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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
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<title>faq</title>
<meta name="generator" content="DokuWiki Darcs --">
<meta name="robots" content="index,follow">
<meta name="date" content="2011-05-04T16:39:33+0200">
<meta name="keywords" content="faq">
</head>
<body>
<div class="dokuwiki export">
<h1><a name="mess_faq" id="mess_faq">MESS FAQ</a></h1>
<div class="level1">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS FAQ" [1-25] -->
<h2><a name="about_this_faq" id="about_this_faq">About this FAQ</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "About this FAQ" [26-53] -->
<h3><a name="mess_faq1" id="mess_faq1">MESS FAQ?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
This <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym> was written to support <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. If you have any changes, suggestions or additions please contact the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
team or register a username and edit this page (don't worry about doing
something wrong, old versions of this page can easily be restored). If
you have a question that is not answered in this <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym>, try the searching the <a href="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message boards</a>. There is a wealth of information there already.
</p>
<p>
You may also find the <a href="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" rel="nofollow">MAME FAQ</a> useful, as <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> and <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> share many of the same features and options.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "MESS FAQ?" [54-727] -->
<h2><a name="general" id="general">General</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "General" [728-748] -->
<h3><a name="what_is_mess" id="what_is_mess">What is MESS?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is an acronym that stands for Multi Emulator Super System. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> will more or less faithfully reproduce computer and console systems on a PC. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> can currently emulate over 250 systems from the last 5 decades.
</p>
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulates the
hardware of the systems and sometimes utilizes ROM images to load
programs and games. Therefore, these systems are NOT simulations, but
the actual emulations of the hardware.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What is MESS?" [749-1183] -->
<h3><a name="what_is_the_purpose_of_mess" id="what_is_the_purpose_of_mess">What is the purpose of MESS?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
The primary purpose of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is to preserve decades of computer and console history. As technology continues to rush forward, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> prevents these important “vintage” systems from being lost and forgotten. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is based on <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>. Additional information about <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> can be found at the <a href="http://www.mess.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mess.org" rel="nofollow">MESS homepage</a> or <a href="http://www.mamedev.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mamedev.org" rel="nofollow">MAMEDev</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What is the purpose of MESS?" [1184-1590] -->
<h3><a name="what_is_an_emulator_and_a_simulator" id="what_is_an_emulator_and_a_simulator">What is an emulator and a simulator?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
An emulator attempts to recreate the original functions of the hardware.
Software run on an emulator should perform exactly as if it were being
run on the original hardware. This may include bugs or flaws that were
on the original system.
</p>
<p>
A simulator attempts to recreate the original functions of the software,
essentially imitating the game or software. The end results may look
very similar between emulation and simulation but they are very
different in how they are implemented.
</p>
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> and <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> are both emulators. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulates computer, console and hand held systems, and <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> emulates arcade games.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What is an emulator and a simulator?" [1591-2247] -->
<h3><a name="what_makes_mess_different_from_other_emulators" id="what_makes_mess_different_from_other_emulators">What makes MESS different from other emulators?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> emulates many types of systems (console, computer, handheld, calculator etc…), not just one like some other emulators.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is free.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is open source so anyone who knows the C programming language can help improve the project.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The architecture of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> makes it easy to add lesser known systems.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> strives for accuracy and portability above all else.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
The primary objective of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is to accurately emulate multiple systems. Most stand alone
emulators/simulators often focus on letting you play games on your PC.
They often include speed hacks or fudge things to make them look right.
The philosophy of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is to behave exactly like the original hardware, even if it is slower,
so that all software for the original machine will work as it would on
the original hardware. The focus on accuracy tends to make <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> a bit slower than other emulators, but this is not always true.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What makes MESS different from other emulators?" [2248-3217] -->
<h3><a name="is_mess_really_free" id="is_mess_really_free">Is MESS really free?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
Yes, <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is really free. The source code is freely available, too. It is illegal to sell <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> or its source. For details, please see the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/license" class="wikilink1" title="license">license</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Is MESS really free?" [3218-3401] -->
<h3><a name="isn_t_mess_the_same_as_mame" id="isn_t_mess_the_same_as_mame">Isn't MESS the same as MAME?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
No. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is based on the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> core. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> provides additional drivers and tools to emulate different systems. <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> is for arcade machines, and <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is for home computers and video game consoles.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Isn't MESS the same as MAME?" [3402-3636] -->
<h3><a name="why_don_t_mess_and_mame_merge" id="why_don_t_mess_and_mame_merge">Why don't MESS and MAME merge?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
It is could be possible in the future but right now each is targeting a set of systems to emulate. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is built on top of the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
infrastructure and they share many of the same CPU code. The teams work
very close and many developers contribute to both projects. Many arcade
systems emulated in <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> are based on or related to consoles emulated in <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>. There is a mutual benefit in testing and development of these related drivers.
