DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image updated! (v1.21/v1.7 DLE, now with online repository support)

DreamPi NOOBS-compatible
image updated! (v1.21/v1.7 DLE)

 

  During 2019, I released a newer version of a DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image for Raspberry Pi for the Sega Dreamcast, built against v1.7 DLE stock image. A DreamPi is a standardized set of software (a customized Linux distro) and a set of hardware created by a fellow named "Kazade" which will create a simplified DC-PC server, for getting a Dreamcast back online to connect to the Internet for browsing and online gaming, via resurrected, private game servers. The stock DreamPi image is one which must be written to the entire SD card, and doesn't easily allow a multi-boot setup with other OSes on other SD card partitions. This DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image is compatible with NOOBS or (by extension, the recommended, superior) PINN. NOOBS is a simple bootloader, which allows one to install NOOBS-compatible distro images in such a way as to allow a simple multi-boot configuration, while PINN (derived from NOOBS) is a enhanced version of NOOBS, which fixes some design flaws and adds new useful, convenient features. PINN is recommended over NOOBS.

  The DreamPi NOOBS compatible image works with NOOBS/PINN, and allows one to install a DreamPi distro with others in a multi-boot configuration. During summer 2019 , the stock DreamPi image was upgraded to v1.7 DLE. This has the same features as v1.7, but with the speed stability bugfix applied and an updated DreamPi WiFi Config Wizard packaged with it.

Since my older v1.7 DLE NOOBS image (v1.2) was released, 3 new games have had their online support resurrected:

• Internet Game Pack
• Metropolis Street Racer
  
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon DX (this game looks awesome 😀)

MSG: FvZ DX

 

Giant robot fighting anime mechs
online with the Dreamcast;

what more could I want?

You can read the previous Dreamcast Live blog post for information about the Changelog for v1.7 DLE.

 

   I have updated the previous DreamPi NOOBS-compatible image (built against stock image v1.7 RPi 1-3 flavor) to v1.21. This new build features:

• Updated installer slideshow
• Inserted new Slide F with the 3 new games
• Created a marketing.tar tarball archive with the slides_vga slideshow slides (for the online repository server support)
  
• Created source code repositories
  
• Hosted all DreamPi NOOBS image source files on a SourceForge repository
• Hosted a repo_list.json and os_list_v3.json file on a central Github repository
• Both repositories allow for NOOBS online distro repository support!
• Can download the NOOBS distro from online
• Online auto-updating and reinstallation on PINN

Do note that this online repo support is relatively new and beta, and has only been tested with PINN. The v1.7 DLE distro currently hosted is the Raspberry Pi 1-3/Zero flavor; I only just discovered right at the time of this writing that there is a separate v1.7 DLE flavor for Raspberry Pi 4. A separate NOOBS image of the RPi 4 flavor will be built and hosted online very soon, as well as tweaks and additions made to the repository JSON files online to handle both flavors.

In order to access the distro image from the online repository, please read the instructions in the updated DreamPi NOOBS webpage. For both NOOBS and PINN, you'll need to edit your recovery.cmdline file (after first initalization of NOOBS/PINN) at the root of the SD card.

Basically summary to access the repository server:

• PINN
• Option #1
  
• Add a new param of alt_image_source=http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json
  
  
• Option #2
• In case option #1 doesn't work (not recommended), temporary options
  
• Add a new param of alt_image_source
• Set alt_image_source to value in repo_list
• Set repo_list=http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/repo_list.json
• Add no_default_source and showall options
• Reboot, download image, restore options to previous
  
  
• NOOBS (untested)
  
  • Repo="" option
    • This option contains URLs to repositories to fetch distro images
    • Consists of URLs enclosed in "quotes" and separated by spaces. (E.g. repo="www.url1.com" "
      www.url2.com")
    • Add http://raw.githubusercontent.com/Tamk1s/Tamkis_NOOBS_Repo/main/os_list_v3.json to the option if it does not exist or append this URL to list
      

Using either option and rebooting should allow DreamPi to show up in the "Games" tab, and be downloaded online. In order to allow auto-updating of the distro, any old versions of the DreamPi distro (installed from external media) will probably need removed and replaced from the version downloaded from the online server.

You can download the latest DreamPi NOOBS compatible image and read the guide at this EagleSoft page. The webpage has also been updated with developer information on how to serve a NOOBS-compatible image online in a repository. (NOOBS/PINN are picky on where/how the distro image files can be hosted online.) This online feature is relatively beta.

Have fun playing online and having DreamPi multi-boot with other OSes on NOOBS/PINN!

-Tamkis