/dsda-doom when XDG_DATA_HOME is unset, ~/.dsda-doom instead when that folder exists"

notes: |
  Doom source port derived from PrBoom+, by Ryan Krafnick (kraflab). Plays
  Doom, Doom II, Final Doom, Heretic, Hexen, Chex Quest, Hacx, REKKR and the
  Freedoom IWADs from one binary. The profiled tag is v0.29.4. v0.29.3 reads
  the same files: between the two tags d_main.c, m_misc.c and
  MUSIC/flplayer.c are unchanged in what they open, and SDL/i_system.c only
  switches to a bounded snprintf in the path search.

  dsda-doom.wad holds the engine's own lumps (the WAD_DATA name,
  prboom2/CMakeLists.txt:29). M_LoadDefaults requires it through
  I_RequireFile, which aborts with "Unable to find required file" when the
  search fails (prboom2/src/m_misc.c:817-818,
  prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:622-629). D_DoomMainSetup then adds it as an
  autoload source ahead of the IWAD (prboom2/src/d_main.c:2021), and its
  lumps are tagged LUMP_PRBOOM so a PWAD can override them
  (prboom2/src/w_wad.c:170-178). The tree ships the inputs, not the file:
  data/CMakeLists.txt builds it with the dsda_rdatawad tool from the raw
  palette, lumps, PPM graphics and WAV sounds under data/.

  Every file is located by I_FindFileInternal, which tries in order the
  executable directory, the config directory (the executable directory again
  on Windows, prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:244-247), the working directory,
  $DOOMWADDIR, the build-time DOOMWADDIR, the build-time path of
  dsda-doom.wad, the SDL base path and ../share/games/doom under it,
  $HOME/doom, $HOME, $XDG_DATA_HOME/games/doom, every $XDG_DATA_DIRS entry
  under games/doom then doom, and last every entry of $DOOMWADPATH. Existence
  is the only test, and the requested extension is appended only when the
  name as written is missing (prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:471-620).

  The IWAD is -iwad when given, else the first name of standard_iwads found
  on that path (prboom2/src/d_main.c:163-191, 1152-1189). A GAMEINFO lump in
  a loaded PWAD can name the IWAD instead, and a PWAD with Doom 1 maps
  switches the search to episode_iwads (prboom2/src/d_main.c:195-209,
  1850-1904). Nothing found stops startup with "IdentifyVersion: IWAD not
  found" (prboom2/src/d_main.c:1906-1910). CheckIWAD reads the lump
  directory and sets the game mode from the map lumps it counts, so a WAD
  under any name plays (prboom2/src/d_main.c:933-1043). AddIWAD takes the
  game from the file name: heretic.wad and heretic1.wad select Heretic,
  hexen.wad selects Hexen, and the Chex, REKKR, Hacx, TNT, Plutonia, French
  Doom II and Freedoom missions are keyed on their names too
  (prboom2/src/d_main.c:1048-1130). No hash of any IWAD is read.

  Hexen needs the v1.1 IWAD: a hexen.wad without MAP05 is refused as the
  shareware release, one without CLUS1MSG as v1.0
  (prboom2/src/d_main.c:2046-2057). nerve.wad is a PWAD loaded with -file,
  and its name alone switches the mission to No Rest for the Living
  (prboom2/src/d_main.c:899-902).

  MIDI music goes through the fluidsynth player by default
  (prboom2/src/dsda/configuration.c:742-745, prboom2/src/SDL/i_sound.c:1059-1070).
  It loads snd_soundfont when that setting names one, empty by default,
  and otherwise the SNDFONT lump, which dsda-doom.wad carries from
  data/lumps/soundfont/sndfont.lmp (prboom2/src/MUSIC/flplayer.c:275-303,
  prboom2/src/dsda/configuration.c:750-752, prboom2/data/CMakeLists.txt:59).
  No soundfont file is read in the default configuration. The OPL player
  takes its instruments from the GENMIDI lump of the IWAD.

  RetroPie installs dsda-doom.wad beside the binary, the first directory
  searched, and launches "dsda-doom -iwad <file>" with DOOMWADDIR set to its
  ports/doom directory.

files:
  - name: "dsda-doom.wad"
    category: game_data
    bundled: true
    description: "dsda-doom engine data WAD"
    required: true
    size: 3674257
    sha1: "d527dd01b1e572ce017537ca1f2f6d35f4af90ce"
    md5: "88c577edc68096f26a31a4f03777ada8"
    crc32: "53e51c09"
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/m_misc.c:817-818, prboom2/src/SDL/i_system.c:622-629, prboom2/src/d_main.c:2021, prboom2/CMakeLists.txt:29"
    note: >
      Existence is the only test. Hashes are those of the file dsda_rdatawad
      builds from data/ at this tag on Linux, which matches the copy in the
      v0.29.4 macOS release archive byte for byte. The copy in the Windows
      archive differs (3674386 bytes). Other versions carry different lumps.

  # ================================================================
  # IWADs (user-supplied). One is needed to start a game.
  # ================================================================

  # ---- Doom ----

  - name: "doom.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:170, 197, 974-985, 1034-1039"
    note: "Registered and Ultimate Doom share the name and are told apart by the E4 maps."

  - name: "doom1.wad"
    installed_on: [retropie]
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:171, 198"
    note: "Shareware Doom. RetroPie downloads it into its ports/doom directory when it installs dsda-doom."

  - name: "doomu.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:172, 199"

  - name: "doom2.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:166, 1102-1103"

  - name: "doom2f.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:165, 1104-1105"
    note: "French Doom II. The name selects the French language."

  - name: "plutonia.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:167, 1108-1109"

  - name: "tnt.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:168, 1106-1107"

  - name: "bfgdoom.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:186, 1017-1020"
    note: "BFG Edition of Doom, recognised by its DMENUPIC lump."

  - name: "bfgdoom2.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:185, 1017-1020"
    note: "BFG Edition of Doom II, recognised by its DMENUPIC lump."

  - name: "nerve.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:899-902"
    note: "No Rest for the Living. A PWAD given with -file on top of Doom II."

  # ---- Freedoom (free) ----

  - name: "freedoom1.wad"
    installed_on: [retropie]
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:175, 201, 1099-1100"
    note: "RetroPie unpacks Freedoom 0.13.0 into its ports/doom directory when it installs dsda-doom."

  - name: "freedoom2.wad"
    installed_on: [retropie]
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:174, 1114-1116"
    note: "RetroPie unpacks Freedoom 0.13.0 into its ports/doom directory when it installs dsda-doom."

  - name: "freedm.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:176, 1114-1116"

  # ---- Heretic ----

  - name: "heretic.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: heretic
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:188, 206, 1064-1068"

  - name: "heretic1.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: heretic
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:191, 208, 1079-1085"
    note: "Shareware Heretic."

  # ---- Hexen ----

  - name: "hexen.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: hexen
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:189, 1070-1077, 2046-2057"
    note: "v1.1 only. The shareware and v1.0 IWADs are refused."

  # ---- Chex Quest ----

  - name: "chex.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: chex
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:178, 203, 1093-1094"

  - name: "chex3v.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: chex
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:179, 1095-1096"

  - name: "chex3d2.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: chex
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:180, 1110-1111"

  # ---- Standalone IWADs ----

  - name: "hacx.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:182, 1112-1113"

  - name: "rekkrsa.wad"
    category: game_data
    system: doom
    required: false
    source_ref: "prboom2/src/d_main.c:183, 204, 1097-1098"
    note: "REKKR: Sunken Land."