Test Builds

Testing a PR or Actions build

A test artifact belongs to one GitHub Actions run and commit. It is separate from the published rolling release, which can lag while builds run. Open the supplied run, verify its source commit, sign into GitHub, then download the requested ZIP from Artifacts. Expired artifacts need a new build.

Artifact	Toolchain or purpose
OPL-OFFICIALROLLING	Moving official ps2homebrew toolchain
OPL-OFFICIALPINNED	Digest-pinned official toolchain
OPL-PS2DEVROLLING	Moving ps2dev toolchain
OPL-PS2DEVPINNED	Digest-pinned ps2dev toolchain
OPL-PS2DEVPINNED-DIAG	Diagnostic build
OPL-OFFICIALROLLING-RA	RetroAchievements build using the moving official ps2homebrew toolchain
OPL-OFFICIALROLLING-FREEZEDIAG	In-game freeze report (see below), moving official ps2homebrew toolchain

For Japanese/Unicode game-name font fallback, see Unicode Game Titles. The optional font_CJK.ttf is user-provided, not in the build artifact. Verify the artifact commit includes PR #917.

Extract the ZIP and read BUILD-MANIFEST.txt for commit, flavour and build configuration. Launch the ELF requested in the test instructions. The rolling suffix identifies a moving toolchain; it does not prove the source commit has been published. Artifacts contain loader builds and a manifest, so retain the complete companion installation for Neutrino, Ember, POPSTARTER and artwork.

Replacing only RIPTOPL.ELF does not update companion cores or modules. Use the full release package when its notes announce such updates; back up configuration and save cards first.

A useful result names PS2 model, exact OPL version/commit and flavour, loader/device, filesystem, selected core, changed settings, VMC state, PADEMU state, exact error/stage and reproduction steps. Compare the same setup against a known-good build. Compilation and host tests are not a console pass.

See the release guide and troubleshooting.

In-game freeze report (FREEZEDIAG)

Use OPL-OFFICIALROLLING-FREEZEDIAG when a game freezes during play. Play as usual. When it freezes, press L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + Start + Select (the normal IGR combo). The build saves RIPTFRZ.TXT to the root of the memory card in slot 1 (slot 2 if slot 1 fails), then exits as IGR always does. Copy that file off the card with wLaunchELF and send it with your report. Each freeze overwrites the previous file.

The file records the game's threads at the moment of the combo, the last disc reads and any read that started and never finished, memory card (VMC) activity, and whether the I/O processor still answered. Its hint= line says which of those looks stuck.

If the combo does nothing, report that and confirm Compatibility Mode 6 was off. An unresponsive combo alone does not establish a main-CPU freeze: IGR can be disabled or fail to detect input. Compatibility Mode 6 turns IGR off, so it also turns this report off. The flavour is otherwise a normal OFFICIALROLLING build; it is not combined with RetroAchievements.

RetroAchievements theme release previews

The RetroAchievements Release workflow produces RetroAchievements-both-themes, containing inceBtion and Korium full kits, separately named ELF and PSU updates, a source snapshot and a release manifest. Its six compile jobs cover both themes across official moving, ps2dev moving and ps2dev pinned toolchains. PR previews use the current PR source with shared files from a successful standard release; they are explicitly marked as previews and cannot publish. Production requires same-revision shared files and builds. This supplements the ordinary flavour CI; neither is physical-console acceptance.

Favorites and automatic VMC failure recovery

If a Favorites edit cannot stage a complete replacement, including when the device is full, the edit fails and the existing list is preserved. Free space before retrying.

Automatic VMC probing checks the superblock of whole-MB images before assigning them. A full-size image left by failed formatting is not treated as a usable card solely because its length matches. Invalid existing files are preserved and require explicit user action; odd-size Neutrino cards retain their existing handling.

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Source: docs/TEST-BUILDS.md @ 02ddafcfa212.