Installing the game

If it’s not done already, download and install Rocksmith 2014.

Configuring Wine

Once the game is installed, Wine should be configured specifically for it. Assuming Steam is set to install games on the /home/user/.steam/steam folder, plug in the Real Tone cable before entering these two command lines on the terminal :

WINEPREFIX=~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/221680/pfx winetricks sound=alsa

WINEPREFIX=~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/221680/pfx winecfg

The Wine Configuration window should appear and the following values should be set before clicking on the OK button :

• Applications tab
  
  • Windows Version: Windows 10
• Drives tab
  
  • Drive Z: /home/user/.steam/steam (or the folder containing the steamapps subfolder where the Steam games are installed, /mnt/TRUCS/SteamLibrary in my case)
• Audio tab
  
  • Input device: In: Rocksmith USB Guitar Adapter
  • Voice input device: In: Rocksmith USB Guitar Adapter

Configuring Steam

Once Wine has been configured specifically for this game, Rocksmith 2014 must be run at least once to generate an INI configuration file (Rocksmith.ini) which should be edited before launching the game for real. For that, simply right-click on the game and in the properties, click on Set Launch Options and enter the following command line:

PROTON_NO_D3D11=1 %command%

Finishing touches

When the game has been run at least once, the Rocksmith.ini file will appear in the ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Rocksmith2014 folder or wherever Steam games are installed. Simply set the following values:

ExclusiveMode=0
Win32UltraLowLatencyMode=0

Disable PulseAudio (if necessary)

Trying to tune your instrument should indicate whether the game runs properly. If a message pops up indicating that the Real Tone is unplugged, disabling PulseAudio should fix this. For that, just enter the following command lines in the terminal:

systemctl –user stop pulseaudio.socket
systemctl –user stop pulseaudio.service

To revert back:

systemctl –user start pulseaudio.socket
systemctl –user start pulseaudio.service

Don’t hesitate to send me your questions and comments on either Twitter or Mastodon.

Also, if you like what I do and use the Brave browser, you can leave me a tip in form of the BAT cryptocurrency on either my website or my Twitter account. You can also use this affiliate link if you plan to buy games, books or more on Humble Bundle.

Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you soon. Laters.

L’article How to play Rocksmith 2014 on Linux est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

Before Steemit

For many years, I’ve watched countless YouTube videos and thought about becoming a YouTuber to make funny sketches but I was never motivated enough to start. Since then, I’ve started a family and my interests somehow shifted when I started watching some videos about motivation in general and others about video game guides and tutorials. My goal was then to create video content helping people solve problems related to video games knowing my biggest roadblock was time. After all, I also had to do that while balancing time for my family, my job and of course, sleep.

Discovering Steemit

I was still struggling to make videos faster when one day, someone on Twitter mentionned Dtube, a YouTube competitor but on a decentralized network operating on the STEEM blockchain. This led me to Steemit, a social media similar to Medium but decentralized and operating on the same blockchain. The idea behind those is to enable users to express themselves more freely while monetizing their content via the STEEM cryptocurrency. After some thought, I accepted the fact that for now, writing blogs and tutorials about video games represented the best compromise between expressing myself on the web while still honoring my other commitments. I still intend to create videos but that will wait for the time being.

My time on Steemit

At first, I was warmly welcomed by the community and people kept saying the following:

People come for the money. They stay for the community.

That was in March 2018 and while the crypto market was losing its momentum, people remained on the platform and were still fairly optimistic. They would regularly post content and engage in the comments section.
However, as months pass, I noticed some prolific writers being less consistent with their content and others simply disappearing altogether. Optimism left and pessimism crept in as well as bitterness towards users with more influence thus capable of generating at least 100$ with a simple photo while those who write newspaper-worthy articles could barely scrape 1$. Seeing my readership slowly diminish, I needed to leave my comfort zone and create my own platform.

