Question about Arcade OS

eevilcheese · Post by **eevilcheese** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:13 am

Seeing as I can't find a better site for this topic and that you guys have already helped me before, i was hoping you could help me

about a year ago i bought a cd called "Mame 32" I had expierience with Mame already and decided to buy the disk. It had like 4000 games on it and i figured that i would always love the arcade. My dad feels the same way and wants to make an arcade system for this.

We already have a computer that we will use and instead of the basic windows OS we would like it to be a bit more....whats the word....."arcady."

I Googled the words "arcade OS" and found this site http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/frontend.html

which seems to be pretty good. I was basically wondering how would i install this OS, and if it was good. Plus, would it automatically run off the CD or would i have to rip the ROMS off too.

Thanks a lot guys
-eevilcheese

PS if you guys cant help, could you link me to a better forum?

Post by **gannon** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:31 am

oo... I've never seen that one before. I was looking at the linux mame distro though

Post by **bicostp** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:32 am

I don't think that's a replacement OS, I think it's made so a PC can use a JAMMA board and an arcade screen.

Just use DOS with the MAME frontend in the autoexec.bat file, or a minimal Linux installation.

eevilcheese · Post by **eevilcheese** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:42 am

bicostp wrote:I don't think that's a replacement OS, I think it's made so a PC can use a JAMMA board and an arcade screen.

Just use DOS with the MAME frontend in the autoexec.bat file, or a minimal Linux installation.

Thats great and all, but i dont know how to do that....can you give me step by step instructions how, if its too much for right here, my AIM is
the eevilcheese and my msn is tombert@cyber-wars.com.

I reeally appreciate you helping me guys

Unidentified Assilant · Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:37 pm

I'd love that CD with 4000 Arcade Games... I'd surely build my own cabinet for it

Post by **SpongeBuell** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:59 pm

That isn't a new operating system, it's just a frontend, something to make emulator running prettier and easier. I have something similar on my arcade that I like a lot, called MameWah.

eevilcheese · Post by **eevilcheese** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:38 pm

SpongeBuell wrote:That isn't a new operating system, it's just a frontend, something to make emulator running prettier and easier. I have something similar on my arcade that I like a lot, called MameWah.

I dont Think i said it was new...o well, i dont care.....any idea on what the minimum factors are for the kind of PC you can use? Its ok to run on my pc, but i dont want to mess with it. I would like to buy a cheap computer and then put that on there. I have an old texas instuments laptop with about 128mb ram and about 150 Mhz speed. how much speed does a ps1 have, because thats about the max I'll need.

MameWah huh? Ill ook it up. I have a question....does it automatically find the roms on the cd or do i have to instruct it.... i dont really care, i just would like to be prepared.

Thanks again for all your help and for putting up with my n00byness on this subject.

EDIT: I see what you mean, it is just a cover...i need a replacement OS seeing as i need wipe the hard drive of the computer i want to use and i dont have the restore disk anymore.

SO if anyone knows a good replacement OS please tell me.

Post by **SpongeBuell** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 3:38 pm

eevilcheese wrote:
SpongeBuell wrote:That isn't a new operating system, it's just a frontend, something to make emulator running prettier and easier. I have something similar on my arcade that I like a lot, called MameWah.
I dont Think i said it was new...o well, i dont care.....any idea on what the minimum factors are for the kind of PC you can use? Its ok to run on my pc, but i dont want to mess with it. I would like to buy a cheap computer and then put that on there. I have an old texas instuments laptop with about 128mb ram and about 150 Mhz speed. how much speed does a ps1 have, because thats about the max I'll need.

MameWah huh? Ill ook it up. I have a question....does it automatically find the roms on the cd or do i have to instruct it.... i dont really care, i just would like to be prepared.

Thanks again for all your help and for putting up with my n00byness on this subject.

EDIT: I see what you mean, it is just a cover...i need a replacement OS seeing as i need wipe the hard drive of the computer i want to use and i dont have the restore disk anymore.

SO if anyone knows a good replacement OS please tell me.

Re: speed of a PS1: I don't remember exactly, but that is not the speed your computer needs to be. when a computer is emulating another system, it needs to pretend to be something it's not, which takes a lot of processing power. A perfect example of this is the ever common question of why a GP32 cannot emulate the Game Boy Advance. The GBA processor is lower than the GP32 (133, up to 166 or more when overclocked) but the GP32 still cannot emulate it because the GBA has graphics processors and stuff, which is too much for the GP32.

As for automatically finding roms: you need to tell it where the roms are, but it will detect all roms in the folder. It's best to separate them ahead of time, so if the files are zipped it doesn't mix them all together.

tom61 · Post by **tom61** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 5:08 pm

AdvanceCD seems to be what you're looking for in an OS:
http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/cd-readme.html

Minimum requirements vary by what games you want to run. Mame is all over the place when it comes to requirements, some games will run a 150MHz Pentium at full speed, some games run slowly even on a P4 3.2GHz or Athlon 64 3800+. Differences in graphics between games may be minimal, but thier emulation requirements may vary drastically.

xxxeagle · Post by **xxxeagle** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:33 pm

My local arcade just called me and said that they had a old cabinet that they could give me for free yipee I am now making my own mame they said they need a few weeks to strip it down so I will get it in two or three weeks hopefully they decide to leave the coin door. My freind said he might be able to give me a pc and I already have a monitor so I am pretty much set I am putting a ps2 in my mame also with wireless controllers so I dont have to be tethered to where ever I put the ps2 and I also am putting a/v, vga out so I can hook up another monitor I am also hooking up a wireless mouse and keyboard when I get the money. Thay way I can also use it to surf the net.

eevilcheese · Post by **eevilcheese** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:52 pm

tom61 wrote:AdvanceCD seems to be what you're looking for in an OS:
http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/cd-readme.html

Minimum requirements vary by what games you want to run. Mame is all over the place when it comes to requirements, some games will run a 150MHz Pentium at full speed, some games run slowly even on a P4 3.2GHz or Athlon 64 3800+. Differences in graphics between games may be minimal, but thier emulation requirements may vary drastically.

I eventually got KnoppiXMAME-1.3b19. Its a linux distro i think...

I know this seems like a lot but if anyone has a computer that they were going to give away, please send it to me. Of course, i know i sound like a n00b saying that, but I dont have any money and that really is the only limiting factor here. I already have the case (homemade) and a tv. I dont need a moniter, i have a lot of those.
I honestly doubt that anyone would really send me there old computer, but i sure sould like them to ^.^