Post by spannernick on Oct 28, 2023 17:33:48 GMT
by @emuchicken and dajoho of Team Pandory www.youtube.com/teampandory
WHAT IS PANDORY?
The Pandory Mod is "sideloaded" firmware for the A500 mini which gives you full access to the machine and allows you to run native programs that enable many new game emulators, such as RetroArch. It comes in the form of a WHDLOAD package and exploits a hidden-feature of the A500 amiberry emulator to run native code. It runs completely from USB stick and is 100% removable.
Please choose 60hz video from the A500 Mini video settings for best performance when using PPSSPP and any other systems OTHER than Amiga.
If you have any questions/problems, join us on Discord and we will help you out: teampandory.com/discord
v2 2022.09.05
Updates in this release:
Migrated the underlying udev-zero library to the better eudev library for more controller compatibility
Included many new automatic controller configurations. Any missing controllers can be added if you map them using the Retro Games Gamepad or using a usb keyboard.
Fixed a bug that retroarch was using SDL2 controller configs instead of udev.
New video in the media player from TheGebs24!
Fixed PPSSPP vcore sometimes not launching games
New mame2003 core which can be optionally used if needed
A500 Kickstarts are automounted to all the needed locations for a more smooth Amiberry5 experience.
Default Amiga Playlist core is now Amiberry5 (for LHA/whdload files).
Amiberry5 menu can now be accessed with the gamepad select button.
SNES9X core fixed (Thanks Barry Williams for the bug report).
Updated a few other minor emulator cores
Notice: We have changed a lot of the controller-handling in this release. if you have any controller issues and cannot navigate using your controller, let us know on Discord: teampandory.com/discord
v2
Adds many more features, including:
Support for firmware 1.1.1
You no longer need to hold back the firmware update to keep compatibility with Pandory500.
host-run not required. We prefer host-rum! Grog! Grog! Grog!
If you are using PCUAE you do not need to update THEA500 Mini's firmware, PCUAE does that now for you so no need to update to Firmware v1.1.1 so only do what it say below if your using Pandory without PCUAE.
For optimal compatibility please upgrade to firmware 1.1.1: teampandory.com/fw111. The earlier 1.0.0 firmware has buggy libraries and poor joystick support.
Warning: ensure you use a good quality usb stick, power-supply and disconnect all non-essential devices before upgrading your firmware. Please be aware that some addons requiring host-run functionality may cease to function. Aminimiga and AGS addons are known to be compatible with the new firmware.
NATIVE (non-libretro) emulators for optimal memory usage and speed:
OpenBOR for beat-em-ups
PPSSPP for Playstation Portable games (much faster than the libretro psp cores)
Dreamcast/Naomi and Atomiswave via Flycast standalone (faster than libretro)
BIG: Native DOSBOX Staging
Emulated speeds of up to around Pentium 1
With shareware/freeware game-pack:
Commander Keen
Raptor
Duke Nukem 1, 2 and 3D
Wacky Wheels
Command and Conquer Demo / Command and Conquer Red Alert - Freeware version
.. and more!
Virtual passthrough retroarch-cores "vcores" to start the emulators via Retroarch, with memory-clearing before the emulators are launched.
New Amiberry version 5.3
improved emulation
Almost two years of new bugfixes/improvements not in the stock firmware emulator
including Retroarch vcore to start Amiberry5 games directly from retroarch.
Two further preconfigured vcores to start Amiberry as a A500 or A1200.
Support for many disk formats
Autoconfiguration of controllers and kickstarts
UPDATED Controller configurations
Use MORE gamepads than the stock firmware.
Native MPV HD Video player
With mini tutorials to help you use Pandory500.
With example video pack.
Native Opencubic Mod/MP3 Music player
With tracks from D4XX and Barry Leitch
And a few Podcasts from top retrogaming podcast Arcade-Attack
Retroarch Shaders and Overlay Pack
More free memory
Linux cache periodically deleted to free up memory.