Combining blogging and social media

While I kept on being consistent with my blog posts (still working on it), I continued watching videos about motivation, entrepreneurship and personal growth. That’s when I decided to create my own website: Les Ateliers PHV
Thanks to the Steempress plugin in WordPress, I was able to publish my blog posts simultaneously on my website and my Steemit account. When it comes to social media, Share2Steem was the tool I used to repost on Steemit whatever I publish on Instagram and Twitter.

What’s next

Before, my main focus was on retro video games and now, I’m adding Linux to the list of subjects I’ll be covering in my next blog posts and tutorials. If you’re reading these lines, it means you’ve decided to join me in my journey as a blogger or at least, you’re considering it. For that, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach out and see you on the next blog post.

L’article Blogging on Steemit: one year later est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

One thing I usually take for granted, albeit unintentionally, is the ability of certain game consoles of keeping save data for some games that I play for an extended period of time.

With cloud technology, hard drives and more, the various methods of storing data are very reliable as far as I’m concerned.

With that type of mindset, of course I would forget that retro consoles have a limited lifespan when it comes to save game preservation. Eventually, a recent bad experience would quickly remind me of that fact…

This is The Legend of Xanadu (the title in Japanese roughly translates as Xanadu – The Legend of the Wind).

It’s a J-RPG on PC Engine developed by Nihon Falcom, one of my favorite developers until now.

Source: Tigerfog

The game is quite lengthy involving tons of grinding necessary to improve the main hero’s stats and his equipment. Also, the process repeats itself every time a new equipment is used.

In summary, as much as I liked the game, I slowly got tired of it and eventually put it aside for a few months.

Source: Tigerfog

One day, I decided to resume the game from where I left off.

I fired it up, chose the option to continue…

Source: Tigerfog

…arrived at the loading screen and am greeted with this horror.

Source: Tigerfog

My save game is no more!

All the hours I poured in, down the drain!

Apparently, this is due to the fact there’s a battery used by the internal memory of the PC Engine and if it dies, the save data goes along with it.

To avoid that situation, it’s recommended to turn on the console once in a while to slightly recharge the battery, something I’ve never thought of doing.

Not one to give up without a fight and too obsessed with playing on original hardware instead of settling on emulation, I looked for a solution.

As it turns out, there exists a HuCard with the sole purpose of storing save data: the Tennokoe Bank (the bank of the voice from heaven).

Source: Tigerfog

With such a boastful name, that product better be good, even if it dates from the PC Engine era.

I then bought it from eBay and as soon as I got it, tested my new save data from Legend of Xanadu without missing a beat.

Source: Tigerfog

Unlike the Mega CD Backup RAM cart, the Tennokoe Bank can only be used as a backup device. It can’t be accessed straight from the game nor used to save a game on-the-fly.

Source: Tigerfog

It’s only through the Tennokoe Bank’s interface that I can sync the entire internal memory of the console to the device or restore its backup to the console.

So yeah, this is basically a cloning machine for the entire internal memory… no way of selecting save data individually.

Obviously, it’s not the end of the world. At least this is a decent solution for my issues with the PC Engine and hopefully, I can finish Legend of Xanadu one day.

If you’ve had a bad experience with save data from retro games, tell us about it as well as how you resolved the situation!

L’article Losing video game save data: a tragedy est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

Hey everyone. Klebs here and today, I will talk about this phenomenon on Linux known as distro hopping and my first impressions of it.

Why jump on another distribution

At first, my goal was to find a distro that would allow me to do as much as possible the same things as I did on Windows. I talked to my colleagues and watched some YouTube videos and here’s what I tend to hear:

If you’re used to a Windows environment and you want to use your computer to play video games, go with Linux Mint. It’s a good distro… to get started.

To get started? Does it mean I’ll have to eventually replace it? Right now, Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon fills my needs as well as my family’s so I don’t feel the need to hop on another distro just for kicks. At least, that’s what I thought.

As I started learning more about desktop environments and the stability vs bleeding-edge debate, doubt also slowly started creeping inside my head. Some prefer the Debian/Ubuntu group because a huge number of software and games are developed with this group in mind. Others prefer Fedora/Red Hat and Arch/Manjaro/Antergos that are considered bleeding edge and are evolving more frequently. I’ve decided to leave my family desktop alone and use my wife’s laptop as a guinea pig to try other distros.

