How to do a "Retroarch + EmulationStation "Vanilla" flashable image?

General Development
#1

TL;DR: I want Recalbox + EmulationStation only image and flash it on a SSD

Hello everyone, not sure where to start to explain what I exactly want. I think I’ve tried almost all the frontend available today… And I’m not happy with none of them.

Let me try to explain:

Lakka: fast, simple, I love it but I regret the fact that we can’t have more details about a game: fanart, background, music, video, screenshot etc…

Retroarch: it’s not properly a frontend neither, so I would say it’s like Lakka for me, missing the medias.

Recalbox: Good work, but there’s so many options I don’t like. It’s great, fast, simple, but I don’t like the fact that everything come out of the box. I like to customize my project.

Retropie: Same.

I would like to do a fast-booting machine dedicated to retrogaming. I will use for thisc my Intel Nuc5i3 (Broadwell).

So, now, the terrific question: is there a possibility to compil/download a “vanilla” EmulationStation + retroarch, nothing less, nothing more. no more hideous flashy theme, Kodi implemented etc… Just a pure basic EmulationStation + retroarch.

I would like to flash it like we can do with Recalbox or Batocera or Lakka. So I can’t direclty install it on my SSD and boot directly on it.

Is something like that possible? If yes, how? (I’m not a developper, lol).

Don’t be upset please, I’m just trying to obtain what is for me the Holy grail of what I want to do. I hope you will understand.

Have a nice day or a good night!

#2

Hi Mydriaze. I think you have a small confusion.

Retroarch is the interface that merges the cores and all the additional features of the LibRetro project. Lakka is a Linux distro based on RetroArch, it is the same but in a dedicated system (console style).

Emulastation and all others are frontend that execute diverse emulators and LibRetro cores.

I have no idea if what you ask exists, although I think you are looking for something more like Hyperspin, it is very common to find pre-configured pack.

#3

You need an OS underlying so that everything else stands on it lol. So if you are not a developer your best bet is just install windows 8 and everything else on top of that and customize it.

In theory you could create a linux distro and add the rest, customize it so it sees what you want on the paths you would define. But you would have to know how to do it, or someone else do it for you.

#4

Thanks for your reply. I made a mistake in my explaination. I know retroarch as a software cause I’m using it on my main desktop PC.

I would like something like Recalbox but without the too many options Recalbox have.

#5

The goal of having a flashable image directly on a SSD is a small light weigh distro to boot on. Like Recalbox, for exemple. And yes, I don’t know how to do it.

#6

I do not understand what you want to say.

This is the official forum of RetroArch and LibRetro, it is not the right place to ask for help from other frontend.

#7

Have you tried Ludo or Ludo OS? It’s a minimalist emulator frontend. Ludo OS is the one you can install as a OS similar to Lakka OS. https://ludo.libretro.com/#ludos

As for Lakka OS, you can change the background, fonts, and thumbnails for games. You can even change the UI type from XMB to that newer Ozone interface. So I am confused a bit about your explanation on Lakka.

#8

Hello everyone,

I don’t want to start a flame war. I was just trying to ask how to get a Retroarch + EmulationStation image to flash. Retropie , recalbox are two customize front end on the top of Retroarch .I was just asking if someone know how to do a proper version, without any extra categories (Recalbox for example got Kodi in it, weird game ports, homebrew game etc…).

#9

I understand you, nothing happens.

I am trying to explain that Retroarch is a complete integrated system, ready to work, just install. Is the official interface of the LibRetro project and is linked to all the features offered, Run-Aheas, Shades, CRTSWitch, etc.
You have several topics and you can customize, Ozone, Xmb, rgui, etc.

flash-image? you have Lakka.
Lakka is a Linux distro only with RetroArch.

Emulatation, Retropie, Recalbox, etc. They are “only” frontends. They have nothing to do with Lib-Retro. If you want to make an image with those projects, you have to ask for information in those projects.

In other words, this is a LibRetro/RetroArch’s official forum. If you want help with Recalbox, go to the Recalbox forum.