FB Alpha v0.2.97.43 core missing from Android version?

RetroArch Android devices
#1

Hi, I recently switched my version of Retroarch from the one in the PlayStore to the one from the website.

And it appears that the FB Alpha v0.2.97.43 core is no longer available in Core Downloader?

The set of ROMs I have is specific to that version (a lot of them are no longer recognised by the FBNeo core, and if I use the latest FBNeo DAT to filter what I have I lose several thousand ROMs).

As a side note: I did have a set of FBNeo ROMs and several thousand of those will also be removed by the new DAT, so I’m not sure what has changed?

#2

Hi! Yes FB Alpha has been gone since 2018, see here.

If you really really want v0.2.97.43 you would have to compile it. Shouldn’t be too difficult on Linux, but I have no idea how it is for Android.

1 Like
#3

Ah thanks, wow I must have had that core installed since then :sweat_smile:

I probably have that core installed on an old phone, I’ll see if I can copy it over somehow :+1:

#4

FB Alpha v0.2.97.44 core is actually on buildbot but not showing up in core downloader. You can manually download and install it on Android (unpack .so file and “Load Core > Install or Restore a Core”). Its .info file is missing and core will show up as “fbalpha_libretro_android.so” in the list. But it’s just a text file and you can create one yourself. I found one from another site.

64-bit: http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/arm64-v8a/fbalpha_libretro_android.so.zip

32-bit: http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/armeabi-v7a/fbalpha_libretro_android.so.zip

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#5

Awesome, thanks, I had trouble installing at first, but once I moved the .so file into Retroarch’s Download folder, I could install from there.

The issue I have is that when I load content it doesn’t suggest the core in the list to launch it. Is that what you referred to re. the info file?

#6

Here is my .info file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uecigpzz1185i4v/fbalpha_libretro.info?dl=0

You need to change “Core Info” location in “Settings > Directories” and put this file there. Its default location on Android is inaccessible without rooting. I changed it to “/storage/emulated/0/RetroArch/info”. After this (probably should restart RetroArch), do an “Update Core Info Files” under “Online Updater”, which will download .info files for other cores from buildbot.

1 Like
#7

Thank you very much :+1:

I will give it a go.

#8

Update: Thank you so much @haojiezhu it works perfectly :grin:

#9

FBNeo is the follow-up of FBAlpha. Afaik there is absolutely no reason to use deprecated FBAlpha, FBNeo is just plain better in every regards (better emulation, more games supported), with maybe a few games being marginally slower after getting various fixes, but there is just as many that got marginally faster.

#10

Thanks, I agree :slight_smile: The main reason I wanted the older version is down to the specific ROM set I already have on my phone.

A lot of my existing ROMs appeared to be incompatible with Neo, and when I filtered them with the DAT for Neo, a large amount disappeared.

I have since discovered I probably have an issue with clrmamepro as I just filtered the latest MAME set using the DAT for Neo, but this time I used ROMVault, it took longer but the set is now almost complete :blush:

I’ll eventually get around to copying the Neo ROM set to my phone, but for now I have a nice quick fix :wink:

#11

@haojiezhu have you got FB neo v1.0.0.02 core for armv7?