Create TestFlight versions of retroarch nightly arm64 without flycast or play

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

I'm not using AltStore or sidestore because I am using only emulators from the App Store and TestFlight. I can't run Saturn, tg16, TGCD, supergrafx, DSI, PCFX, FBNeo and mame arcade games, 32x, sega cd, sg1000, msx, pc98, dos, x68k, intellivision, colecovision, odyssey2, channel f, amiga, c64, Vic-20 and more without RetroArch. It would be nice if RetroArch nightly came to TestFlight and removed flycast and play since those use jit.

[hizzlekizzle]

There is already a TestFlight build, but it is identical to the regular App Store, just released nightly: https://testflight.apple.com/join/A1LMA3Mx

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

There are a lot of cores missing.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

The other cores should only be in the TestFlight versions before being added to the App Store version

[warmenhoven]

The TestFlight build is exactly the same as the App Store build.

[warmenhoven]

Here are the list of cores in the TestFlight and App Store builds:

https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/blob/master/pkg/apple/update-cores.sh#L119

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

Here are all the core files https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/apple/ios-arm64/latest/

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

No mame or yabause

[warmenhoven]

That's right, the App Store and TestFlight versions do not include all possible cores, only the ones we maintain internally or have upstream approval to put on stores. But the list of cores for the App Store and TestFlight are identical.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

No beetle PCFX either

[warmenhoven]

mednafen_supergrafx is in the TestFlight.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

But since the Dylib cores are available, why not create a download core option like the pc versions?

[warmenhoven]

Apple rules. Executables have to be bundled in the IPA and can't be downloaded. The in-app purchases for other apps are all data files or unlocks; the executable code is pre-bundled in the original IPA.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

Damn this is complicated, how about make the cores payed dlc on the App Store, and free for TestFlight. You can make two separate files for each of the retroarch versions.

[warmenhoven]

Many of our cores have explicit non-commercial licenses; charging would violate the licenses. Also it still wouldn't fix that we wouldn't get approval for distributing the cores through a storefront.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

Is there a folder where i can put the dylib cores? It's probably hidden somewhere

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

Or a core dylib install option

[warmenhoven]

Is there a folder where i can put the dylib cores? ... Or a core dylib install option

Not exactly. Binaries have to be inside the app bundle and Apple does an integrity check of the bundle before it will allow the app to execute. As a result, you can't add dylib files to the app after the app is installed.

If you side load, then you can add (or remove) cores from the side load before you install the IPA. An IPA is just a ZIP file, and you can edit the files that are in there before you install it. The side load version that's available on the buildbot has all of the cores embedded in it, so it really would only make sense to delete cores from it, and most people don't choose to do that.

[Iamthebestintheworld222]

Can't you only add beetle PC-FX and mame for compatibility

[warmenhoven]

Mame isn't going to happen, but FBNeo is there. I've put up a PR to add Beetle PC-FX.