Optional thumbnail pack containing thousands of box-art and screen grab images.
Soft-Shutdown
Power down all devices, safely unmount USB drives and enter a low-power state directly from the RetroArch menu. We still recommend to disconnect your A500 after use.
Notes:
Most emulators work straight away, but some emulators require additional BIOS/system files. Put any you need inside the Pandory/.user/.config/retroarch/system folder. We cannot supply these, but there are several collections available online for you to legally use if you own the original systems. For example: RetroPie Bios Pack or Batocera Bios Pack.
Dreamcast BIOS files need to be in Pandory/.user/.config/flycast/shared
Amiberry uses the inbuilt A500 Amiga Kickstart files. It may require you, however, to click the Rescan paths button in the configuration window for it to detect your A500 kickstart files (Press F12 on the keyboard and navigate to "Paths").
v1
A new native RetroArch menu, with OpenGL video-driver support, allowing many new emulators alongside Amiga, including:
Megadrive
SNES
Playstation 1
32X
Amiga PUAE
RetroArch has been configured with ADF and IPF support.
Commodore 64
Atari ST
PC-Engine / TurboGrafx
MS-DOS
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Game Boy Advance
Game Gear
MasterSystem
Quake/DOOM ports
ScummVM (RetroArch version)
.. and many more ..
Full root access to your device via Linux Terminal
ScummVM (Native version)
Allows switching between the normal A500 menu / Pandory Menu
Thousands of thumbnails for many different games
Allows configuration and mapping of controllers not usually supported by the A500 mini -> pandory bypasses SDL2-input and uses Linux-UDEV directly.
Background music
Flexible aspect ratio configuration options
Download the latest version from here - github.com/TeamPandory/pandory500/releases/download/v2-002/pandory500-v2-20220905.zip
To install it into PCUAE copy its pandory Folder from the `pandory500-v2-20220905.zip` above to PCUAE THEA500-USB-Menu folder then load it from PCUAE Mode and THEA500 Manhattan Carousel USB Menu you see the pandory folder in there.
WHAT IS PANDORY?
The Pandory Mod is "sideloaded" firmware for the A500 mini which gives you full access to the machine and allows you to run native programs that enable many new game emulators, such as RetroArch. It comes in the form of a WHDLOAD package and exploits a hidden-feature of the A500 amiberry emulator to run native code. It runs completely from USB stick and is 100% removable.
Please choose 60hz video from the A500 Mini video settings for best performance when using PPSSPP and any other systems OTHER than Amiga.
If you have any questions/problems, join us on Discord and we will help you out: teampandory.com/discord
v2 2022.09.05
Updates in this release:
Migrated the underlying udev-zero library to the better eudev library for more controller compatibility
Included many new automatic controller configurations. Any missing controllers can be added if you map them using the Retro Games Gamepad or using a usb keyboard.
Fixed a bug that retroarch was using SDL2 controller configs instead of udev.
New video in the media player from TheGebs24!
Fixed PPSSPP vcore sometimes not launching games
New mame2003 core which can be optionally used if needed
A500 Kickstarts are automounted to all the needed locations for a more smooth Amiberry5 experience.
Default Amiga Playlist core is now Amiberry5 (for LHA/whdload files).
Amiberry5 menu can now be accessed with the gamepad select button.
SNES9X core fixed (Thanks Barry Williams for the bug report).
Updated a few other minor emulator cores
Notice: We have changed a lot of the controller-handling in this release. if you have any controller issues and cannot navigate using your controller, let us know on Discord: teampandory.com/discord
v2
Adds many more features, including:
Support for firmware 1.1.1
You no longer need to hold back the firmware update to keep compatibility with Pandory500.
host-run not required. We prefer host-rum! Grog! Grog! Grog!
If you are using PCUAE you do not need to update THEA500 Mini's firmware, PCUAE does that now for you so no need to update to Firmware v1.1.1 so only do what it say below if your using Pandory without PCUAE.
