Tips and tutorials

How to analyze errors on USB flash drives
It may be useful from time to time to analyze a USB flash drive to correct possible problems. This site shows how to do it: https://computing.which.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/115005587645-How-to-use-CHKDSK-Check-Disk-to-repair-a-hard-drive

How to see file extensions on Windows
It is usualy helpful to be able to see the complete name of a file. for that you need to tell Winwdows to show you file extensions. https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/

How to see the CRC32 of a game
The CRC32 of a file is an identifier of said file, like a unique fingerprint, so anyone can know which specifically version of a file it is. The CRC32 of a game can be discovered with online applications or with programs like 7-Zip: right click --> CRC SHA --> CRC-32

How to recover games from the SNES Classic to the PC
If you haven't synchronized your SNES Classic with a new copy of hakchi yet, you can get the games off of it via hakchi. Note that these instructions assume you're using hakchi CE and that you had been using hakchi CE before on your previous PC:

1) Locate your hakchi program's games folder. If you installed hakchi via the .zip file, it'll be inside the hakchi folder itself. If you installed it via the .exe installer version, it's located somewhere in your PC's Documents folder. You'll be copying your games back to this folder.

2) Load up hakchi, connect your SNES Classic, and turn it on normally.

3) Click on Tools > Open FTP Client. It'll open a new explorer window.

4) Navigate to /var/lib/hakchi/games. You'll probably see two folders in there: .storage and snes-usa (or snes-eur if using an European SNES Classic Mini).

5) Go into snes-usa (or snes-eur). You should see a bunch of folders named 001, 002, 003, etc.

6) Go into each one of these and copy all the CLV- folders to the games folder mentioned in step 1, except for the folders that start with CLV-P and CLV-S.

7) Go into the .storage folder mentioned in step 4. Do the same thing as in step 6: copy all the CLV- folders (except CLV-S and CLV-P if those are in there) to the games folder mentioned in step 1. It should merge their contents with what's already in there.

8) Close the FTP window.

9) Close hakchi.

9) Re-open hakchi. Your games should be back. You'll have to redo any custom folder setups you had, but the games, cover art, and metadata should be back.

How to make a backup of you SNES Classic customisations
- Backup your saves using the save manager in Hakchi2 CE - back up your user data partition using the dump user data option on Hakchi2 CE - back up all your important hakchi files (if you're using the portable version of Hakchi2 CE, back up the whole Hacki2 CE folder; if you're using the installer version of Hakchi2 CE, back up everything in your PC's Documents/hakchi2 CE folder.

How to have the SNES Classic save game progress to an USB flash drive
Create a folder called hakchi in the root of the USB flash drive. Inside this hakchi folder, create a folder called saves.

How to take screenshots
Hakchi2 CE has a screen capture tool. You can also use Retroarch, or copy the screen capture of a suspend point.

How to change the font
Put the font file named exactly title.fnt in USB:\hakchi\fonts on a USB drive while using an OTG adapter, or put the file in /var/lib/hakchi/fonts in the SNES Classic through FTP.

How to create custom "shortcuts" on the SNES Classic menu
General custom folders manipulation. BsLeNuL's tips: https://www.reddit.com/r/miniSNESmods/comments/7b5v8p/quick_example_of_what_you_could_do_with_folders/dpfjfh4/

Best format of disc-based games
It is reported that chd files are preferred for best results. On the other hand, CHD files can have longer loading times, specially for videos, what would make bin+cue preffered.

On-the-fly switching between Canoe and Retroarch
By holding up on the directional pad when loading a SNES game, the game will run on Canoe.

On the other hand, by holding down, the game will run on Retroarch.

It is valid one time only (not saved configuration), the next time the game is loaded, if neither up nor down buttons are pressed, the game will run on the emulator specified on the Hakchi2 CE command line.

Such functionality is configured into the file  (or is it /hakchi/rootfs/bin/clover-canoe-shvc-wr (?))in the SNES Classic that is created when installing RetroArch. If it is desired to desable it, it is enough to comment the 4 lines at the top (?) where it says "Hold up/down to forcely...", "[ -e $clover... ".

is used to comment lines in bash.

Stock borders on Retroarch
By holding L or R ? on the controller when loading a game, the system's border will also be used on Retroarch. It will change the aspect ratio of the game(?)

Convert a SNES Classic into a NES Classic
Not dealing with dualboot whatsoever.

Uninstall Hakchi from the SNES Classic if it is installed (necessary?), after that, then follow the following instructions. