[Wintermute0110]

@AndyHandy I'm sorry, the feature is already present in AEL in the development version in Github. You can install the development version (instructions on Github) or wait until I make the next release. In AEL settings go to Advanced tab, activate "Suspend/resume Kodi screensaver". This will disable the screensaver before launching (if it was on) and reenable when the launched app finishes. There is a small annoyance in with the current implementation: reenabling the screensaver does not reset the screensaver timer so the screensaver activates just after reenabling it.

[AndyHandy]

@AndyHandy I'm sorry, the feature is already present in AEL in the development version in Github. You can install the development version (instructions on Github) or wait until I make the next release. In AEL settings go to Advanced tab, activate "Suspend/resume Kodi screensaver". This will disable the screensaver before launching (if it was on) and reenable when the launched app finishes. There is a small annoyance in with the current implementation: reenabling the screensaver does not reset the screensaver timer so the screensaver activates just after reenabling it.

Many thanks, I will have a look

Andy

[AndyHandy]

@AndyHandy I'm sorry, the feature is already present in AEL in the development version in Github. You can install the development version (instructions on Github) or wait until I make the next release. In AEL settings go to Advanced tab, activate "Suspend/resume Kodi screensaver". This will disable the screensaver before launching (if it was on) and reenable when the launched app finishes. There is a small annoyance in with the current implementation: reenabling the screensaver does not reset the screensaver timer so the screensaver activates just after reenabling it.

Many thanks, I will have a look

Andy

I have just had a look at the Github and installed AEL version 0.9.9 but I cant see the option you mention and I cant see another development version, have I missed something?

Thanks again

Andy

[Wintermute0110]

@AndyHandy I'm sorry, the feature is already present in AEL in the development version in Github. You can install the development version (instructions on Github) or wait until I make the next release. In AEL settings go to Advanced tab, activate "Suspend/resume Kodi screensaver". This will disable the screensaver before launching (if it was on) and reenable when the launched app finishes. There is a small annoyance in with the current implementation: reenabling the screensaver does not reset the screensaver timer so the screensaver activates just after reenabling it.

Many thanks, I will have a look

Andy

I have just had a look at the Github and installed AEL version 0.9.9 but I cant see the option you mention and I cant see another development version, have I missed something?

Thanks again

Andy

If you installed the development version the version string must be "0.9.10-alpha", you can check it in Kodi addon manager. Do you have that version installed?

[AndyHandy]

Many thanks, I will have a look

Andy

I have just had a look at the Github and installed AEL version 0.9.9 but I cant see the option you mention and I cant see another development version, have I missed something?

Thanks again

Andy

If you installed the development version the version string must be "0.9.10-alpha", you can check it in Kodi addon manager. Do you have that version installed?

Hi

No I couldn't find that version on your GitHub do you have a link to it?

Sorry to be a nuisance

Regards

Andy

[Wintermute0110]

Hi

No I couldn't find that version on your GitHub do you have a link to it?

Sorry to be a nuisance

Regards

Andy

No problem, we all were starters once.

They have changed the Gihub interface a bit, I must update the instructions. Follow this link, click on the green button on the top of the page to the right that says "Code", then click on "Download ZIP". Once you have the zip scroll down the page and follow the instruction of the section "Installing the latest development version" for installation of the dev version. Instead of plugin.program.advanced.emulator.launcher-master the current dev version name is plugin.program.AEL-release-0.9.8, rest of instructions are OK and current.

[redshepard]

Do not desperate. In Linux there is always a solution, no matter how easy (or difficult). I have been doing some research. LibreELEC runs Kodi in standalone mode using a systemd service named kodi. Also, LibreELEC applies a C++ patch to Kodi core to prevent setting Kodi into a window. This makes sense: Kodi is running in standalone mode without a window manager so turning it into a window will be detrimental.

