Config files are overwritten/changed automatically when loaded (bug?)

RetroArch General
#1

I have a freshly installed Windows 10 x64 machine with a new install of RA 1.3.6.

My drive has been setup like this:


c:\gamestation\emulators\retroarch
c:\gamestation\saves\consolename (for instance snes, nes, etc)
c:\gamestation\games\consolename (for instance snes, nes, etc)

For every console I made different config file, in the config file I changed the file browser directory, save state directory and save directory. I changed the directories through the RA gui but also tried to change them editing the cfg file with notepad++.

If I start RA, it loads up with the default retroarch config file, I than go to load configuration. If I choose one of the configs I made, it loads up and than changes the save and save state directories back to default! The file browser directory gets untouched. But everytime I load a different config it will reset the save and save state directories.

I have an identical setup on my Android device (of course the directories are not c:\blablabla) and it works without problems.

Is this a bug? Am I doing something wrong?

UPDATE: Problem solved, see here: http://libretro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6368&page=2&p=43082&viewfull=1#post43082

#2

I just removed the retroarch ‘install’. Rebooted the machine and ‘re-installed’ retroarch. Same problem…

#3

Turning off “Save Configuration On Exit” in Configuration settings should fix it. Also, you could just turn on Sort Saves and Save States in Folders in the Saving settings instead of specifying those in your configs.

Also, you should learn how to use override configs to make the things you’re doing automatic. To use those, look in Settings, Configuration and make sure Configuration Per Core is off and Load Override Files Automatically is on. Then you create a folder inside RetroArch/config for each emulator core, and a .cfg file inside of those folders with the name of the core. The correct name for the folder and config is the same as the folders in saves and states that get created automatically when you run a core and game with the sort save/state settings on. You can copy and paste settings from retroarch.cfg into those .cfgs and those settings will override the defaults for that core.

#4

Thanks for this! Going to give it a try tomorrow.

#5

Thanks for this! Going to give it a try tomorrow.

Btw sort saves and save states won’t work for me. My saves are in a different folder which is being synced and not in the retroarch folder.

#7

You can go into your directory settings and set your save and state folders to somewhere in your synced folder. Folders will be created in each of those using the core names with the sort options on.

#8

Cheers guys!

But what about cores that use multiple consoles?

For instance PicoDrive. I would like to sort my saves by console. So Mastersystem, Megadrive/Genesis, Gamegear all apart from each other.

But if I use the sort saves option it will sort it by core right? So those 3 consoles will have their saves in the same directory?

#9

Yeah, that is a limitation of the override feature. I like my saves sorted, but I don’t think it’s a big deal having those three lumped together in the GPGX folder. Not enough games for each of those systems support SRAM for it to feel messy.

#10

That’s a sure thing! But I think I suffer from O.C.D. :smiley: So I want to keep my games, saves, etc more organized than others. :smiley:

#11

I just gave it a try… Still having the same problems.

I disabled “Save Configuration On Exit” in the settings. I can change the save and save state dir in the settings but they get reset whenever I load the config. Deleted the whole RetroArch folder and ‘re-installed’ it 100x now…

[update] I just tried it in a fresh vmware virtual machine (win10 x64) and I have the same problem. Create a new config file, change save state and save dir. Save the config and exit. Start RetroArch, load just made config and check the directories: changed again!

#12

:smiley:

After hours of testing… I found the problem!

The Windows x64 download contains a retroarch.cfg file which has the following lines:


dpi_override_value = "160"
input_joypad_driver = "xinput"
input_osk_overlay_enable = "false"
load_dummy_on_core_shutdown = "false"
menu_collapse_subgroups_enable = "true"
video_driver = "gl"
system_directory = ":\system"
savefile_directory = ":\saves"
savestate_directory = ":\states"

If you open up RetroArch for the first time it will put all of its settings in retroarch.cfg but keeps the lines that are already in there, see above. This is were it goes wrong… All the other configs you make will have the problem described in the topic start.

To “fix” this do the following: Unpack RetroArch, go to the directory where you unpacked it and remove the retroarch.cfg file. Open up RetroArch for the first time, it will create a new retroarch.cfg file from scratch. Problem gone!

I can now make new config files as many as I like, change the save and save state dir and come back (re-load) the config file and the directories are still there!!

#14

But did you make a second config? The problem occurs only if I make different configs. So not just one (default) config but I have a config for every console.

So just to be clear. The normal retroarch.cfg does save “save” and “save state” dirs. It it just the other configs that are having this problem. So if you make a second config it has these problems (based on the default retroarch.cfg).

Well, it is “fixed” now. So I’m happy. It is not just my system only. I have tried 2 others as well (one VMware vm and a friends machine) and they had the same problem.