</p>
<p>
The <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> project keeps up-to-date with changes to the core <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> system, and generally releases shortly after each major <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> release.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Why don't MESS and MAME merge?" [3637-4249] -->
<h3><a name="how_come_my_emails_to_the_mess_developers_do_not_receive_replies" id="how_come_my_emails_to_the_mess_developers_do_not_receive_replies">How come my emails to the MESS developers do not receive replies?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
The <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
developers receive a large volume of email, and also suffer from “Real
life syndrome”, and thus might not be able to reply, particularly when
such questions are answered in this <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym>. Your best bet is to ask a question on the <a href="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message board</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How come my emails to the MESS developers do not receive replies?" [4250-4657] -->
<h2><a name="starting_up" id="starting_up">Starting Up</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Starting Up" [4658-4682] -->
<h3><a name="what_do_i_need_to_run_mess" id="what_do_i_need_to_run_mess">What do I need to run MESS?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
In general a PC with a decent processor should run most of the systems
at a decent speed. There are an enormous variety of systems emulated and
each system has its own requirements. The best thing to do is try the
system you are interested in. But remember accuracy is the primary goal
not speed.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What do I need to run MESS?" [4683-5019] -->
<h3><a name="what_is_a_bios_what_s_a_rom_what_is_a_disk_image" id="what_is_a_bios_what_s_a_rom_what_is_a_disk_image">What is a BIOS?/What's a ROM?/What is a disk image?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
First, it is important to note that in the emulation world, the term ROM is used to refer to two different things:
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The ROM chips within a computer system, that usually contain some form of BASIC or the like</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> The ROM chips within a game cartridge for a console system</div>
</li>
</ol>
<p>
In <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, #1 are
also termed as “BIOS”, after what they are typically called in Intel PC
systems. The term “cartridge image” is used to refer to #2, where
“image” is a generic term that applies to downloaded images of removable
media, whether they be a cartridge, a floppy drive, or a hard disk.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "What is a BIOS?/What's a ROM?/What is a disk image?" [5020-5654] -->
<h3><a name="where_do_i_get_bioses_roms_how_do_i_use_my_old_software_with_mess" id="where_do_i_get_bioses_roms_how_do_i_use_my_old_software_with_mess">Where do I get BIOSes/ROMs?/How do I use my old software with MESS?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
In most cases, old software is physically incompatible with modern
computers. No matter how hard you push, an Atari cartridge just plain
won't fit in your computer's floppy drive. Folding up old 5¼” diskettes
so they fit in a 3½” drive will only break your disks. Obviously there
is a problem here - how do I get that software into my PC so an emulator
can use it?
</p>
<p>
It is possible to build special cartridge reading devices for console
systems and hook up old computers to new ones to transfer floppy disks.
These media get transferred into files on the new computer.
</p>
<p>
Now, originally emulation was just for hobbyists who had all this
special equipment, but some of them put these BIOSes and images up on
the Internet for people to download, on the honor system that people
would only download the BIOSes and images that they owned the original
software for. Unfortunately, a lot of people came along who just wanted
to download free games and did not care about preservation, and gave the
emulation community a bad name among software companies. There are many
BIOSes/images sites on the Internet, using a search engine should turn
up the ones you want. But remember: Downloading pirated BIOSes/images
that you do not own is illegal. Some people say that the copyrights have
expired or that you can download it if you delete it after 24 hours,
but they are wrong. It is up to you whether you want to ignore the law,
as most of the games are not and will not ever be sold again.
