Abdessamad Derraz
be3324f869
Platform guides, device groups, terminal tabs, pack README manuals and logo credits move from Python tables to platforms/_guides.yml, checked against the registry on load. A folder row without a path is the registry's extract_to, written once. Wiki pages place themselves in the navigation with order and nav_title in their front matter. Generated docs/ and mkdocs.yml are unchanged.
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.
Is this legal?
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"
- [Get your files](../which-pack.md)
- [Words used on this site](glossary.md)