RetroArch
RetroArch is an open source and cross platform frontend/framework for emulators, game engines, video games, media players and other applications.
While it can do many things besides this, it is most widely known for enabling you to run classic games on a wide range of computers and consoles through a slick graphical interface. Settings are also unified so configuration is done once and for all.
In addition to this, you will soon be able to run original game discs (CDs) from RetroArch. We take videogame preservation seriously and want to ensure you can run your originally bought content on modern day PCs.
RetroArch has advanced features like shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, runahead, and more!
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Usage
RetroArch is available as an AppImage which means "one app = one file", which you can download and run on your Linux system while you don't need a package manager and nothing gets changed in your system. Awesome!
AppImages are single-file applications that run on most Linux distributions. Download an application, make it executable, and run! No need to install. No system libraries or system preferences are altered. Most AppImages run on recent versions of Arch Linux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and other common desktop distributions.
Running RetroArch on Linux without installation
Unlike other applications, AppImages do not need to be installed before they can be used. However, they need to be marked as executable before they can be run. This is a Linux security feature.Behold! AppImages are usually not verified by others. Follow these instructions only if you trust the developer of the software. Use at your own risk!
Download the RetroArch AppImage and make it executable using your file manager or by entering the following commands in a terminal:
chmod +x ./*.AppImageThen double-click the AppImage in the file manager to open it.
Sandboxing RetroArch
If you want to restrict what RetroArch can do on your system, you can run the AppImage in a sandbox like Firejail. This is entirely optional and currently needs to be configured by the user.
Updating RetroArch
If you would like to update to a new version, simply download the new RetroArch AppImage.
Integrating AppImages into the system
If you would like to have the executable bit set automatically, and would like to see RetroArch and other AppImages integrated into the system (menus, icons, file type associations, etc.), then you may want to check the optional appimaged daemon.
Note for application authors
Thanks for distributing RetroArch in the AppImage format for all common Linux distributions. Great! Here are some ideas on how to make it even better.
Pro Tips for further enhancing the RetroArch AppImage
Please consider to add update information to the RetroArch AppImage and ship a .zsync file so that it can be updated using AppImageUpdate. Tools like appimagetool and linuxdeployqt can do this for you easily.
Thanks for shipping AppStream metainfo inside your AppImage. Please open a pull request on https://github.com/AppImage/appimage.github.io/blob/master/data/RetroArch if you have changed it and would like to see this page updated accordingly.