Arcade Setup MiSTer Backend + Pi GUI Frontend

[CTSS]

Hey guys!

Since i was unable to find a ready to use solution, i try my luck and ask the source, the MiSTer community

I don't own a MiSTer yet but i try to figure out a solution for my next arcade cabinet build. The only downsinde so far is the lack of any nice GUI, so i'm looking for a solution. Since the MiSTer can't handl it on its own (as far as i can tell), i would like to use a PC or Pi as a frontend, running Retro Arch, AttractMode od even Hyperspin.

After some surfing, i found nothing. Well, almost nothing. There is an interesting project called "remote" https://github.com/wizzomafizzo/mrext/t ... cmd/remote that can handly a lot over API calls. My hardware setup should be able to start a game on the MiSTer and end it if the GUI frontend is calling it. It would switch monitor inputs from the Pi to the MiSTer and back if the game ends (pushing the quit button) controlled by the GUI software. I'm not very skilled in Go but i could do this, based on wizzomafizzo's code (i guess).

Long story short: Is there any ready to use solution for my project like this out there yet? Hard to belive i am the first trying to get something like this running...

Thanks!

[Newsdee]

You can also check the GolEM project which is an attempt to rewrite the MiSTer firmware:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-fpga-93831629
Maybe it can accommodate to load images in the background based on the game selection.

But in general, if you just want a launcher, maybe it can be made to run on the MiSTer ARM core directly, you don't need an RPi for it.

[CTSS]

I for sure won't get into FPGA programming just to get a very limited GUI with kind ow low red picture suport going. If i get a MiSTer and there will be no option like i described in my original post, i will play around for an hour, start some cores and put it some where and maybe never use it again. The usability has to be DAU proof. Anyone should be able to use it without even knowing whats running in the background and if it is not working that way, i can't use it in my project.

There are so many games running on the MiSTer, hard to belive all of you owners handle the selection over the minimalistic menu the MiSTer offers.

[AngelicLiver]

Personally, I much prefer the MiSTer's OSD to flashy frontends. From the many conversations that have come and gone about developing a GUI, I don't think I'm alone in that camp either. The star of the show are the systems and their games, the utilitarianism of the OSD should be commended. If I want to play a game, I select it from the menu and play it. You are never going to get something EmulationStation or HyperSpin working natively on the DE10-Nano, there are innumerable technical limitations (GoLEm looks neat though, great work!).

That said, the Wizzo's remote script IS great. I use it in conjunction with NFC tags on my arcade setup. It would be entirely feasible for someone to elaborate on that work and incorporate metadata into a web application; perhaps run a web server on a Pi that sends SSH commands to the MiSTer. I had even contemplated working on this in the past but, honestly, I'm not attracted to the idea at all and wouldn't use it. Those that use the arcade cabinet are oblivious to its workings, the OSD isn't present. When booted up the cab is configured to play the last core, if someone wants to change the game they just look through the NFC card and scan one on the control panel. If I need to configure anything, 99.9% of what I need can be done via the Remote script and the rest I'll SSH in to deal with. It's a complete non-issue.

PC hardware can be gotten cheap. SBCs are cheap. They will play all the games you want with Batocera or your OS of choice with minimal effort. If this lack of a GUI is a deal breaker for you, it is probably best to look elsewhere and you'll save yourself some money in doing so.

[Newsdee]

I for sure won't get into FPGA programming just to get a very limited GUI with kind ow low red picture suport going.

The MiSTer firmware is written in C++ and GolEm in Rust. They run on the Linux OS inside MISTer's DE-10.

Assuming you intend to have some kind of simple "kiosk" setup - like an arcade cabinet - there are already a few things available:

• It can be configured to always launch the same core on startup (just like a real arcade cabinet)

• or, you can have it load the last core used on startup (for more flexibility)

• you can create shortcuts for Arcade and Console games to show on the startup OSD menu

• the menu structure can be customized as you see fit (folders -> subfolders)

• there is a script to automatically organize arcade cores by useful criteria: https://github.com/theypsilon/_arcade-organizer

• aside from the remote script, there is this RFID launcher: https://github.com/ElRojo/MiSTerRFID

• you can also install Super Attract Mode to automatically cycle through available games: https://github.com/mrchrisster/MiSTer_SAM

With the above you can curate an arcade cabinet with a few 100s games that you like and leave it running for others to enjoy.

