[Wintermute0110]

Hi all
I've been trying to get this setup on a S905 box for a few days on and off, and have been having trouble trying to figure out how to get it set up to use retroarch as its default emulator. I can use retroarch to load various ROMs off various systems but have had no success in getting the basic setup of AEL to a point where I can use it.
I gather using Libreelec 8 that I should be setting up my launchers as "ROM launcher (emulator)" as LE8 doesn't yet have the retroplayer stuff incorporated, right?
Anyway, when I try to setup my launcher, it asks to point to the launcher file in the file system, and I can't for the life of me find where I can access the retroarch executable file to point the launcher at.
I am sure I am missing the point here somewhere, if anybody has experience with this sort of setup I'd be grateful of any help.
I should add this is on a Minix U1 box loaded with kszap's LE 8.0.2e build.
Sorry if this seems like an obvious question but I have tried finding answers and can't seem to find anything in this thread or elsewhere that helps me figure it out.
Thanks in advance

Edit - with even further looking around, I found the AEL-asset-library on wintermute's github - anyone have any idea if these xml files should work on a standard Retroarch setup on LibreElec? thx

OK, don't desperate. We're here to help

If you can use Retroarch I assume you have installed a Retroarch addon into Libreelect 8 like, for example, JoKeRzBoX. In order to configure a Retroarch launcher you will need these things:

Code:

Application -> path to Retroach executable
Core path -> path to a Retroarch core. You will need it for the Arguments.
ROM path -> path where you ROMs are. You have to create it in a writable directory.
Assets path -> path where you assets are. You have to create it in a writable directory.

Since you call Retroarch this way:

Code:

/home/kodi/bin/retroarch -L /home/kodi/libretro/ppsspp_libretro.so -f -v "$rom$"

In this example of a Sony PSP launcher the Application is /home/kodi/retroarch and the Arguments '/home/kodi/libretro/ppsspp_libretro.so -f -v "$rom$"'. You will need to investigate where the Retroarch Application and the Retroarch Cores are intalled in your system. This depends of the addon you use to install Retroarch on Libreelect.

Next, you will need to find a writable directory to create the ROM path and the Assets path. Both must be different for each launcher. To find a suitable directory check that out on a Libreelect forum or the documentation.

Note that the XML configuration files in the AEL asset library are currently for Linux, Windows and Android. Linux is the operating system with most XML configurations because is the OS I use for development of AEL and also the OS installed in my Kodi box. Recently, bite_your_idols has included XML configurations if you use his Gamestarted addon, but Gamestarter is only available for Raspberry Pi.

LE8 does not have Retroplayer, you will need an external emulator. Also, according to Garbear, Retroplayer in Kodi Leia won't be able to load core BIOSes. This means basically that any core that requires a BIOS cannot be used until Retroplayer is improved (presumably in Kodi M****, we are talking about Feb/Mar 2019 at current development pace).

To configure your launcher you can use AEL launcher setup wizard (context menu "Add new Launcher") or you can create an XML file with the launcher configuration and then impor it in AEL settings, I/O tab. I recommend the latter because you can always edit the XML, make your changes, and reimport again. It's quicker than use AEL's GUI.

Once you have some working XML configurations for Libreelect and Retroarch addon XXXX then you can add them to the AEL asset library so other people can benefit.

I guess this does not answer all you questions but I think it could be a good start.