melonDS
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?label=Linux%20x86-64&logo=GitHub)
?label=Linux%20ARM64&logo=GitHub)
DS emulator, sorta
The goal is to do things right and fast, akin to blargSNES (but hopefully better). But also to, you know, have a fun challenge :)
## How to use
Firmware boot (not direct boot) requires a BIOS/firmware dump from an original DS or DS Lite.
DS firmwares dumped from a DSi or 3DS aren't bootable and only contain configuration data, thus they are only suitable when booting games directly.
### Possible firmware sizes
* 128KB: DSi/3DS DS-mode firmware (reduced size due to lacking bootcode)
* 256KB: regular DS firmware
* 512KB: iQue DS firmware
DS BIOS dumps from a DSi or 3DS can be used with no compatibility issues. DSi BIOS dumps (in DSi mode) are not compatible. Or maybe they are. I don't know.
As for the rest, the interface should be pretty straightforward. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask, though!
## How to build
### Linux
1. Install dependencies:
* Ubuntu 22.04: `sudo apt install cmake libcurl4-gnutls-dev libpcap0.8-dev libsdl2-dev qtbase5-dev qtmultimedia5-dev libslirp-dev libarchive-dev libepoxy-dev`
* Older Ubuntu: `sudo apt install cmake libcurl4-gnutls-dev libpcap0.8-dev libsdl2-dev qt5-default qtmultimedia5-dev libslirp-dev libarchive-dev libepoxy-dev`
* Arch Linux: `sudo pacman -S base-devel cmake git libpcap sdl2 qt5-base qt5-multimedia libslirp libarchive libepoxy`
3. Download the melonDS repository and prepare:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS
cd melonDS
```
3. Compile:
```bash
cmake -B build
cmake --build build -j$(nproc --all)
```
### Windows
1. Install [MSYS2](https://www.msys2.org/)
2. Open the **MSYS2 MinGW 64-bit** terminal
3. Update the packages using `pacman -Syu` and reopen the terminal if it asks you to
4. Install git to clone the repository
```bash
pacman -S git
```
5. Download the melonDS repository and prepare:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS
cd melonDS
```
#### Dynamic builds (with DLLs)
5. Install dependencies: `pacman -S make mingw-w64-x86_64-{cmake,mesa,SDL2,toolchain,qt5-base,qt5-svg,qt5-multimedia,libslirp,libarchive,libepoxy}`
6. Compile:
```bash
cmake -B build -G "MSYS Makefiles"
cmake --build build -j$(nproc --all)
cd build
../tools/msys-dist.sh
```
If everything went well, melonDS and the libraries it needs should now be in the `dist` folder.
#### Static builds (without DLLs, standalone executable)
5. Install dependencies: `pacman -S make mingw-w64-x86_64-{cmake,mesa,SDL2,toolchain,qt5-static,libslirp,libarchive,libepoxy}`
6. Compile:
```bash
cmake -B build -G 'MSYS Makefiles' -DBUILD_STATIC=ON -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/mingw64/qt5-static
cmake --build build -j$(nproc --all)
```
If everything went well, melonDS should now be in the `build` folder.
### macOS
1. Install the [Homebrew Package Manager](https://brew.sh)
2. Install dependencies: `brew install git pkg-config cmake sdl2 qt@6 libslirp libarchive libepoxy`
3. Download the melonDS repository and prepare:
```zsh
git clone https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS
cd melonDS
```
4. Compile:
```zsh
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$(brew --prefix qt@6);$(brew --prefix libarchive)" -DUSE_QT6=ON
cmake --build build -j$(sysctl -n hw.logicalcpu)
```
If everything went well, melonDS.app should now be in the `build` directory.
#### Self-contained app bundle
If you want an app bundle that can be distributed to other computers without needing to install dependencies through Homebrew, you can additionally run `
../tools/mac-bundle.rb melonDS.app` after the build is completed, or add `-DMACOS_BUNDLE_LIBS=ON` to the first CMake command.
## TODO LIST
* better DSi emulation
* better OpenGL rendering
* better wifi
* the impossible quest of pixel-perfect 3D graphics
* support for rendering screens to separate windows
* emulating some fancy addons
* other non-core shit (debugger, graphics viewers, etc)
### TODO LIST FOR LATER (low priority)
* big-endian compatibility (Wii, etc)
* LCD refresh time (used by some games for blending effects)
* any feature you can eventually ask for that isn't outright stupid
## Credits
* Martin for GBAtek, a good piece of documentation
* Cydrak for the extra 3D GPU research
* limittox for the icon
* All of you comrades who have been testing melonDS, reporting issues, suggesting shit, etc
## Licenses
[](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html)
melonDS is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
### External
* Images used in the Input Config Dialog - see `src/frontend/qt_sdl/InputConfig/resources/LICENSE.md`