You could also, in theory, write a replacement startup binary that shows you a nice graphical menu, and then uses command line to launch the MiSTer framework with a core. In fact I'm surprised nobody attempted this with a RetroArch or similar UI already.

There are so many games running on the MiSTer, hard to belive all of you owners handle the selection over the minimalistic menu the MiSTer offers.

It's not much different than an Everdrive. I also prefer the bare-bones menu when I use computer cores with thousands of disk images. It would be impossible to make a neat launcher with box art for all the games and software (commercial, homebrew, demos, etc).

At home I have a MiSTer arcade cabinet configured to always start on Bubble Bubble, and it takes me less than a couple of minutes to show people around me how to switch to another arcade game if they feel like it.

[CTSS]

Thanks you guys!

So there is no one stop shop solution yet. Guess i have to spend some time on this myself. Won't be this hard. A script to indexing games and one that handles start/stop. I think i will go the a websocket server like the remote code shows, just without the webserver. On the GUI side i guess i'll got with a Qt consol app (so i can use it on win and linux) that communicates over websocket and controls the MiSTer.

A solid frontend is very useful for organazing a larger amount of games and will show anyone a preview. I find organizing and previewing game content important if a "normal" non geek person will use it. Well, i guess it depends on the use case. In my case, kids wanna play with it and they don't know about cores, ssh, remote scripts, ...

[FPGA64]

Thanks you guys!

So there is no one stop shop solution yet. Guess i have to spend some time on this myself. Won't be this hard. A script to indexing games and one that handles start/stop. I think i will go the a websocket server like the remote code shows, just without the webserver. On the GUI side i guess i'll got with a Qt consol app (so i can use it on win and linux) that communicates over websocket and controls the MiSTer.

A solid frontend is very useful for organazing a larger amount of games and will show anyone a preview. I find organizing and previewing game content important if a "normal" non geek person will use it. Well, i guess it depends on the use case. In my case, kids wanna play with it and they don't know about cores, ssh, remote scripts, ...

You dont need to learn any of that to use the Mister Interface.

Chosoe the core, Choose the Game. Much better than a bloated Retroarch/ Hyper spin front end

[KennyL]

Erik W/soulctcher was working on dynamic wallpaper that changes wallpaper as you browse game. It looked pretty cool. He stopped working on it after it got rejected but maybe you could play around with his fork.

https://youtu.be/F_Y4Qla5ZLI?si=Rlpmz0fojPIPG2XT

https://github.com/soulctcher/Main_MiSTer/releases

Since there's no hope in changing people's minds, I'd like to see fork of more modern UI. Current programmer UI is pretty amateurish. Wizzo's Remote is huge step forward in usability and I wish something like this could be brought into the main UI.

[Newsdee]

So there is no one stop shop solution yet. Guess i have to spend some time on this myself.

Go for it!
I suggest you spend some time getting familiar with existing features and trying them out. You can also check how to run a program on the Linux side at startup, so a reset will bring you back to the launcher.

[CTSS]

I was able to get it running almost without coding on my end. Got a MiSTer from a friend over the weekend. I was able to use putty, ssh and Hyperspin to get the game running. Also got a script running now that indexes cores/games on the MiSTer, to get the Hpyerspin game index and artwork going, without manual setup. And all under 2 hours. MiSTer is a great project but it really needs more focus on players instead of developers. This is not for gamers who can turn on a Playstation.

[MostroW]

MiSTer is a great project but it really needs more focus on players instead of developers. This is not for gamers who can turn on a Playstation.

This was an enthusiast project from the start, MiSTer wasn't the first and most likely won't be the last of it's kind you'd see.
It's not that hard coming to grips with it's minimal layout.

Personally i don't require a candycane interface to interact with a device, i wouldn't mind if it did however, it's just not a requirement for me.

If you want to have a go at it, pick up a Pi and have a go i'd say, who knows maybe people will line up for it?

[CTSS]

It is not about a nicer GUI, i just believe a more accessible way just for players would be a nice addition to the MiSTer project.