Command Line to Target a Specific Retroarch Config File?

[fromlostdays]

Heya,

So I'm wanting to use the Atari800 core in Retroarch for both Atari 5200 and Atari 8-Bit. In order to do that I need each system to launch a different core option - the Atari System option can either be set to 800 or 5200. So, I know I could just create another instance of retroarch and save myself the trouble. I could also make game option files for each game in 5200 (it being the smaller of the list) but I'm wondering if I can do this via custom command line?

If so I could just use this: 

 to set every Atari 5200 game with a custom command line telling it to launch a different Core config.

So, if its possible, does anyone know what the command line would look like?

I remember this used to tell launchbox what core to launch 

-L "cores\[core name]_libretro.dll"

 Is there a variation of this command that I could use to define a different core config, rather than a different core? 

Thanks!

Edited April 17, 2020 by fromlostdays

[Retro808]

To launch a specific config you would use the below command line.

-c "config\name_of_config.cgf"

You should not need to do this any more since retroarch allows you to launch configs per folder now. So if all your 8-bit roms are in one folder and 5200 in another you can set the config in RA then choose "save content directory override" option.

[zoemorn]

pullin my hair out..

when i try to apply a custom cfg it on a specific core via launchbox manage emulator/associated platforms its like it loads the cfg but none of the settings i had saved in the cfg seem to be applied (in this case overlay and video settings to position a gameboy overlay bezel)

I tried the Save Core or Content overrides option with improved result but now the game isn't going full screen on start... lol

this is maddening. do i use CFG to save settings, or Overrides, or both? 

[zoemorn]

Also

seems like if i do a Save Core Overrides and then try to Save Current Config, it always gives me "Failed to save current config"

just trying to figure how to get the current settings to save across all games of the same platform of the same core. I tried OrionsAngels tip of making a copy of a retroarch core to be specifically for one platform (for those cores that do multiple platforms) thinking that would help with trying to save specific overlay settings for just the one platform...

but my result is not being able to get to apply to all games of the platform 

[neil9000]

41 minutes ago, zoemorn said:

pullin my hair out..

when i try to apply a custom cfg it on a specific core via launchbox manage emulator/associated platforms its like it loads the cfg but none of the settings i had saved in the cfg seem to be applied (in this case overlay and video settings to position a gameboy overlay bezel)

I tried the Save Core or Content overrides option with improved result but now the game isn't going full screen on start... lol

this is maddening. do i use CFG to save settings, or Overrides, or both? 

There are actually shaders with overlays built right into Retroarch which will apply a shader and overlay with the correct proportions. Shaders/slang/handheld/borders.

 

 

[zoemorn]

27 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

There are actually shaders with overlays built right into Retroarch which will apply a shader and overlay with the correct proportions. Shaders/slang/handheld/borders.

 

 

I perused that path you mentioned and couldnt find any files to load.

in retroarch, went to Quick Menu/Shaders/Load Shader Preset/shaders_slang/border/gameboy_player/sample_borders/ ... no items available... and pretty much saw this with any of the folders i looked into..

That first image that you showed is what i'm after for game boy basically, was trying to use an orionsangel overlay and get the view port position, but when i add "custom_viewport" settings in the config file it doesnt seem to pull into retroarch (and i've made sure the config is showing as loaded in retroarch) so not sure what thats about.

for custom viewport settings i'm using, and its like these are being ignored, when in the retroarch menu they dont show up at all 

custom_viewport_height = "645" ---expected would = Custom Aspect Ratio Height
custom_viewport_width = "674"  --ditto but for width
custom_viewport_x = "623"   ----- expected would map to in Retroarch:   Video/Custom Aspect Ratio X Pos  
custom_viewport_y = "244"   --ditto but for Y Pos

[fromlostdays]

On 4/17/2020 at 6:02 AM, Retro808 said:

You should not need to do this any more since retroarch allows you to launch configs per folder now. So if all your 8-bit roms are in one folder and 5200 in another you can set the config in RA then choose "save content directory override" option.

Thanks!

There's a problem with this method for me though, I think. I keep every one of my roms in a separate folder... or rather I group versions of the each game into their own folder. I think this messes with retroarch's Save Per Directory option unless I could somehow save set the config to save options one directory up...

I appreciate the heads up though! I'm about to test the command line you recommended.

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by fromlostdays

[Headrush69]

20 minutes ago, fromlostdays said:

unless I could somehow save set the config to save options one directory up...

Just tried it and no luck.

[fromlostdays]

We tried it at the same time haha. Yeah, no joy.

Follow Up to Retro808s suggestions:

Neither suggestion is working.

Command Line Results:

So the first thing I noticed is that the option atari800_system = "5200" is not saved in the .cfg file but the .opt file. I tried every variation of the command line using absolute paths, relative paths and tried injecting atari800_system = "5200" into both configs and option files and unless I missed something it doesn't work (maybe anymore, maybe something is changed in RA).