OK, so your solution is to use a wrapper shell script that turns Kodi off before launching the application, launchs the app, and then turns Kodi ON again. This will have the advantage that Kodi will not run on the background so you will have more CPU time to run the emulator (this is especially important for emulators like Dolphin or Mupen). I have made this wrapper script example looking at the wrapper script from Gamesterter addon:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
#
# Wrapper script to run Retroarch in LibreELEC
#
RETROARCH_EXECUTABLE="/change/this/retroarch"
LIBRETRO_CORES_DIR="/change/this/libretro/"

# --- Stop KODI ---
echo "Stopping Kodi service ..."
systemctl stop kodi

# --- Run retroarch ---
echo "Running Retroarch ..."
$RETROARCH_EXECUTABLE -L $LIBRETRO_CORES_DIR/$1_libretro.so -f -v "$2"

# --- Start KODI ---
echo "Starting Kodi service ..."
systemctl start kodi

Save this code in a file named "run_retroarch.sh". Remember this wrapper script must have executable permissions (chmod 755 run_retroarch.sh). Then, to use it in AEL:

Code:

Application: '/directory/run_retroarch.sh'
Arguments: 'core_name "$rom$"'

core_name does not include _libretro.so. For example, picodrive_libretro.so becomes picodrive. If you want to launch applications other than Retroarch you will need to create wrapper scripts on the same fashion.

Good luck!

Wintermute, you are da man!!!!! One can never despair when there is such dedicated and knowledgable developers such as yourself.

This looks fantastic, I will look at trying this out some time over the weekend.

Thanks again for all your help with this, I shall report back with results either way.

Hi, i know im late here but im trying to get this working with my retropie setup. The command im using to start my retroarch/rom is retropie's runcommand.sh, that command needs a path to rom as an input.
What i was hopeing to figure out is weather or not AEL has a way to pass that onto runcommand like you passed the path to libretro into your script. Thanks for any help.

[redshepard]

It looks LibreELEC is running Kodi in standalone mode without a Window manager. Please do an experiment for me: Go to Kodi settings, System Settings, Display. Can you change the Display Mode from Full Screen to Windowed? If so, when Kodi is a window, can you see a window border and the minimize, maximize and close buttons? If so you are running Kodi within a Window Manager and AEL should work OK. If you don't see the window border and buttons then you are running Kodi in standalone mode and AEL won't work well.

Unfortunately, nothing in Libreelec settings to change from full screen to windowed
Ah well thanks for all the help, I may have to look for some other option as it seems with my current setup AEL is not going to be happy
Cheers

Do not desperate. In Linux there is always a solution, no matter how easy (or difficult). I have been doing some research. LibreELEC runs Kodi in standalone mode using a systemd service named kodi. Also, LibreELEC applies a C++ patch to Kodi core to prevent setting Kodi into a window. This makes sense: Kodi is running in standalone mode without a window manager so turning it into a window will be detrimental.

OK, so your solution is to use a wrapper shell script that turns Kodi off before launching the application, launchs the app, and then turns Kodi ON again. This will have the advantage that Kodi will not run on the background so you will have more CPU time to run the emulator (this is especially important for emulators like Dolphin or Mupen). I have made this wrapper script example looking at the wrapper script from Gamesterter addon:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
#
# Wrapper script to run Retroarch in LibreELEC
#
RETROARCH_EXECUTABLE="/change/this/retroarch"
LIBRETRO_CORES_DIR="/change/this/libretro/"

# --- Stop KODI ---
echo "Stopping Kodi service ..."
systemctl stop kodi

# --- Run retroarch ---
echo "Running Retroarch ..."
$RETROARCH_EXECUTABLE -L $LIBRETRO_CORES_DIR/$1_libretro.so -f -v "$2"

# --- Start KODI ---
echo "Starting Kodi service ..."
systemctl start kodi

Save this code in a file named "run_retroarch.sh". Remember this wrapper script must have executable permissions (chmod 755 run_retroarch.sh). Then, to use it in AEL:

Code:

Application: '/directory/run_retroarch.sh'
Arguments: 'core_name "$rom$"'

core_name does not include _libretro.so. For example, picodrive_libretro.so becomes picodrive. If you want to launch applications other than Retroarch you will need to create wrapper scripts on the same fashion.

Good luck!

Hi, i know im late here but im trying to get this working with my retropie setup. The command im using to start my retroarch/rom is retropie's runcommand.sh, that command needs a path to rom as an input.
What i was hopeing to figure out is weather or not AEL has a way to pass that onto runcommand like you passed the path to libretro into your script. Thanks for any help.