</p>
<p>
Most systems require BIOSes. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> is very picky about its BIOSes - they must be exactly the ones it is expecting, otherwise it may not work.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Where do I get BIOSes/ROMs?/How do I use my old software with MESS?" [5655-7357] -->
<h3><a name="okay_i_got_some_bioses_and_images_now_where_do_i_put_them" id="okay_i_got_some_bioses_and_images_now_where_do_i_put_them">Okay, I got some BIOSes and images, now where do I put them?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
BIOSes should go, still zipped, in the <code>roms</code> subfolder of wherever you put <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> (create it if it doesn't exist). Game images can go anywhere, although by default the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym> will look in the <code>software\[system name]</code> subfolder of your <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> folder. They can still be zipped, but for command-line <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> there can only be one image per zip file (MESSUI supports multiple images per zip file).
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Okay, I got some BIOSes and images, now where do I put them?" [7358-7819] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_start_the_mess_application" id="how_do_i_start_the_mess_application">How do I start the MESS application?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
For the command line version, type ”<code>mess [system] [device] [game] [options]</code>”, where <code>[system]</code> is the system driver name, <code>[device]</code> is the type of ROM, <code>[game]</code> is the filename of the ROM, and options are command line options. Valid <code>[device]</code> names (eg <code>-cart</code> and <code>-flop</code>) can be found by using <code>mess -listmedia</code>.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Example:</strong>
</p>
<pre class="code">mess nes -cart C:\ROMs\NES\zelda.nes -nosound</pre>
<p>
This will run the Zelda game on the Nintendo system without sound.
</p>
<p>
For Macintosh or Windows <acronym title="Operating System">OS</acronym>, run the MacMESS or messgui.exe application and click on the system or software you want to run.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I start the MESS application?" [7820-8459] -->
<h3><a name="i_did_everything_just_like_you_said_but_it_still_does_not_work" id="i_did_everything_just_like_you_said_but_it_still_does_not_work">I did everything just like you said, but it still does not work!</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
There is a <a href="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">message board</a> you can go to for help. But first, make sure you read this <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym> and the rest of the documentation. The answers can often be found there. Also check out the <a href="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" class="urlextern" title="http://mamedev.org/devwiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions" rel="nofollow">MAME FAQs</a> – it is a very good resource for things common to <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym> and <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
such as sound and graphics setup. Also search through the message board
to see if somebody already had the same problem. And at least put some
effort into fixing it yourself. People on message boards can get very
annoyed with people who ask questions that have already been answered
elsewhere, especially in <code>config.txt</code> and <code>windows.txt</code>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "I did everything just like you said, but it still does not work!" [8460-9285] -->
<h3><a name="it_works_but_it_is_way_too_slow" id="it_works_but_it_is_way_too_slow">It works, but it is way too slow!</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>' goal is
compatibility over speed. Some computers might not be able to provide
the needed power for full speed emulation. Many other emulators perform
shortcuts that sacrifice compatibility in favor of performance, which is
a valid tradeoff given a different set of design goals. With <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>,
your CPU is doing the jobs of the CPU(s), graphics chip(s), sound
chip(s), as well as any other special hardware present in the original
machine, so it can be bogged down fairly easily, especially by the
relatively unoptimized <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> core. <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
is written almost entirely in C, not assembly, for compatibility and
portability reasons. Additionally, there is a level of overhead required
to get the level of modularity that it takes to have the myriad
components in the emulation be usable across a broad set of drivers.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "It works, but it is way too slow!" [9286-10145] -->
<h3><a name="for_some_reason_esc_does_not_quit_mess_nor_does_tab_bring_up_the_menu" id="for_some_reason_esc_does_not_quit_mess_nor_does_tab_bring_up_the_menu">For some reason, ESC does not quit MESS nor does TAB bring up the menu!</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
In systems with a full keyboard, the shortcut keys are disabled, because
they are needed by the system being emulated. You need to press the
Scroll Lock key (you get a message), then tab and other shortcuts will
now work. Press Scroll Lock again to get the full keyboard back again.
</p>
<p>
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> developers
have attempted to choose a key (Scroll Lock on PCs, Delete on Macs) for
this function that would not interfere with either full keyboard
emulation or partial keyboard function keys.
