mess(6)

NAME
mess - runs MESS(tm) with SDL library

SYNOPSIS
mess [system] [device] [software] [options]

DESCRIPTION
MESS is an acronym that stands for Multiple Emulator Super System and is based on MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). SDLMESS is the official Linux port of MESS using the SDL (Simple Direct Media Layer) library.

mess will more or less faithfully reproduce computer and console systems on a PC. mess can currently emulate over 250 systems from the last 5 decades.
mess emulates the hardware of the systems and sometimes utilizes ROM images to load programs and games. Therefore, these systems are NOT simulations, but the actual emulations of the hardware.
Such ROMs, like any other commercial software, are copyrighted material and it is therefore illegal to use them if you don't own the original machines. Needless to say, ROMs are not distributed together with mess. Distribution of mess together with ROM images is a violation of copyright law and should be promptly reported to the authors so that appropriate legal action can be taken.

OPTIONS

MESS GENERAL OPTIONS: core configuration options

-readconfig
    enable loading of configuration files

core search path options

-rompath
    path to ROMsets and hard disk images

-hashpath
    path to hash files

-samplepath
    path to samplesets

-artpath
    path to artwork files

-ctrlrpath
    path to controller definitions

-inipath
    path to ini files

-fontpath
    path to font files

-cheatpath
    path to cheat files

core output directory options

-cfg_directory
    directory to save configurations

-nvram_directory
    directory to save nvram contents

-memcard_directory
    directory to save memory card contents

-input_directory
    directory to save input device logs

-state_directory
    directory to save states

-snapshot_directory
    directory to save screenshots

-diff_directory
    directory to save hard drive image difference files

-comment_directory
    directory to save debugger comments

core state/playback options

-state
    saved state to load

-autosave
    enable automatic restore at startup, and automatic save at exit time

-playback
    playback an input file

-record
    record an input file

-mngwrite
    optional filename to write a MNG movie of the current session

-aviwrite
    optional filename to write an AVI movie of the current session

-wavwrite
    optional filename to write a WAV file of the current session

-snapname
    override of the default snapshot/movie naming; %g == gamename, %i == index

-snapsize
    specify snapshot/movie resolution (<width>x<height>) or 'auto' to use minimal size

-snapview
    specify snapshot/movie view or 'internal' to use internal pixel-aspect views

core performance options

-autoframeskip
    enable automatic frameskip selection

-frameskip
    set frameskip to fixed value, 0-12 (autoframeskip must be disabled)

-seconds_to_run
    number of emulated seconds to run before automatically exiting

-throttle
    enable throttling to keep game running in sync with real time

-sleep
    enable sleeping, which gives time back to other applications when idle

-speed
    controls the speed of gameplay, relative to realtime; smaller numbers are slower

-refreshspeed
    automatically adjusts the speed of gameplay to keep the refresh rate lower than the screen

core rotation options

-rotate
    rotate the game screen according to the game's orientation needs it

-ror
    rotate screen clockwise 90 degrees

-rol
    rotate screen counterclockwise 90 degrees

-autoror
    automatically rotate screen clockwise 90 degrees if vertical

-autorol
    automatically rotate screen counterclockwise 90 degrees if vertical

-flipx
    flip screen left-right

-flipy
    flip screen upside-down

core artwork options

-artwork_crop
    crop artwork to game screen size

-use_backdrops
    enable backdrops if artwork is enabled and available

-use_overlays
    enable overlays if artwork is enabled and available

-use_bezels
    enable bezels if artwork is enabled and available

core screen options

-brightness
    default game screen brightness correction

-contrast
    default game screen contrast correction

-gamma
    default game screen gamma correction

-pause_brightness
     amount to scale the screen brightness when paused

core vector options

-antialias
    use antialiasing when drawing vectors

-beam
    set vector beam width

-flicker
    set vector flicker effect

core sound options

-sound
    enable sound output

-samplerate
    set sound output sample rate

-samples
    enable the use of external samples if available

-volume
    sound volume in decibels (-32 min, 0 max)

core input options

-coin_lockout
    enable coin lockouts to actually lock out coins

-ctrlr
    preconfigure for specified controller

-mouse
    enable mouse input

-joystick
    enable joystick input

-lightgun
    enable lightgun input

-multikeyboard
    enable separate input from each keyboard device (if present)