For optimal compatibility please upgrade to firmware 1.1.1: teampandory.com/fw111. The earlier 1.0.0 firmware has buggy libraries and poor joystick support.
Warning: ensure you use a good quality usb stick, power-supply and disconnect all non-essential devices before upgrading your firmware. Please be aware that some addons requiring host-run functionality may cease to function. Aminimiga and AGS addons are known to be compatible with the new firmware.
NATIVE (non-libretro) emulators for optimal memory usage and speed:
OpenBOR for beat-em-ups
PPSSPP for Playstation Portable games (much faster than the libretro psp cores)
Dreamcast/Naomi and Atomiswave via Flycast standalone (faster than libretro)
BIG: Native DOSBOX Staging
Emulated speeds of up to around Pentium 1
With shareware/freeware game-pack:
Commander Keen
Raptor
Duke Nukem 1, 2 and 3D
Wacky Wheels
Command and Conquer Demo / Command and Conquer Red Alert - Freeware version
.. and more!
Virtual passthrough retroarch-cores "vcores" to start the emulators via Retroarch, with memory-clearing before the emulators are launched.
New Amiberry version 5.3
improved emulation
Almost two years of new bugfixes/improvements not in the stock firmware emulator
including Retroarch vcore to start Amiberry5 games directly from retroarch.
Two further preconfigured vcores to start Amiberry as a A500 or A1200.
Support for many disk formats
Autoconfiguration of controllers and kickstarts
UPDATED Controller configurations
Use MORE gamepads than the stock firmware.
Native MPV HD Video player
With mini tutorials to help you use Pandory500.
With example video pack.
Native Opencubic Mod/MP3 Music player
With tracks from D4XX and Barry Leitch
And a few Podcasts from top retrogaming podcast Arcade-Attack
Retroarch Shaders and Overlay Pack
More free memory
Linux cache periodically deleted to free up memory.
Optional thumbnail pack containing thousands of box-art and screen grab images.
Soft-Shutdown
Power down all devices, safely unmount USB drives and enter a low-power state directly from the RetroArch menu. We still recommend to disconnect your A500 after use.
Notes:
Most emulators work straight away, but some emulators require additional BIOS/system files. Put any you need inside the Pandory/.user/.config/retroarch/system folder. We cannot supply these, but there are several collections available online for you to legally use if you own the original systems. For example: RetroPie Bios Pack or Batocera Bios Pack.
Dreamcast BIOS files need to be in Pandory/.user/.config/flycast/shared
Amiberry uses the inbuilt A500 Amiga Kickstart files. It may require you, however, to click the Rescan paths button in the configuration window for it to detect your A500 kickstart files (Press F12 on the keyboard and navigate to "Paths").
v1
A new native RetroArch menu, with OpenGL video-driver support, allowing many new emulators alongside Amiga, including:
Megadrive
SNES
Playstation 1
32X
Amiga PUAE
RetroArch has been configured with ADF and IPF support.
Commodore 64
Atari ST
PC-Engine / TurboGrafx
MS-DOS
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
Game Boy Advance
Game Gear
MasterSystem
Quake/DOOM ports
ScummVM (RetroArch version)
.. and many more ..
Full root access to your device via Linux Terminal
ScummVM (Native version)
Allows switching between the normal A500 menu / Pandory Menu
Thousands of thumbnails for many different games
Allows configuration and mapping of controllers not usually supported by the A500 mini -> pandory bypasses SDL2-input and uses Linux-UDEV directly.
Background music
Flexible aspect ratio configuration options
Download the latest version from here - github.com/TeamPandory/pandory500/releases/download/v2-002/pandory500-v2-20220905.zip
To install it into PCUAE copy its pandory Folder from the `pandory500-v2-20220905.zip` above to PCUAE THEA500-USB-Menu folder then load it from PCUAE Mode and THEA500 Manhattan Carousel USB Menu you see the pandory folder in there.