</p>
<p>
In the event that your keyboard doesn't have a Scroll Lock key (e.g.
some laptops), please either plug in a USB keyboard that does have one,
or do the following:
</p>
<ol>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> With at least one ROM in the “roms” folder, launch <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> from the console/command-line/command prompt, without loading any “drivers” (ie. for Windows - “C:\<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>\mess.exe”)</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Using the arrow keys in the menu provided, select “Configure General Inputs” and press Enter.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Select “User Interface” and press Enter.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Scroll down and edit the
configuration for “UI Toggle”. Change it from “Scroll Lock” to something
else that won't conflict. For example, Shift+Insert might work, but
your mileage may vary.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "For some reason, ESC does not quit MESS nor does TAB bring up the menu!" [10146-11385] -->
<h2><a name="how_do_i" id="how_do_i">How Do I...</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How Do I..." [11386-11410] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_set_up_the_screenshots_snapshots_folder_for_mess" id="how_do_i_set_up_the_screenshots_snapshots_folder_for_mess">How do I set up the screenshots/snapshots folder for MESS?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
The snapshot (aka screenshot) folder is the place to store images to be displayed in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>. It can display in-game/software images and system images, or anything else as long as it is named correctly.
</p>
<p>
The snapshot folder can be configured in the “Directories…” window under the Options menu in the <acronym title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</acronym>. The default screen folder is <code>snap</code>. Store system images with the system name. Store software/game snapshots in a folder under the system they belong to.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Example:</strong>
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>mess/snap/a2600.png</code> – This is a picture of an Atari system. The name needs to match the driver.</div>
</li>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> <code>mess/snap/a2600/junglehunt.png</code> – This is an in-game screenshot of the game Jungle Hunt. The name needs to match game name.</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I set up the screenshots/snapshots folder for MESS?" [11411-12197] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_get_screenshots" id="how_do_get_screenshots">How do get screenshots?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
You can take your own screen shots by selecting the “Save Screenshot”
option in the file menu while in emulation. This will save an image in
the <acronym title="Portable Network Graphics">PNG</acronym> format with
the name of the driver (if one does not exist already). If an image
already exists an a sequential number will be added to the name (for
example <code>coco.png</code>, <code>coco0000.png</code>, <code>coco0001.png</code> etc…).
</p>
<p>
You can also find many images on various emulation or download images
from the internet at various sites. Try your favorite search engine.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do get screenshots?" [12198-12738] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_for_windows" id="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_for_windows">How do I compile/build/debug MESS for Windows?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
<a href="http://mess.redump.net/compiling_mess" class="wikilink1" title="compiling_mess">Compiling MESS</a> for Windows requires the <a href="http://www.mingw.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://www.mingw.org/" rel="nofollow">MinGW</a> toolkit, a variant of <a href="http://gcc.gnu.org/" class="urlextern" title="http://gcc.gnu.org/" rel="nofollow">GCC</a>. MinGW comes with a variant of GDB for debugging. Downloads of those tools can be found on the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/build_tools" class="wikilink1" title="build_tools">build tools</a> page.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I compile/build/debug MESS for Windows?" [12739-13041] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_create_a_backtrace_with_mess_on_windows" id="how_do_i_create_a_backtrace_with_mess_on_windows">How do I create a backtrace with MESS on Windows?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
First you need to make a clean compile of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> with symbols turned on, you can find the info on the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/compiling_mess" class="wikilink1" title="compiling_mess">Compiling MESS</a> page. If you used the <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>
MinGW build tools you should already have a copy of GDB, if not
download GDB and install it into your MinGW directory. Open up the
command promt and type <code>gdb mess</code> then run <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> inside GDB as you would the command prompt <code>run nes -cart C:\software\NES\metroid.nes -window</code> for example. Run the emulation until you encounter the crash you need to backtrace. It should pause instead of crashing out <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, look at the GDB window and there will be a sigsev or error message, type <code>bt</code> to get a full backtrace.
</p>
<p>
Occasionally GDB will pause the emulation at an error which isn't the
one you need a backtrace for, to continue the emulation just type <code>cont</code>.