-multimouse
    enable separate input from each mouse device (if present)

-steadykey
    enable steadykey support

-offscreen_reload
    convert lightgun button 2 into offscreen reload

-joystick_map
    explicit joystick map, or auto to auto-select

-joystick_deadzone
    center deadzone range for joystick where change is ignored (0.0 center, 1.0 end)

-joystick_saturation
    end of axis saturation range for joystick where change is ignored (0.0 center, 1.0 end)

core input automatic enable options

-paddle_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a paddle control is present

-adstick_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if an analog joystick control is present

-pedal_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a pedal control is present

-dial_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a dial control is present

-trackball_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a trackball control is present

-lightgun_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a lightgun control is present

-positional_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a positional control is present

-mouse_device
    enable (keyboard|mouse|joystick) if a mouse control is present

core debugging options

-log
    generate an error.log file

-verbose
    display additional diagnostic information

-update_in_pause
    keep calling video updates while in pause

-debug
    enable/disable debugger

-debugscript
    script for debugger

core misc options

-bios
    select the system BIOS to use

-cheat
    enable cheat subsystem

-skip_gameinfo
    skip displaying the information screen at startup

debugging options

-oslog
    output error.log data to the system debugger

performance options

-multithreading
    enable multithreading; this enables rendering and blitting on a separate thread

-sdlvideofps
    show sdl video performance

video options

-video
    video output method: soft or opengl

-numscreens
    number of screens to create; SDLMAME only supports 1 at this time

-window
    enable window mode; otherwise, full screen mode is assumed

-maximize
    default to maximized windows; otherwise, windows will be minimized

-keepaspect
    constrain to the proper aspect ratio

-unevenstretch
    allow non-integer stretch factors

-effect
    name of a PNG file to use for visual effects, or 'none'

-centerh
    center horizontally within the view area

-centerv
    center vertically within the view area

-waitvsync
    enable waiting for the start of VBLANK before flipping screens; reduces tearing effects

-scalemode
    Scale mode: none, async, yv12, yuy2, yv12x2, yuy2x2 (-video soft only)

opengl.-specific options

-filter
    enable bilinear filtering on screen output

-prescale
    scale screen rendering by this amount in software

-gl_forcepow2texture
    force power of two textures (default no)

-gl_notexturerect
    don't use OpenGL GL_ARB_texture_rectangle (default on)

-gl_vbo
    enable OpenGL VBO, if available (default on)

-gl_pbo
    enable OpenGL PBO, if available (default on)

-gl_glsl
    enable OpenGL GLSL, if available (default off)

-gl_glsl_filter
    enable OpenGL GLSL filtering instead of FF filtering 0-plain, 1-bilinear (default)

-glsl_shader_mame0
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 0

-glsl_shader_mame1
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 1

-glsl_shader_mame2
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 2

-glsl_shader_mame3
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 3

-glsl_shader_mame4
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 4

-glsl_shader_mame5
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 5

-glsl_shader_mame6
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 6

-glsl_shader_mame7
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 7

-glsl_shader_mame8
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 8

-glsl_shader_mame9
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader set mame bitmap 9

-glsl_shader_screen0
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 0

-glsl_shader_screen1
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 1

-glsl_shader_screen2
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 2

-glsl_shader_screen3
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 3

-glsl_shader_screen4
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 4

-glsl_shader_screen5
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 5

-glsl_shader_screen6
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 6

-glsl_shader_screen7
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 7

-glsl_shader_screen8
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 8

-glsl_shader_screen9
    custom OpenGL GLSL shader screen bitmap 9

-gl_glsl_vid_attr
    enable OpenGL GLSL handling of brightness and contrast. Better RGB game performance for free. (default)

per-window video options

-screen
    explicit name of the first screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-aspect
    aspect ratio for all screens; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-resolution
    preferred resolution for all screens; format is <width>x<height>[@<refreshrate>] or 'auto'

-view
    preferred view for all screens

-screen0
    explicit name of the first screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-aspect0
    aspect ratio of the first screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-resolution0
    preferred resolution of the first screen; format is <width>x<height>[@<refreshrate>] or 'auto'

-view0
    preferred view for the first screen

-screen1
    explicit name of the second screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-aspect1
    aspect ratio of the second screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-resolution1
    preferred resolution of the second screen; format is <width>x<height>[@<refreshrate>] or 'auto'