[Wintermute0110]

Hi, i know im late here but im trying to get this working with my retropie setup. The command im using to start my retroarch/rom is retropie's runcommand.sh, that command needs a path to rom as an input.
What i was hopeing to figure out is weather or not AEL has a way to pass that onto runcommand like you passed the path to libretro into your script. Thanks for any help.

Better late than never AEL has a lot of variables you can use in your arguments to call the application. You can have a look at the list here. I will reproduce it here for your convenience:

python:


        log_info('_command_run_rom() raw arguments   "{0}"'.format(arguments))

        arguments = arguments.replace('$categoryID$', categoryID)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$launcherID$', launcherID)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$romID$', romID)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$rom$', ROMFileName.getPath())

        arguments = arguments.replace('$romfile$', ROMFileName.getPath())

        arguments = arguments.replace('$rompath$', rompath)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$rombase$', rombase)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$rombasenoext$', rombase_noext)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$romtitle$', romtitle)

        arguments = arguments.replace('$apppath$', apppath)

        # >> Legacy names for argument substitution

        arguments = arguments.replace('%rom%', ROMFileName.getPath())

        arguments = arguments.replace('%ROM%', ROMFileName.getPath())

If you need a variable not in there tell me with an example what you need, I will create it.

[redshepard]

Hi, i know im late here but im trying to get this working with my retropie setup. The command im using to start my retroarch/rom is retropie's runcommand.sh, that command needs a path to rom as an input.
What i was hopeing to figure out is weather or not AEL has a way to pass that onto runcommand like you passed the path to libretro into your script. Thanks for any help.

Better late than never AEL has a lot of variables you can use in your arguments to call the application. You can have a look at the list here. I will reproduce it here for your convenience:

python:


log_info('_command_run_rom() raw arguments "{0}"'.format(arguments))

arguments = arguments.replace('$categoryID$', categoryID)

arguments = arguments.replace('$launcherID$', launcherID)

arguments = arguments.replace('$romID$', romID)

arguments = arguments.replace('$rom$', ROMFileName.getPath())

arguments = arguments.replace('$romfile$', ROMFileName.getPath())

arguments = arguments.replace('$rompath$', rompath)

arguments = arguments.replace('$rombase$', rombase)

arguments = arguments.replace('$rombasenoext$', rombase_noext)

arguments = arguments.replace('$romtitle$', romtitle)

arguments = arguments.replace('$apppath$', apppath)

# >> Legacy names for argument substitution

arguments = arguments.replace('%rom%', ROMFileName.getPath())

arguments = arguments.replace('%ROM%', ROMFileName.getPath())

If you need a variable not in there tell me with an example what you need, I will create it.

you are awesome man, thankyou for your quick reply.
i still cant figure this out and im sure im messing up on something simple here.

in the cli i can run this to open gba files:


/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ gba /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/gba/ROM


so i have tried making a .sh to launch roms and this is what i have so far:


#!/bin/sh

sudo kodi-send --action="Quit"

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ $1 $2

kodi


and in AEL under arguments i have:


gba "$rom$"


im not sure what im doing wrong, i thought the $1 and $2 would pas in the gba and /path/to/rom to the runcommand.sh.
thanks again for all your time.

[Wild_Tom]

Hi, I am a new user of this addon and I cant create a subcategory, is it even possible to do this?
Thanks, Wild Tom

[Wintermute0110]

Hi, I am a new user of this addon and I cant create a subcategory, is it even possible to do this?
Thanks, Wild Tom

Go to "AEL addon settings", "Display" tab, make sure the setting "Categories display mode" is set to "Standard". Then, open the context menu in the addon main window on Favourites, for example, and select "Create New Category".

Long explanation: by default AEL shows the categories in flat mode which means that all your launcher are displayed in the main window like "Category name - Launcher name". However, there is a bug and is that if you create an empty category it will have no launchers and hence it will not be displayed unless the "Categories display mode" is set to "Standard". I have to fix this bug, in the mean time use the workaround I told you.

