RP9 Packages

RP9 Packages

RP9 is a self-contained package format for Amiga software. An .rp9 file bundles the game or application content along with an XML manifest that describes the required emulation configuration — hardware model, memory, expansion boards, media files, and boot settings. This allows Amiberry to automatically configure itself when loading an RP9 package, without manual setup.

What is an RP9 Package?

An .rp9 file is essentially a ZIP archive containing:

• Media files — disk images (.adf, .adz, etc.), hard drive images (.hdf), CD images (.cue/.iso), or savestate snapshots
• Manifest XML — manifest.xml describing the package metadata, required hardware configuration, and boot instructions
• Supporting assets — ROM overrides, expansion board ROMs, save data

Loading RP9 Packages

Via GUI

1. Open Amiberry's GUI
2. Navigate to the Quickstart panel or use the file browser
3. Select an .rp9 file from your configured RP9 directory (or browse to any location)
4. Amiberry reads the manifest and automatically configures:
   • System model (A500, A1200, CD32, etc.)
   • Kickstart ROM selection
   • RAM configuration (chip RAM, fast RAM, Z3 RAM)
   • Expansion boards and peripherals
   • Media loading order
   • Display settings

Via Command Line

amiberry path/to/game.rp9

Amiberry auto-detects .rp9 files passed as positional arguments and loads them using the RP9 loader. The manifest is parsed, configuration is applied, and emulation starts automatically.

You can also use --autoload:

amiberry --autoload path/to/game.rp9

Via Libretro Core

RP9 packages are supported as a content type in the libretro core. Select an .rp9 file from your frontend's content browser and the core will handle manifest parsing and configuration automatically.

RP9 Directory

Amiberry maintains a dedicated directory for RP9 packages, configured via rp9_path in amiberry.conf. When using base_content_path, this is derived automatically as <base>/RP9/. You can override it explicitly:

rp9_path=/path/to/your/rp9/packages/

Manifest Structure

The manifest (manifest.xml) inside an .rp9 package defines:

• Title — display name of the game or application
• System model — target Amiga hardware (A1000, A500, A500+, A600, A1200, A3000, A4000, CDTV, CD32)
• System ROM — required Kickstart ROM version
• RAM configuration — chip RAM, fast RAM, Z3 RAM sizes and types
• Peripherals — expansion boards, CPU accelerators, FPU, network cards, SCSI controllers
• Media list — disk images, hard drives, CDs with load priority and read-only flags
• Boot settings — boot device type (floppy, HDD, CD, savestate)
• Display clip — optional screen area clipping for display optimization
• Warnings — compatibility notes or known issues

ROM Handling

RP9 packages can include Kickstart ROM overrides. If a package specifies a particular ROM version and you don't have it in your ROM directory, Amiberry will check the package's embedded ROMs first. You can also register custom ROM directories via command line for RP9-specific ROM sets.

Compatibility

RP9 packages are designed to work across different Amiberry builds. The manifest includes a player_version field indicating the minimum Amiberry version required. If your build is older than what the package requires, you'll see a warning during loading.

Troubleshooting

Package fails to load

• Verify the .rp9 file is not corrupted (try extracting it with a ZIP tool)
• Check that the manifest XML inside is well-formed
• Ensure your Amiberry version meets the player_version requirement in the manifest

Wrong hardware configuration applied

• The manifest controls the configuration — if settings seem wrong, check the package's manifest.xml
• You can override individual settings after loading by opening the GUI and adjusting panels manually

Missing Kickstart ROM

• RP9 packages may require specific ROM versions not included with your system
• Place required ROMs in your configured ROM directory or use the Quickstart panel to register them