Last winter 2020/21 I did find a good old GameCube on the rooftop of my wife.
After cleaning the GameCube and after changing / renewing the backup battery (CR2032),
the date, time and storing GameCube settings did work again.
Then, I began to figure out what can be done with the GameCube furthermore - except playing original games.
So, after reading many things about the GameCube hardware and reading many things about software/hardware modification and GameCube homebrew,
I am now able to use my GameCube as a:
+ MP3 player and file manager (Swiss for GameCube),
+ MoviePlayer (Mplayer GameCube version)
+ Emulator (Game Boy (Advance/Color), SNES, NES, N64 etc...)
+ Gaming console with pixel perfect HDMI TV display and crystal clear sound (GCVideo)
+ fast GameCube DVD backup images - library; with the help of Swiss, CleanRip and GCLoader (yeah, GCLoader firmware 2.0.0 beta is out - few days ago)
Well, the latest public ScummVM release for GameCube is: 1.5.0.
Meanwhile - some month ago, on ScummVM's buildbot Page, I could see that there was a new ScummVM GameCube version
+++ v2.2.1 release ("gamecube-stable-latest-0a7dd239.tar.xz") +++
A version which is working and which is newer than the public version 1.5.0
So it has much more features and bugfixes than the "old"/public 1.5.0 release.
Here is an example of how good the GameCube version of ScummVM 2.2.1 (stable latest 0a7dd239) could start the game: 7th Guest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LXcwwnY_k
(some stutter is coming from a little weak notebook while capturing, GameCube ScummVM 2.2.1 runs the 7th Guest flawlessly)
Here are some screenshots from the working version of GameCube ScummVM 2.2.1:
- ezgif-7-c33f9f7dc221.gif (2.75 MiB) Viewed 24301 times
Well, this week, I would like to test the latest ScummVM GameCube daily snapshot buildbot releases (stable or master), but there are some errors.
1.)
After the first start of a current GameCube release (gamecube-stable-64c94097) a new scummvm.ini will be stored on SD2SP2's MicroSD card (ScummVM's internal drive descriptor: "sd://") by default,
not in the same folder where the ScummVM.dol file was started from (e.g. from SDGecko - port B - ScummVM's internal drive descriptor: "cardb://").
2.)
Then (without configuring ScummVM) I can choose a game directory and ScummVM detects the game / the game engine inside the chosen directory.
But, if I would like to start it, then an error appears:
"Could not find any engine capable of running the selected game"
- ScummVM-GameCube-2-3-0-pre297-stable-64c94097-troubles-01-206.png (29.62 KiB) Viewed 24301 times
- ScummVM-GameCube-2-3-0-pre297-stable-64c94097-troubles-01-207.png (10.69 KiB) Viewed 24301 times
3.)
If I quit ScummVM after configuring it (setting the different path variables) and restart ScummVM, I will get a crash:
startup as <unknown>
chdir to default
initSize 320*200*8 (000 -> 000 match: 1)
Abort called.
ScummVM exited abnormally (-127)
Press any key to continue.
_
- ezgif-7-81706051d442.gif (5.18 MiB) Viewed 24301 times
So, I have to delete the scummvm.ini file from the SD2SP2 MicroSD card ("sd://") and after this, ScummVM starts again, but with the already described bugs.
Here are some videos- and the described troubles - from the latest ScummVM GameCube buildbot releases:
https://youtu.be/CwrWzpPA_kc
https://youtu.be/BgRCSU2yNXU
Well, inside the "READMII.txt" (this file did not seem to be changed/updated for a long time) I can read this:
GameCube:
Load "/apps/scummvm/scummvm-gc.dol" with your favorite loader.
Is it important to rename the .dol file (from daily builds (ScummVM buildbot)) to: "scummvm-gc.dol"?
Is the path (where the ScummVM directory is placed) important, even if other path settings are configured in ScummVM?
What is the default behavior of current ScummVM GameCube releases:
+++ writing scummvm.ini to SD2SP2 ("sd://") by default?
+++ using SD2SP2 ("sd://") by default and ignoring changed path settings (crash)?
+++ expecting a certain path and ignoring where it was started from (e.g. from SDGecko - "cardb://") - if a SD2SP2 ("sd://") was detected?
Are the described errors results of hard-coded path variables/settings (beside the viewable/changeable settings) - does ScummVM ignore some defined path settings?
Well, because the v2.2.1 GameCube release did work very well, where can other interested users
download the pre-compiled v2.2.1 ScummVM GameCube release today again?
Is there a ScummVM buildbot archive anywhere?
What is the latest working stable/master ScummVM GameCube release?
Well, because the GameCube community is still alive (growing again?) and because the GameCube hardware/software mods and the GameCube homebrew have made great progress the last few months, e. g.:
+frequently updated Swiss for GameCube
+different updated homebrew that now supports GC Loader firmware 2.0.0 (write support)
+recently update GC Loader firmware 2.0.0
...it would be great, if someone could reach it to bring the current and future buildbot GameCube release(s) of ScummVM to a working state again - including:
+GCLoader 2.0.0 firmware support
+creating/using the scummvm.ini in/from the directory where "scummvm.dol" was started from
+less soft/less milky, more sharpen ScummVM themes/fonts inside the ScummVM GUI
It is maybe because of the ScummVM's RGB-theme-to-YUV/YV12-GameCube-framebuffer conversation.
So, the ScummVM GameCube version's themes/fonts should be really sharp and pixel perfect in its source code/ in its resource files (regarding GameCube output resolution) so that ScummVM does not need to resize/scale the themes/fonts anymore while runtime.
Furthermore, an option for changing the output resolution in ScummVM would be great.
(including progressive video modes)
Especially, realizing the max. possible output resolution would be great.
(here are some GameCube output resolution related technical documents: https://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3335 ; maybe this could help anyhow)
If someone is:
+ able to bring and hold the latest ScummVM GameCube buildbot release(s) into a working state
+ able to add new features, like:
++ScummVM-wide(path settings, storing/loading support etc.) GC Loader 2.0.0 support
++support for: ASCII keyboard controller / Mad Catz Sharkboard / Datel Powerboard / ebest e-Keyboard Converter for PC/PS2/GC/XBOX / Mayflash GC Keyboard & PS controller Adapter 2 in 1
++and features describes some lines before
+ interested in getting a frequent patreon.com support for maintaining the (future) GameCube releases of ScummVM
... then I will help you with frequent patreon.com support.