Save Per Directory Results:

I also went ahead and tested how Retroarch is handling the save per directory - it saves a file in config/atari800 named after the rom folder which is named after the game in my case. So if I launch Astro Chase (USA).a52 and save any options per directory I get a .cfg file in there named "Astro Chase.cfg" (which is the name of the folder its in, game name minus region). I tried renaming this .cfg to "Atari 5200" which is the parent directory for all my game folders and no joy.

 

This isn't a super pressing issue, as I know as a last resort I can just do another version of retroarch with a different config, but I would like to explore alternatives further.  

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by fromlostdays

[rodww]

I have a similar issue here.  I am using the RA, Atari800 core and when I set the content directory override for Atari 5200, my Atari XEGS titles wont run (keeps the setting for 5200) and vice-versa if I set it to for the XE.  It will save it for that instance but not for both.   I've tried to save a custom config file but I only see the .OPT file for the core in the config folder?   I could see this being a problem if I selected save core override but I'm trying to save content directory override and it doesn't seem to work. 

[DOS76]

that is strange I'm guessing that the games are in separate folders?

[neil9000]

Yeah the content directory override will only work if your games are in separate folders (as they should be), it wont save a content directory override if the directory is the same for both systems roms.

[rodww]

Yes they are in different folders which is why it's odd it's not working...

[TonyBlue87]

I know this thread has been dead for awhile, but I came here excitedly since this is exactly what I'm trying to do now, as well. Did anyone ever find a fix for this? I know it would be possible by manually making unique config (opt) files within Retroarch's options, but I'd be looking at doing that around 150 times between my 800 and 5200 collections.

Edited April 17, 2021 by TonyBlue87

[zpaolo11x]

On 4/17/2021 at 11:05 AM, TonyBlue87 said:

I know this thread has been dead for awhile, but I came here excitedly since this is exactly what I'm trying to do now, as well. Did anyone ever find a fix for this? I know it would be possible by manually making unique config (opt) files within Retroarch's options, but I'd be looking at doing that around 150 times between my 800 and 5200 collections.

I'm sorry but the issue is not solved still. I also came here full of expectations but the suggestions simply don't work for this simple reason: config override based on content folder works only for "config" files, that is the general retroarch options, not for "opt" files, that is the options files for a core.

So for example if I use the same core for game gear and master system I can save different configs "per folder" to use different overlays or scaling or scanlines and even shader, but if the core is the same, they will share the same core options.

[neil9000]

4 minutes ago, zpaolo11x said:

I'm sorry but the issue is not solved still. I also came here full of expectations but the suggestions simply don't work for this simple reason: config override based on content folder works only for "config" files, that is the general retroarch options, not for "opt" files, that is the options files for a core.

So for example if I use the same core for game gear and master system I can save different configs "per folder" to use different overlays or scaling or scanlines and even shader, but if the core is the same, they will share the same core options.

Maybe actually read the comments in a thread you post to before complaining a issue isnt solved.

[zpaolo11x]

2 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

Maybe actually read the comments in a thread you post to before complaining a issue isnt solved.

I read it, I even tried that solution. I tried both using the "-c" option passing a custom .opt file to that, that overwrote my custom .opt file putting all .cfg file options in there for some reason, then I tried using per content directory override, which saves again a file with the entries from .cfg files, not the entries from the .opt file.

If what you mean is that there's a way to change the default opt file for that core, and save it as a per content directory override, I still have to try it, but for sure it's not what was suggested in this thread.

[nonstatik]

Same problem here, my Atari 800 roms are in a single directory, and my 5200 roms are in a different single directory. 'Save Content Directory Override' does not currently work, RA will just keep the last system setting regardless.  Maybe this is either a core bug or RA bug?

EDIT: solved!  The solution was 'Save Content Directory Options', not 'Save Content Directory Override'

Edited April 29, 2021 by nonstatik

[Headrush69]

1 hour ago, nonstatik said:

EDIT: solved!  The solution was 'Save Content Directory Options', not 'Save Content Directory Override'

Yes. that option was recently added to Retroarch 1.9.1, why you didn't see it before.

[zpaolo11x]

12 hours ago, nonstatik said:

Same problem here, my Atari 800 roms are in a single directory, and my 5200 roms are in a different single directory. 'Save Content Directory Override' does not currently work, RA will just keep the last system setting regardless.  Maybe this is either a core bug or RA bug?

EDIT: solved!  The solution was 'Save Content Directory Options', not 'Save Content Directory Override'

Well fantastic! This solved the issue after upgrading to 1.9.1: quick menu -> options -> manage core options -> save content directory options. Now everything works like a charm.

On a side note, upgrading RetroArch on macOS is a bit of a painful experience because, by default, RA saves the cores and other data in the app bundle folder, which gets wiped after the upgrade. I redefined all the links to point to my library/application support/retroarch folder instead.