====== Getting Started ======
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For Windows users, and some Linux users, getting started with RetroFE is as simple as following these steps:
  - Download RetroFE from http://retrofe.nl/download
  - Edit the [[global settings.conf|global settings.conf]] file.
  - Edit the [[controls|controls.conf]] file.
  - Run RetroFE to verify if the front-end loads (and exits) correctly.
  - Edit/add/delete [[collections|collections]].
  - Re-run RetroFE
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===== RetroFE Root Directory Structure =====


^File / Folder^ Description^
|[[controls|controls.conf]]|Controller configuration (up, down, select, back, etc)|
|log.txt|Log output|
|meta.db|Game %%(information database year, manufacturer, genre, #players, etc)%% |
|RetroFE.lnk|Windows link to core / retrofe.exe|      
|[[global_settings.conf|settings.conf]]|Global frontend settings %%(display options, layout to use, base paths, etc)%%|     
|%%/collections/%%|Game lists, menus, artwork and ROMs|
|%%/core/%%|Windows specific libraries needed for retrofe to run %%(also includes retrofe.exe)%%|
|%%/launchers/%%|Configuration files for launchers (emulators)|
|%%/layouts/%%|Layouts / themes to use or display for the frontend|
|%%/meta/%%|Files to import into meta.db (for scraping)|

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======Detailed Setup Guide======

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===== Installation =====


(Note for linux users: Since Linux comes in many shapes and sizes, RetroFE users need to compile and install their own RetroFE setup using bitbucket. The instructions for this can be found [[https://bitbucket.org/phulshof/retrofe/overview|here]].)

After copying the RetroFE system to the directory of your choice, you're set to give your installation a first test by running the retrofe executable in that directory. RetroFE comes with a pre-installed Sega Genesis system with one game so you can check if the installation went according to plan.

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=====Configuration=====


The first configuration step is editing the RetroFE system configuration file RetroFE/[[global_settings.conf|settings.conf]]. In here you configure the screen settings, global theme, base paths, etc.

The second configuration step is editing the RetroFE controls file RetroFE/[[controls|controls.conf]]. In here you configure the keys used to control the RetroFE front-end. Note that the default select key is space, and not enter as some people expected.

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===== Adding Collections =====


RetroFE starts with two (almost empty) [[collections|collections]], but more can be added easily. As an example, let's set up the Nintendo Entertainment System collection. First, enter the RetroFE/collections directory, and create an empty collection using the following command: ../retrofe -createcollection "Nintendo Entertainment System"


Next we add the roms and artwork:

Download a NES romset from your favourite source, and place the roms in the RetroFE/collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms directory.
Download a device image, logo, and video for the system, and place the device.png, logo.png, and video.mp4 files in the RetroFE/collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/system_artwork directory.
Download games artwork (artwork_front, logo's, screenshots, titleshots, videos, etc.) from your favourite art source, and place them in the RetroFE/collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/medium_artwork directory.


Now we configure the new system by editing RetroFE/collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/settings.conf. If you stick to the default directory structure, this file can be extremely simple:

  list.extensions = nes

  launcher = NES

The first line defines the ROM file extention as .nes; this should match the file extentions in your RetroFE/collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms directory. The second line defines the name of the launcher used for this collection. Before the collection can be used, this launcher needs to be configured:

Edit the RetroFE/launchers/NES.conf (matching the launcher name defined in the settings.conf) file. I'm currently using MAME 0.162 for this purpose, so the launcher can be simple:

  executable = mame

  arguments = nes -cart "%ITEM_FILEPATH%"

As an example: if RetroFE starts the game Willow (USA).nes, this launcher will execute the command:

  mame nes -cart "collections/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/Willow (USA).nes".


The last step is to add the newly created collection to the main menu by editing RetroFE/collections/Main/menu.txt, and add the following line:

  Nintendo Entertainment System

When this is done, your newly added collection is ready for testing by running the retrofe executable RetroFE/retrofe.