McAirpos disappearing after reboot on Recalbox 8.0(unresolved, but working on 4 of developer's tests)

[cfpwastaken]

Everytime I reboot my Recalbox 8.0 the icon for McAirpos gets removed for some reason, requiring me to go into the terminal and run the install script again. This is very bad for a portable game console if it is not portable anymore because you need a keyboard and internet to run the script. Tried using a Recalbox 7 image but i cant find it on the website.

~cfp

[Vegz78]

Hi @cfpwastaken,

Thanks for trying McAirpos and for your feedback!

I have not encountered this before while @rdmueller and I just recently made and tested the install scripts.

So, I need to think a little about this, and maybe try it myself on yet another clean install.

Is there anything you can tell me about your hardware, the RB image you are using(fresh install? Version?), error messages or anything else out of the ordinary that you observed while installing?

The only thing close to this I have observed, was problems in the beginning on v7.1.1, where the overlay file system overwrote the changes I made to es_systems.cfg.

So maybe this has something to do with systemlist.xml being overwritten somehow every reboot on RB v8.0?

[cfpwastaken]

I really dont know. Im currently trying to get a Scripts system to execute and restart emulationstation but it doesnt show up :/ Hardware: RPI 3 with a broken camera port, if thats important (most likely not but still), Waveshare Game HAT Version: 8.0-Electron Errors: uh wait let me see

Thanks for the quick response btw.

[cfpwastaken]

dont see any errors sadly.

[Vegz78]

Could you please check right after a reboot whether there is a McAirpos entry at the end of the file _/recalbox/shareinit/system/.emulationstation/systemlist.xml?

[cfpwastaken]

nope. nothing there

[cfpwastaken]

in "virtual systems" i found the virtual "arcade" system. Activated it, thought it was mcairpos :joy:

[Vegz78]

Ok, if the McAirpos entry is not in systemlist.xml after reboot(I presume it is there again right after running the install script?), it looks like a fight going on with the overlay file system restoring the original systemlist.xml on every reboot.

I really do not remember how I got out of this loop back on v7.1.1, but had something to do with writing to the original file(regardless of name).

Have you spent much effort on tweaking and customizing your RB installation, or might a fresh image install and try again be an easier option?

[cfpwastaken]

actually, i didnt actually do anything, i just changed the animation at most.

[cfpwastaken]

and i dont really want to reinstall it as i would have to make my customizations again, make the controller work again etc.

[cfpwastaken]

is there really no solution other than to reinstall?

[Vegz78]

Understand.

Well, at least we now know with some certainty what the problem is. All that remains then is to find a solution… ;-)

I bet there should be some forum posts about similar issues, since the overlay file system is made to keep the installation working with system files in original state.

I will see during the coming Christmas days if I get time to try to reproduce or test the install scripts on a fresh RB install.

If you beat me to the punch with a solution, please report back so others can benefit from the solution as well.

Sorry I am not able to solve this right away and good luck!

[cfpwastaken]

All that remains then is to find a solution… ;-)

Yep. When it is fixxed we will all prob say "ooooh that makes total sense"

Trying some other stuff to fix it later as battery needs to charge

[Vegz78]

is there really no solution other than to reinstall?

I am not sure either if a reinstall will solve this. The problem might be in my install script. So I would not recommend a fresh install unless you like to tinker.

But we know that RB overwrites systemlist.xml on reboot.

So the trick is to somehow get RB to keep the McAirpos entry in systemlist.xml untouched between reboots…

[cfpwastaken]

cant we just edit whatever that overlay file system will overwrite the file to :thinking:

[cfpwastaken]

i think i have a fix. Pray that it will work

[Vegz78]

cant we just edit whatever that overlay file system will overwrite the file to 🤔

Good idea! If you can find and get access to this original/template, that should work(if there is not a check/hash somewhere that will break your install when tampering…).

It will always be overwritten on updates, as will the McAirpos installation.

I am sorry, I am on my phone at the moment, and not able to dive into my Raspberry Pi. ;-)

[Vegz78]

i think i have a fix. Pray that it will work

Crossing my fingers as well!… ;-)

[cfpwastaken]

I am sorry, I am on my phone at the moment

What a legend, he is at his phone trying to fix an issue with someone

[Vegz78]

I am sorry, I am on my phone at the moment

What a legend, he is at his phone trying to fix an issue with someone

Haha, not as legendary as you make it sound; more slacking on the sofa on Christmas Day, after too much to eat and getting a short moment of peace of mind away from the kids and for myself… ;-)

How did it go?

