libretro-dats

Builds a set of DATs for libretro-database.

Features

Builds the following sources...

• Redump
• No-Intro
• TOSEC

Dependencies

• Node.js 22.12 or newer
• unzip
• Playwright CLI, to download No-Intro and TOSEC: npm install -g @playwright/cli@latest

Usage

1. Clone the repository...

   git clone https://github.com/RobLoach/libretro-dats.git
   cd libretro-dats
   git submodule update --init
   npm install

2. Download the No-Intro and TOSEC packs into input/downloads/.

3. Extract them, and check they landed where dats.json expects.

   input/no-intro/No-Intro/Nintendo - Nintendo Entertainment System*.dat
   input/tosec/TOSEC/Sony PlayStation*.dat
   

4. Run the script, which also fetches Redump...

   npm start

Options

• --skip-download builds from the input files already on disk, without fetching anything. A source being unreachable no longer stops the DATs whose input is already in place from rebuilding, so this is mostly for working offline.
• --force-download fetches the sources again, instead of reusing what an earlier run downloaded. Without it, a Redump system is reused for a day, then fetched again.

npm start -- --skip-download

Configuration

dats.json maps each DAT that gets built to the input files it is built from:

"database/metadat/redump/Atari - Jaguar CD": {
    "files": [
        "input/redump/ajcd/Atari - Jaguar CD*.dat"
    ]
}

Adding a disabled property turns an entry off without losing its file patterns, and the reason is printed in the run summary:

"database/metadat/tosec/Sega - Saturn": {
    "files": [
        "input/tosec/TOSEC-ISO/Sega Saturn - Ga*"
    ],
    "disabled": "TOSEC-ISO was dropped as a source"
}

Tests

npm test