SDL issue on Raspberry Pi2

[erwan35]

Hello,

I'm trying to have emulationstation running on Raspberry Pi2 (archlinux).

I'm not sure whether the problem is coming from the raspberry, archlinux, sdl2 or emulationstation but at least I got to start somewhere :)

The first try I have done was to use https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/em/emulationstation-git-unstable-rpi/PKGBUILD which rely on https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/sd/sdl2-opengles/PKGBUILD because I wanted to launch it from the console.

The result is :
[erwan@pi2 ~]$ emulationstation
lvl0: Error initializing SDL!
No available video device
lvl0: Renderer failed to initialize!
lvl0: Window failed to initialize!
(same result under X11)

So I decided to try with https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/em/emulationstation-git/PKGBUILD (which doesn't rely on https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/sd/sdl2-opengles/PKGBUILD and the result is the same on the console and I got this under X11 :

[erwan@pi2 ~]$ emulationstation
lvl0: Error creating SDL window!
Couldn't find matching GLX visual
lvl0: Renderer failed to initialize!
lvl0: Window failed to initialize!

Do you think of anything I should try to have this cool piece of software working ?

Cheers
Erwan

[Aloshi]

I've actually run into this issue myself. I think it's because SDL2 isn't properly compiling in the Raspberry Pi video driver. I believe RetroPie compiles SDL2 with ./configure --disable-video-opengl, which unintuitively makes SDL2 include the RPi OpenGL ES stuff (here, and I've seen it mentioned elsewhere). I haven't had a chance to test this myself, but it's somewhere to start.

[bkacjios]

I too have this issue. Followed the build directions for standalone.

[erwan35]

Hello,

I got it ! At least on archlinux but that should be the same on raspbian.

[root@pi2 ~]# /usr/share/libtool/build-aux/config.guess
armv7l-unknown-linux-gnueabihf

So it not matching :

    case "$host" in
         *-raspberry-linux*)

in SDL2-2.0.3 ./configure

The result of the ldd is :

[root@pi2 ~]# ldd /usr/lib/libSDL2-2.0.so.0.2.1.orig
libm.so.6 => /usr/lib/libm.so.6 (0x76de4000)
libdl.so.2 => /usr/lib/libdl.so.2 (0x76dcf000)
libpthread.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpthread.so.0 (0x76da7000)
librt.so.1 => /usr/lib/librt.so.1 (0x76d90000)
libc.so.6 => /usr/lib/libc.so.6 (0x76c50000)
/usr/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 (0x76f52000)

instead of :

[root@pi2 ~]# ldd /usr/lib/libSDL2-2.0.so.0.2.1
libm.so.6 => /usr/lib/libm.so.6 (0x76daf000)
libbcm_host.so => /opt/vc/lib/libbcm_host.so (0x76d91000)
libdl.so.2 => /usr/lib/libdl.so.2 (0x76d7c000)
libpthread.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpthread.so.0 (0x76d54000)
librt.so.1 => /usr/lib/librt.so.1 (0x76d3c000)
libc.so.6 => /usr/lib/libc.so.6 (0x76bfd000)
libvcos.so => /opt/vc/lib/libvcos.so (0x76beb000)
libvchiq_arm.so => /opt/vc/lib/libvchiq_arm.so (0x76bdd000)
/usr/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 (0x76f3a000)

Several workarounds :

• modify ./configure so it match the guess :
  -raspberry-linux|armv7l-unknown-linux-gnueabihf)
• pass an extra option to the ./configure
  --host=arm-raspberry-linux-gnueabihf

But the best would be to have the host guess working but that's another story :)

Cheers
Erwan

[bkacjios]

Yeah, that fixed it for me too. Thanks!

[NGamba]

HI !
I have the same trouble, running Emulationstation on Raspbian ! Where do I launch ./configure on Raspbian ? Thanks for your help !

[delston]

This makes me sad, any idea when this will be resolved? Come on bring me joy by fixing this :)

[ostroso]

Hi, i've the same problem but on x86 architecture.
I'm trying to have a retropie-like system on intel broadwell without Xorg based on ArchLinux.
Retroarch works blazing fast but i can't run EmulationStation due to those sdl2 compiling problems. I've achieved to compile sdl2 with directfb support but when i launch

export SDL_VIDEODRIVER=directfb && emulationstation

it hangs up without output. But the system is not freezed because if i turn it off it shows the logout output.
Has anyone tried and succeed on doing such a thing on x86?

[ignaciohita]

I fixed following these instructions:
https://solarianprogrammer.com/2015/01/22/raspberry-pi-raspbian-getting-started-sdl-2/

[ryanbillingsley]

Much thanks to @ignaciohita for that link. Using those instructions and re-installing retropie fixed my issues.

[ignaciohita]

You're welcome! I think admin should update the stand alone guide instructions to include that, because if you follow current steps in Raspberry Pi 2 is not working, you have to install SDL2 in the way described in the link I supplied.

[snigel]

The current guide says that the freetype path may need to be added for rpi2. I had to add it for rpi1.
I created a ticket on a few oddities in the installation guide, issue #514

[davecahill]

+1 on @ignaciohita 's link - worked for me too on Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.

[proplayer77]

i have a raspberry pi 2 B also but im new to console, need to learn more. But need this RP working for my retropie arcade project so is it possible to get "noob" instructions, how to get to that file, edit it and how to save it.

I get this same:

lvl0: Error initializing SDL!
No available displays
lvl0: Renderer failed to initialize!
lvl0: Window failed to initialize!
pi@retropie:~ $

im using mobaXterm and Xming, so i use Putty SSH style for now to get it running first.

[robertybob]

@proplayer77 Just use RetroPie ?

[proplayer77]

im using it?

[proplayer77]

but dont have hdmi display in use now to test retropie. Or of course my tv would do the trick.

[robertybob]

Then you want the RetroPie forums, they use a different Emulationstation to this one.