-view1
    preferred view for the second screen

-screen2
    explicit name of the third screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-aspect2
    aspect ratio of the third screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-resolution2
    preferred resolution of the third screen; format is <width>x<height>[@<refreshrate>] or 'auto'

-view2
    preferred view for the third screen

-screen3
    explicit name of the fourth screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-aspect3
    aspect ratio of the fourth screen; 'auto' here will try to make a best guess

-resolution3
    preferred resolution of the fourth screen; format is <width>x<height>[@<refreshrate>] or 'auto'

-view3
    preferred view for the fourth screen

full screen options

-switchres
    enable resolution switching

-useallheads
    split full screen image across monitors

sound options

-audio_latency
    set audio latency (increase to reduce glitches, decrease for responsiveness)

sdl keyboard mapping

-keymap
    enable keymap

-keymap_file
    keymap filename

-uimodekey
    Key to toggle MESS keyboard mode

sdl joystick mapping

-remapjoys
    enable physical to logical joystick mapping

-remapjoyfile
    joymap filename

-sixaxis
    Use special handling for PS3 Sixaxis controllers

sdl lowlevel driver options

-videodriver
    sdl video driver to use ('x11', 'directfb', ... or 'auto' for SDL default

-audiodriver
    sdl audio driver to use ('alsa', 'arts', ... or 'auto' for SDL default

-gl_lib
    alternative libGL.so to use; 'auto' for system default

MESS SPECIFIC OPTIONS:

-ramsize
    size of RAM (if supported by driver)

-writeconfig
    writes configuration to (driver).ini on exit

-skip_warnings
    skip displaying the warnings screen

-natural
    specifies whether to use a natural keyboard or not

SDL MESS SPECIFIC OPTIONS:

core commands

-help
    show help message

-validate
    perform driver validation on all game drivers

configuration commands

-createconfig
    create the default configuration file

-showconfig
    display running parameters

-showusage
    show this help

frontend commands

-listxml
    all available info on driver in XML format

-listfull
    short name, full name

-listsource
    driver sourcefile

-listclones
    show clones

-listcrc
    CRC-32s

-listroms
    list required roms for a driver

-listsamples
    list optional samples for a driver

-verifyroms
    report romsets that have problems

-verifysamples
    report samplesets that have problems

-romident
    compare files with known MAME roms

-listdevices
    list available devices

FILES
/usr/share/games/mess/*/ Default location for roms/, artwork/, and other read-only data for mess. Can be changed in mess.ini

$HOME/.mess
    Default location for writable directories. Can be changed in mess.ini

mess.ini
    Config file for mess. Searched for first as $HOME/.mess/mess.ini, then /etc/mess.ini

EXAMPLE
mess 3do -cdrm crashnburn.chd will launch the game "Crash N' Burn" from the console "3DO".

mess 3do -cdrm crashnburn.chd -bios goldstar
    will launch the game "Crash N' Burn" from the "3DO" console model from "Goldstar".

mess n64 -cart mariokart64.v64
    will launch the game "Mario Kart 64" from the console "Nintendo 64".

mess n64 -cart mariokart64.v64 -inipath ~/.mess/mess.ini
    will launch the game "Mario Kart 64" from the console "Nintendo 64" using a custom "mess.ini" file stored in the folder ".mess" of your home directory (usually "/home/yourusername/").

mess -showconfig
    will output all the mess current configuration.

SEE ALSO
More informations on MESS(tm) available at http://www.mess.org/
SDLMESS original sources are available at http://rbelmont.mameworld.info/

COPYRIGHT
MAME(tm) - Copyright (c) 1997-2008, Nicola Salmoria and the MAME team.
MESS(tm) - Copyright (c) 1998-2008, Nathan Woods and the MESS team.
SDLMESS - Copyright (c) Olivier Galibert and R. Belmont.

AUTHOR
MAME(tm) was written by Nicola Salmoria and the MAME team.
MESS(tm) was written by Nathan Woods and the MESS team.
SDLMAME was written by Olivier Galibert and R. Belmont.

This manual page was written by Ludovic Lechapt <ludomatic@gmail.com>, for the Debian project but may be used by others!

This manual page was modified by B. Watson for use with SlackBuilds.org