</p>
<p>
Backtraces are very welcome in bug reports.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I create a backtrace with MESS on Windows?" [13042-13954] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_with_visual_c" id="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_with_visual_c">How do I compile/build/debug MESS with Visual C?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
You can invoke the build with <code>MSVC_BUILD=1</code> and the build
will use Visual C instead of MinGW. Note that MinGW is still required
as GNU make is used rather than nmake. Using the Microsoft compilers
allows one to use the Visual C debugger to debug <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>, but one does not get the full benefits of the IDE.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I compile/build/debug MESS with Visual C?" [13955-14323] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_for_un_x" id="how_do_i_compile_build_debug_mess_for_un_x">How do I compile/build/debug MESS for Un*x?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
See <a href="http://rbelmont.mameworld.info/?page_id=163" class="urlextern" title="http://rbelmont.mameworld.info/?page_id=163" rel="nofollow">SDLMESS</a>.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I compile/build/debug MESS for Un*x?" [14324-14441] -->
<h3><a name="how_do_i_contribute_to_the_mess_project" id="how_do_i_contribute_to_the_mess_project">How do I contribute to the MESS project?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
If you have programming skills, you can download the source and fix
bugs, improve emulation on existing systems or add a new one! If you fix
anything, be sure to submit the fixes so they can be included in the
source. Be advised that corrections or additions may not be accepted if
they are hackish in nature; <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
strives for accuracy both in emulation and in the source code. Another
major concern is the verifiability of the changes. One major obstacle in
<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> that often the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> maintainer may understand the system much less than you do, and it can be very difficult for the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> maintainer to validate any changes, so changes submitted to <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
should be accompanied with instructions on how to run the system and
how to run specific software that failed to run before, but runs after
the changes. It generally does not suffice to simply say “Look at page
XYZ. It provides complete information on how to run the WowieZowie
system”. The <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
developers need to know the specifics, and cannot run around how to
use a very obscure system just to save the time of a submitter.
</p>
<p>
As an alternative, one way to contribute is to modernize drivers. Over <acronym title="Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator">MAME</acronym>'s/<acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>'s
lifetime, there have been core improvements for which not all drivers
have been modified to take advantage. These techniques include:
</p>
<ul>
<li class="level1"><div class="li"> Unified read/write address maps</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> Natural keyboard support</div>
</li>
<li class="level2"><div class="li"> Tagged input ports</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
More items can be found on the <a href="http://mess.redump.net/mess:todo" class="wikilink1" title="mess:todo">MESS todo list</a>. For details on what these mean, it is probably best to ask about them on the <a href="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">MESS message board</a>.
</p>
<p>
If you do not have programming skills, you can help by documenting emulated systems and software, adding <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym>
entries, reporting bugs, submitting artwork and so on – anything to
assist those with programming skills and improve the project.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "How do I contribute to the MESS project?" [14442-16366] -->
<h2><a name="trouble_shooting" id="trouble_shooting">Trouble Shooting</a></h2>
<div class="level2">
</div>
<!-- SECTION "Trouble Shooting" [16367-16396] -->
<h3><a name="i_have_found_a_bugwhat_can_i_do_to_help_the_mess_developers_fix_it" id="i_have_found_a_bugwhat_can_i_do_to_help_the_mess_developers_fix_it">I have found a bug; what can I do to help the MESS developers fix it?</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
If you are comfortable programming C, you can download the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> source code and attempt to fix it yourself. If you have questions about the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> source, ask them on the <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> message board.
</p>
<p>
If you are not comfortable programming C, the best thing for you to do is to create a bug report at <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
Bugzilla. When reporting a bug, make sure to include as much
information as possible, including snapshots, links, descriptions, and
instructions. Keep in mind that <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym>
emulates hundreds of systems and the reader may not be familiar with
the system or driver you are reporting a bug in. A bug report with
simple, clear instructions and a reproducible case is much more likely
to get fixed. Also, if you know a previous version of <acronym title="Multi Emulator Super System">MESS</acronym> that worked correctly please include that information.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "I have found a bug; what can I do to help the MESS developers fix it?" [16397-17263] -->
<h3><a name="my_english_is_not_good._i_do_not_understand" id="my_english_is_not_good._i_do_not_understand">My English is not good. I do not understand!</a></h3>
<div class="level3">
<p>
If you ask for help on the <a href="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" class="urlextern" title="http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=1&page=1" rel="nofollow">message board</a>,
post it in both English and your native language. Many people there
speak more than one language and may be able to help you in your native
language. Also, visit <a href="http://babelfish.yahoo.com/" class="urlextern" title="http://babelfish.yahoo.com/" rel="nofollow">Babelfish</a>.
They have a translation program that can translate between English and
most European languages as well as a number of other languages.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SECTION "My English is not good. I do not understand!" [17264-] -->
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