Exploring new territories using Live USB

I understand now why Linux users don’t recommend buying a brand-new laptop to install Linux on it. It’s not just a waste of money considering you’re basically paying for a Windows or Mac license you won’t use anyway. You’re not even sure if your distro of choice will work on it. I found that out real quick when I tried to boot Manjaro and then Antergos on a Dell XPS 13 9350 (see picture below).

Source: Tigerfog, iPhone

Of course, everything’s possible with a bit of research but I wasn’t willing to risk destroying my wife’s laptop while poking the BIOS. My adventure with the Arch family will unfortunately have to wait indefinitely. At least, I managed to boot Manjaro on my family desktop so I know my USB thumb drive works fine.

What’s next

In short, it was a positive experience. I succeeded in booting Linux Mint 19.1 Xfce and Fedora 29 GNOME on the laptop so instead of buying my own, I may as well use my wife’s. After all, a colleague explained to me how it’s possible to install Linux on an SSD plugged in via a SATA-to-USB-C cable. With that, it will feel like booting from an internal SSD. Next up, I will put this idea on my project backlog for this year and with this, I should be able to write tutorials for more than just Linux Mint.

Source: Tigerfog, iPhone

Questions? Comments? Let me know, thanks for reading and laters.

L’article Distro hopping on Linux and my thoughts on it est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

Source: Tigerfog, iPhone

Before we begin

First, I’d like to thank ETA Prime for inspiring me to write this tutorial. In his video, he explains how to extract ROMs, rename them and use them in Retroarch, a multi-platform tool for emulators. To find out more:

Source: ETA Prime

Why then do I bother writing this if ETA Prime has already covered the subject? Two reasons:

• he used Windows to explain the process
• he showed how to rename the files without getting into too much details

If you also use Windows or can get around Sega’s odd ROM-naming conventions, ETA Prime’s video is all you need. However, if you prefer a Linux-oriented tutorial or a script that will rename the files for you, I’ll encourage you to keep reading.

Buying the games and locating them

You can legally buy certain Genesis/Mega Drive games on Steam individually or as part of a special package called Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics through this affiliate link on Humble Bundle. From this point on, I’ll use the term Sega Classics when I refer to Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics for the sake of simplicity.

Since the Sega Classics game isn’t natively available on Linux, we need to make sure Steam is configured to run all games in SteamPlay mode using Proton. That way, Sega Classics will appear in the list of purchased games making it available to be downloaded and installed.

Once installed, right-clicking on Sega Classics and choosing Properties will make the pop-up window appear (see image below).

Source: personal screenshot

Clicking on the Browse local files under the Local files tab will show the exact location of Sega Classics on the computer (see image below).

Source: personal screenshot

Normally, if the username is klebs and the default location set by Steam hasn’t been changed, the folder should be at /home/klebs/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Sega\ Classics

In my case as the above screenshot clearly shows, the folder is located at /mnt/DATA/Jeux/Steam/steamapps/common/Sega\ Classics

Renaming the files

Assuming the username is klebs and is using Steam’s default game location, the following commands in the terminal will create a copy of the ROMs in another folder and create a CSV file with nano:

cd /home/klebs/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Sega\ Classics
cp -R uncompressed\ ROMs/ ~/Documents/SegaROMS
cd ~/Documents/SegaROMS
nano segaclassicslist.csv

Before copying the list below in nano, it’s important to make sure nothing’s missing. Also, the original filenames should match those in the SegaROMS folder.

