Custom MAME build: selecting specific console systems plus the complete arcade set

[AleessandroCeccarelli]

Hello,

I am working with MAME 0.289 on macOS and I would like to create a custom build containing only a specific set of systems.

The target set I need is:

• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
• Sega Master System
• Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
• Sony PlayStation
• the complete MAME arcade set

For the arcade portion, I do not want to select individual games. I want the complete set of arcade systems/drivers included in MAME, including systems that may be marked imperfect or preliminary.

I would like to use MAME’s own build system rather than manually removing source files from an Xcode project or modifying the source tree.

My question is:

What is the correct way in MAME 0.289 to specify this custom system set to the build system?

I understand that MAME supports parameters such as:
SOURCES=
SOURCEFILTER=
SUBTARGET=

and that SOURCES can specify source files and/or directories.

What I would like to understand is how to express the following selection correctly:

NES
SNES
Master System
Mega Drive / Genesis
PlayStation
+
all arcade drivers

For example, should this be done with a custom SOURCEFILTER/.flt file containing source-file directives and system inclusion directives, or is there another recommended mechanism for combining specific console systems with the complete arcade set?

I specifically want MAME’s build system to resolve the required dependencies automatically, rather than manually listing CPU, video, audio, bus, machine and device source files.

The final goal is a single custom MAME executable containing exactly this system scope.

I would also like the solution to remain compatible with the normal MAME build process so that I can regenerate the build when updating to a newer MAME release.

What would be the recommended MAME 0.289 configuration/command for this?

Thank you.

[cuavas]

The recommended configuration would be to just use a full build and not waste your time. Also, what exactly constitutes an "arcade game" is rather subjective and open to interpretation.

If you really want a personal build with some arbitrary subset of systems, the build system gives you the tools you need. You can work out how to use them.

Since stuff regularly gets added, refactored and moved around, you'll need to update your filters for every release. There's no way around that.

[AleessandroCeccarelli]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply and for the clarification.

That makes sense. We’ll use the official MAME build system and create a custom build with the specific systems we need, rather than building the entire MAME set.

We also understand that the filters will need to be maintained as the MAME source evolves between releases.

Thanks again for the helpful answer! 👍

[angelosa]

"Arcade drivers" is an incomplete definition, it doesn't define if you also want pure gambling, medal/ticket, mechanical, pinballs etc.
MAME doesn't do that differentiation, it just define that if it has an IPT_COINx switch then it's an (Arcade) GAME period. You can query the individual -listxml per romset to tell but then you have to run it on every MAME update (driver files changes periodically), plus some drivers have Arcade + Console/Computers mix-ins in the same driver so you will get those unless you manually edit the source (cfr. Jaguar and 3do).

[AleessandroCeccarelli]

Thank you for reply