New software release!
ARpiCADE v3.6
Just one file to download this time, but it's big. Huge thanks to the
guy who uploaded this for me (they prefer to remain anon), I really
appreciate it.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/txum3x...piCADE_3.6.img
Whats new?
UPDATES TO SYSTEM
- Linux kernel and and other RPi system stuff updated
- On screen indicators for low voltage and thermal throttling (part of above update)
- Default screen width slightly reduced as I had a few reports of
overscan on the sides (technically output is the same but the picture is
brought in a bit)
- Rudimentary config menu added in Attract-Mode (can scan roms and
produce a new Atract-Mode romlist, update bootspash, reboot or shutdown
currently -- use key board right/left arrows to access)
- Memory split adjusted to suit more Attract-Mode themes
- Changed the default Attract-Mode theme to Robospin
- More preview images added (more marquees + 200mb of game title wheel images)
- General cleanup of the system and lots of little tweaks
- 172 folders/launchers now renamed from 171 -> 172 to avoid confusion (MAME 0.172 roms now go in mame-172 rom folder)
- Patched arcade only version of 171 removed, full 171 has been left for MESS use (requires setup).
- Updates to Retroarch, it's cores FBA_next & MAME2003 and newer-patched MAME172 (see below)
- Now less keyboard required for basic changes to game configs (for the most part)
- New hotkeys system (see below)
- Cabinet 'Test' and 'Service' buttons should work like original
hardware in most MAME emulated games (MAME078 will require per game
config for 'Test' to work due to no universal setting being available)
- 2 coin mechs should work for most MAME emulated games (if supported by the original game hardware)
NEW HOTKEYS SYSTEM
(** this is hacky and could be massivly improved by integration into the
GPIO joystick driver but it works, if you think you can help integrate
it into MK_ARCADE_JOYSTICK please get in contact with me **)
- All of the emulators except MAME172 are using a new system wide hotkey
system. 172 has performance hiccups with it so the same functionality
is done through the regular MAME 'tab' menu and the hotkey system is
disabled when 172 is run. The hotkey system consists of a perl script
called leanstick and a c program called pikeyd (formally the GPIO
joystick driver in very early versions (v1.0) of ARpiCADE it was quickly
replaced by the far superior MK_ARCADE_JOYSTICK). Adjustments can be
made (eg. disabling pause and coin shortcuts) in the file
/boot/hotKeys.conf . To completely disable the hotkey system remove
mentions of leanstick from /boot/run.sh and /boot/launchers/mame172.sh
I did not write leanstick.pl and/or pikeyd just made them work together,
thanks to the original authors for sharing their work with the world.
- Holding P1 Start for 2 seconds activates the hotkey functionality (works in a similar manner to Ultimarc products)
- Exit combo is now long hold (2 seconds) P1 Start + press P2 Start for all emulators (outputs keyboard 'esc' key)
- Coin shortcut is long hold P1 Start + P1 Button 1 (outputs '5' key)
- Pause/unpause shortcut is long hold P1 Start + P1 Joystick Down (outputs 'p' key)
- MAME config 'tab' menu is long hold P1 Start + Joystick Right (outputs 'tab' key)
UPDATES TO MAME172
- 176 backported patchset by OzFalcon (no more whitebox flash when loading, I think the patches had other improvements too)
UPDATES TO RETROARCH (and MAME2003/078 & FBA_next)
- You no longer need to hold start down first, 'F1' on it's own will
open the Retroarch menu. Navigation in Retroarch menus will work with P1
Joystick and P1 B1 (select) and P1 B2 (back) (see quirks notes below
for keyboard fix for non-RaspberryJAMMA use).
- Controls should generally be set up better than the last release (for
JAMMA use, other control methods will still require setup).
- Disabled onscreen notifications to better integrate with the other
non-Retroarch emulators. If you want to re-enable them for some reason
change SETTINGS -> ONSCREEN DISPLAY -> ENABLE ONSCREEN
NOTIFICATIONS back to 'on'. In config files this option is called
video_font_enable ("false" is the new default, change to "true" to
re-enable).
- For MAME2003 you can now set the controls for games in the MAME menus
(see quirks below for keyboard use), with the exception of a few things
that are disabled (eg. UI_CANCEL). Game test mode (default 'F2') must be
set on a per game basis as this version of MAME doesn't have a
universal setting for it for some reason. Settings should save
automatically.
- FBA_next cab 'service' button gives credits (formally mistakenly set
to 'test' button, cab 'test' button now has no function as FBA doesn't
support test mode as far as I know)
- FBA_next should now be able to configure game dipswitches using the Retroarch menus
- MAME2010 core now works (it segfaulted on older Retroarch) but it is
not configured and I'm not sure if it's actually useful for anything
## Quirks of new Retroarch updates and the hotkey system. ##
For the key board to work normally in Retroarch menus (and MAMEs tab menus for MAME2003) the input driver must be UDEV ie:
input_driver = "udev"
for the hotkeys to work (exit, pause etc.) in game it must be linuxraw ie:
input_driver = "linuxraw"
This can be changed in the relevant config file or the Retroarch menus
using the joystick for input after pressing f1. (why 'F1' key works and
no other in linuxraw mode is unknown)
MAIN MENU -> SETTINGS -> DRIVER -> INPUT DRIVER
changes made to the input driver through the menu system will require a
restart of Retroarch to take effect. The default setting is linuxraw so
the hotkey system works, using joystick you should be able to do most
everything without a keyboard. I have no idea what change to Retroarch
(or maybe UDEV or the kernel) caused this but the old version of
Retroarch worked fine with the hotkeys in UDEV mode... having to swap
everything about to make changes then swap it all back afterward is
annoying but works for now and most tasks can be done with the joystick
negating the need for the keyboard beyond the F1 key).