ALEXKIDD_U.68K,Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (USA).gen
AlienSoldier_Europe.SGD,Alien Soldier (Europe).md
AlienStorm_USA.SGD,Alien Storm (USA).gen
ALTEREDB_UE.68K,Altered Beast (USA).gen
BEYONDOA_E.68K,The Story of Thor (Europe).md
BEYONDOA_F.68K,The Story of Thor (France).md
BEYONDOA_G.68K,The Story of Thor (Germany).md
BEYONDOA_J.68K,The Story of Thor - Hikari o Tsugumono (Japan).bin
BEYONDOA_S.68K,The Story of Thor (Spain).md
BEYONDOA_U.68K,Beyond Oasis (USA).gen
BONANZAB_JE.68K,Bonanza Bros. (Europe).md
Columns3_USA.SGD,Columns III (USA).gen
COLUMNS_W.68K,Columns (World).gen
COMIXZON_U.68K,Comix Zone (USA).gen
CrackDown_USA.SGD,Crack Down (USA).gen
Crying_USA.SGD,Bio Hazard Battle (USA).gen
DECAP_UE.68K,DEcapAttack (USA).gen
DYNAHEAD_J.68K,Dynamite Headdy (Japan).bin
DYNAHEAD_UE.68K,Dynamite Headdy (USA).gen
ECCO2_U.68K,Ecco - The Tides of Time (USA).gen
eccojr.smd,Ecco Jr. (USA).gen
ECCO_UE.68K,Ecco the Dolphin (USA).gen
ESWAT_U.68K,ESWAT - City Under Siege (USA).gen
EternalChampions_USA.SGD,Eternal Champions (USA).gen
FATALLAB_JU.68K,Fatal Labyrinth (USA).gen
FLICKY_UE.68K,Flicky (USA).gen
GAING_UE.68K,Gain Ground (USA).gen
GalaxyForceII_UE.SGD,Galaxy Force II (USA).gen
GAXE2_W.68K,Golden Axe II (World).gen
GAXE3_J.68K,Golden Axe III (Japan).bin
GAXE_W.68K,Golden Axe (World).gen
Gunstar Heroes U.bin,Gunstar Heroes (USA).gen
KIDCHAM_UE.68K,Kid Chameleon (USA).gen
LandStalker_USA.SGD,Landstalker (USA).gen
LightCrusader_USA.SGD,Light Crusader (USA).gen
MonsterLair_JUE.SGD,Wonder Boy III - Monster Lair (Europe).md
MonsterWorld3.SGD,Wonder Boy V - Monster World III (Japan).bin
MonsterWorld3_USA.SGD,Wonder Boy in Monster World (USA).gen
PhantasyStar2_UE_GreenCrossFix.SGD,Phantasy Star II (USA).gen
PhantasyStar3_USA.SGD,Phantasy Star III - Generations of Doom (USA).gen
PhantasyStar4.SGD,Phantasy Star IV (USA).gen
RISTAR_UE.68K,Ristar (USA).gen
ROBOTNIK_U.68K,Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (USA).gen
ShadowDancer.SGD,Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi (World).gen
SHINING2_U.68K,Shining Force II (USA).gen
SHININGD_UE.68K,Shining in the Darkness (USA).gen
SHININGF_U.68K,Shining Force (USA).gen
SHINOBI3_U.68K,Shinobi III - Return of the Ninja Master (USA).gen
SONIC2_W.68K,Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (World).gen
SONIC3D_UE.68K,Sonic 3D Blast ~ Sonic 3D Flickies' Island (USA).gen
Sonic_Knuckles_wSonic3.bin,Sonic & Knuckles + Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (World).gen
SONICSPI_U.68K,Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball (USA).gen
SONIC_W.68K,Sonic The Hedgehog (World).gen
sov.smd,Sword of Vermilion (USA).gen
SPACEHARRIERII.bin,Space Harrier II (World).gen
STHUNDER_W.68K,Super Thunder Blade (World).gen
STREETS2_U.68K,Streets of Rage 2 (USA).gen
STREETS3_E.68K,Streets of Rage 3 (Europe).md
STREETS3_J.68K,Bare Knuckle III (Japan).bin
STREETS3_U.68K,Streets of Rage 3 (USA).gen
STREETS_W.68K,Streets of Rage - Bare Knuckle - Ikari no Tetsuken (World).gen
TheSuperShinobi_JUE.SGD,The Revenge of Shinobi (USA).gen
ToeJamEarl.SGD,ToeJam & Earl (World).gen
ToeJamEarl2_USA.SGD,ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (USA).gen
VECTMAN2_U.68K,Vectorman 2 (USA).gen
VECTMAN_UE.68K,Vectorman (USA).gen
VIRTUAFIGHTER2.bin,Virtua Fighter 2 (USA).gen