[cfpwastaken]

im still waiting for this stupid battery to charge.

[cfpwastaken]

oh cool i think i bricked the system

[Vegz78]

oh cool i think i bricked the system

What happened?!?

[cfpwastaken]

i dont know :joy: thank god there was nothing important on it. I think its because of the low battery it shut off

[cfpwastaken]

oh i dont think it was, i think it was something else. God dang it i already reflashed the card

[Vegz78]

oh i dont think it was, i think it was something else. God dang it i already reflashed the card

Good! Now I am full of anticipation…

[Vegz78]

Worked on a fresh install?

[cfpwastaken]

didnt try yet. The battery is full now and recalbox is installing. Im trying to finish this today asap

[Vegz78]

👍 RB and Batocera are not identical anymore, but both stem from the same trunk. Here the overlay file system is explained: https://wiki.batocera.org/doku.php?id=modify_the_system_while_it_s_running

Same, same, but a little bit different(files) on RB.

Editing the above mentioned systemlist.xml has worked for me, though, without the use of any special save-overlay script.

I hope you get it to work!

[Vegz78]

Here from before RB went from es_systems.cfg to the current systemlist.xml: https://forum.recalbox.com/topic/17186/problem-custom-es_system-cfg/

[cfpwastaken]

ok? Im trying on clean install rn perfect moment for you to return

[cfpwastaken]

god dang it it doesnt work on fresh install

[cfpwastaken]

all i did was configure the gpio support and keyboard layout

[cfpwastaken]

trying potential fix 1...

[Vegz78]

Bummer! You got me motivated to test again on a clean image now.

This should work, or be removed, as not to waste people’s time.

I am sorry and I’ll be back!

[cfpwastaken]

What do you mean, i dont understand?

Also i am not happy to announce that potential fix 1 does not work

[cfpwastaken]

to potential fix 2 then, my last one

[Vegz78]

What do you mean, i dont understand?

Also i am not happy to announce that potential fix 1 does not work

Unfortunate.

I only mean that I should not have available and announce a working RB8 install script, if it is - in fact - not working…

But I will look closer at this now.

[cfpwastaken]

kk, do that while i try that stupid, but hopefully working fix.

[cfpwastaken]

very good sign

[cfpwastaken]

wow, it overwrote my fix lmao

[cfpwastaken]

kinda should've expected that

[cfpwastaken]

then i have no idea ig

[cfpwastaken]

any updates?

[Vegz78]

any updates?

Flashing now…

[cfpwastaken]

oh bruh. Well guess i wont get it working til tomorrow :/

[Vegz78]

oh bruh. Well guess i wont get it working til tomorrow :/

Sorry, slow old laptop grinding. Gaming rig is occupied by kids playing Brawlhalla… ;-)

[cfpwastaken]

Well if its not gonna work for today im just gonna use my phone to ssh into it and install minecraftairposition mcairpos again (i had to say it)

[Vegz78]

Well if its not gonna work for today im just gonna use my phone to ssh into it and install ~minecraftairposition~ mcairpos again (i had to say it)

Hehe, McAirpos is actually just a boring acronym; Make Code Arcade In Retro Pie/ Raspberry Pie OS...

Good news!

Installer still works OK on fresh Recalbox v8.0 image for and on a Raspberry Pi 3 (B+), dowloaded as separate image file(.xz) from recalbox.com and flashed with Balena Etcher on a Win10 PC.

Since I did not get the McAirpos icon showing in the Recalbox main menu between reboots immediately, I tried the McAirpos install script once over ssh and second on local console(F4 + ALT+F2). Maybe it was successfull already the first time over ssh, I cannot confirm.

But the clue - for me, at least - to get the McAirpos entry to stick around in the Recalbox main menu between reboots, was to populate the /recalbox/share/roms/makecode folder with at least one .elf MCA game file.

Could this be the issue for you as well?

[cfpwastaken]

Well it wont show up at all if there is no .elf file in it.. still disappearing icons :////

[cfpwastaken]

but yes once i run it again it does show up again... until a reboot