as I posted above, 6 steps are required to setup a fullset for MESS. please spread out the instructions to people with problems and point them to these boards if they still have issues: I'm always happy to help users (which is exactly why I've written the User's Manual)



well, -lx output is already 100% compatible as soon as you change "game" with "machine" (see src/emu/info.c, lines 21-28). the problem is that clrmame cannot handle them in the same way (and similarly it cannot handle software lists directly if we would add them to the -lx output)

are you serious? then probably I would not like to work there.

and notice that "read the FAQ" has been a standard answer in MAME boards since early 200x

you'll also notice the "read the FAQ" replies have dropped off significantly because things were made easier to use (of note, the DOS box flashing became an actual Windows message telling you what to do, which then further evolved into the simple frontend). The canned reply pissed people off, it just came across as arsey, it's one thing people hated about those forums.

and yes, it's common practice now, ever noticed game manuals are getting thinner (and some don't even have them?), most apps guide you through everything? all problems are diagnosed through a series of user friendly prompts and system checks? Forcing the user to read the manual is considered a failure on the part of the software designer.

Telling somebody to read the manual could be considered the ultimate insult in current society.

I personally think it is really a shame, since I pretty much liked to read game manuals. only after some learn-by-myself game session, but I really liked them.

Also, my favourite approach with any tech issue is:
- I got a issue, so I look for the answer in the docs
- if no answer is available, I ask online
- if nobody can help me, I throw away the source of issues
the "reading the doc" part has often helped me to learn features I ignored in programs/hardware, and that's why I find it really valuable.
Too bad most people do not seem to like this approach

However, this is going a bit OT, and I hope the original poster was able to follow the 6 steps to rebuild his sets.