Modify existing config files

[gizmo98]

Is it possible to modify existing config files? If i save the input configuration the current config file will be replaced. All video, audio and path settings are gone. Only joypad/keyboard settings are present.

[Aloshi]

This is by design. It's a lot harder (though obviously not impossible) to write a script that modifies an existing file rather than just generates one from scratch.

[gizmo98]

Hi Aloshi,

The RetroPie-Setup script had some problems with the installation of ES-config. settings.xml was missing and there were false path variables. These problems are fixed now. One problem persists. ES-config will replace the current RetroPie config files. This behaviour should be changed. Otherwise there will be many user complaints.

In my opinion there are multiple possibilities to overcome this problem:

1. Remove ES-Config from RetroPie-Setup.
2. Append settings at the end of the current config file.
3. Read current config file, comment all joypad settings and append settings at the end of the file.
4. Read current config file and change current joypad settings.
5. Use a python script. There seems to be a config parser (http://docs.python.org/2/library/configparser.html).

Best regards

[Aloshi]

Another option for RetroArch is to split the config files (into one in configs/all/retroarch.cfg that isn't touched by ES-config, while leaving only the input mappings in configs/[platform]/retroarch.cfg).

Although I think removing ES-Config entirely would be fine if there is something to replace it with. It is not a very good tool. The only reason it exists is because I got tired of every other comment on the RetroPie thread being "how do I configure emulator [x] to use my joystick?" and had a free weekend.

I would like to eventually add a simple plug-in system to EmulationStation that would allow you to configure emulators, but that's still a loooong way off.

[gizmo98]

Workaround:
New python start script. Create a dummy config file and merge dummy file with configs/all/retroarch.cfg.
https://github.com/petrockblog/RetroPie-Setup/blob/master/supplementary/Start.py