After saving and closing the CSV file, next up, it’s time to write a script that will rename the files:

nano segaclassicsrename.sh

#!/bin/bash
IFS=","
while read f1 f2
do
echo "rename from : $f1"
echo "to : $f2"
mv $f1 "$f2"
echo "done"
done < segaclassicslist.csv

After saving and closing the script, all that remains is to make it executable and run it:

chmod +x ./segaclassicsrename.sh
./segaclassicsrename.sh

If everything goes according to plan, the new filenames should be more straightforward.

Conclusion

Questions? Comments? Let me know, thanks for reading and laters.

L’article Extracting ROMs from Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics bought on Steam on Linux Mint 18.3 est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

Source: Tigerfog, Humble Bundle

What’s a Humble Partner?

Someone who’s partnered with Humble Bundle can help the latter sell its products in exchange of a commission by sharing what’s known as affiliate links. When you click on one of these links and you buy the advertised product or anything else on the Humble Bundle website, I receive a seller’s commission. The best part? It comes at no additional cost on your end. However, by using my affiliate links to purchase something on Humble Bundle, you contribute on helping the blog grow (e.g. buying retro video game accessories for review, investing in the development of this website, etc.).

How does it work?

First, you click on the image below or another one just like it on the homepage to access the Humble Bundle website.

Second, you buy something on that website.

Third? That’s pretty much it.

I don’t know what to buy

Here’s the first affiliate link in image form I’d like to share with you:

Source: Sabotage, Devolver Digital

The Messenger is a 2D action platformer with retro-style graphics and heavily inspired by Ninja Gaiden on the NES. It’s been released for a while now and I’ve long hesitated to buy it because Linux wasn’t officially supported. Knowing that it’s now playable on Steam with Proton (I’m currently using version 3.16-6 Beta), I gave it a shot and am glad I did.

The most amusing part? Seeing a ninja speak in Québécois, a form of Canadian French.

Source: iPhone, Tigerfog

Need more than mere images and recommendations? Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself:

Source: Sabotage, Devolver Digital

Hurry up because The Messenger is 30% off until Monday, February 11th 2019 at 2PM EST (Montreal time).

Questions? Comments? Let me know, thanks for reading and laters.

L’article Humble Partner + The Messenger Sale est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.

Snow-filled balcony in Verdun (before)
Source: iPhone, Tigerfog

Why I’ve been less active these days?

Normally, we tend to be busier with our family during the holidays. Hoewever, I’ve also started taking online courses on blogging and website creation. This has led me to obsess over minute details and work non-stop on my website. Only when a certain influencer named Sean Cannel from Think Media TV has said on social media that done is better than perfect did I come to my senses. That’s why I’ll aim to publish more frequently regardless of the state of my website.

What do I have in store for this year?

For a few months, I’ve started to get interested in development on FPGA circuits that simulate computers and video game consoles on the hardware level, mainly the MiSTer project with the Terasic DE10-nano. I plan to share my new interest with you and also help Linux users get into this by writing tutorials for them.

Speaking of Linux, I also aim to write tutorials to help people run some Windows games using Proton in Steam. That’s because some guides on ProtonDB aren’t always straightforward enough.

Another problem I’ve had is I spend too much time writing complex blog posts thus affecting my productivity. I believe by focusing on writing more for fun instead of overanalyzing stuff, that should help me publish more content more frequently. Hopefully, that will also encourage more discussion among readers.

Closing thoughts

I’m very excited for 2019 and I hope you are as well. Questions? Comments? Let me know, thanks for reading and laters.

Snow-filled balcony in Verdun (after)
Source: iPhone, Tigerfog

L’article My plans for 2019 est apparu en premier sur Les Ateliers PHV.