[Wintermute0110]

you are awesome man, thankyou for your quick reply.
i still cant figure this out and im sure im messing up on something simple here.

in the cli i can run this to open gba files:


/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ gba /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/gba/ROM


so i have tried making a .sh to launch roms and this is what i have so far:


#!/bin/sh

sudo kodi-send --action="Quit"

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ $1 $2

kodi


and in AEL under arguments i have:


gba "$rom$"


im not sure what im doing wrong, i thought the $1 and $2 would pas in the gba and /path/to/rom to the runcommand.sh.
thanks again for all your time.

The code you posted should do the job, just put quotes on the ROM name and the system name (just in case there is spaces):

Code:


#!/bin/sh

sudo kodi-send --action="Quit"

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ "$1" "$2"

kodi


Also, open the Launcher context menu, select "Edit Launcher", select "Advanced Modifications", make sure the setting "Non-blocking launcher" is ON. Otherwise, sudo kodi-send --action="Quit" will not work. Also, when you type sudo in the CLI are you asked for a password? If so the script won't work.

Finally, what is exactly the problem you have? Kodi not exiting? Retroarch not launching? Please describe it better. Also, if you can provide a debug log following the instructions of the first post that will be great.

[redshepard]

you are awesome man, thankyou for your quick reply.
i still cant figure this out and im sure im messing up on something simple here.

in the cli i can run this to open gba files:


/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ gba /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/gba/ROM


so i have tried making a .sh to launch roms and this is what i have so far:


#!/bin/sh

sudo kodi-send --action="Quit"

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ $1 $2

kodi


and in AEL under arguments i have:


gba "$rom$"


im not sure what im doing wrong, i thought the $1 and $2 would pas in the gba and /path/to/rom to the runcommand.sh.
thanks again for all your time.

The code you posted should do the job, just put quotes on the ROM name and the system name (just in case there is spaces):

Code:


#!/bin/sh

sudo kodi-send --action="Quit"

/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ "$1" "$2"

kodi


Also, open the Launcher context menu, select "Edit Launcher", select "Advanced Modifications", make sure the setting "Non-blocking launcher" is ON. Otherwise, sudo kodi-send --action="Quit" will not work. Also, when you type sudo in the CLI are you asked for a password? If so the script won't work.

Finally, what is exactly the problem you have? Kodi not exiting? Retroarch not launching? Please describe it better. Also, if you can provide a debug log following the instructions of the first post that will be great.

you are an absolute champion.
That was exactly what i needed. I'm not sure what the non blocking launcher setting does but it solved all my problems. I wasn't able to see the error logs in my runcommand log file because it wasn't getting called, kodi was crashing on the kodi-send event, I had assumed the event went through and quit kodi when it was actually just crashing. The only other thing i had to do was quote out the $rom$ in the arugments menu as the "$2" wasn't enough. everything is working amazingly now, thanks for all your help. I will be shareing this with the other raspberry pi lovers and hopefully try to steer some to this awesome addon.

[Wintermute0110]

you are an absolute champion.
That was exactly what i needed. I'm not sure what the non blocking launcher setting does but it solved all my problems. I wasn't able to see the error logs in my runcommand log file because it wasn't getting called, kodi was crashing on the kodi-send event, I had assumed the event went through and quit kodi when it was actually just crashing. The only other thing i had to do was quote out the $rom$ in the arugments menu as the "$2" wasn't enough. everything is working amazingly now, thanks for all your help. I will be shareing this with the other raspberry pi lovers and hopefully try to steer some to this awesome addon.

Thanks for your kind words.

If you like the technicalities, when AEL launches and app the launcher is blocking. This means that AEL waits until the launched app is closed and returns. Note that Kodi is multithreaded, this means there are several pieces executing at the same time. When an AEL thread is waiting for the launched app to finish you can use Kodi, use AEL, even launch another app with AEL. In this case, AEL will detect there is another AEL thread executing and will prevent another execution. This is to prevent the database corruption issues that plagued old good Advanced Launcher. However, like in your case, some users need the launcher to be non-blocking. In this case, AEL launches the application and it does not wait for the app to finish. This may lead to database corruption BUT because you are closing Kodi and then run the app in your script it is OK.

So, to summarize: blocking launchers are the default to prevent database corruption and it is what most users want. Kodi needs to run with a Window Manager and keeps in the background and the launched app in the foreground. Non-blocking launchers are for people that need to close Kodi when launching apps, especially in low-end devices like the Pi.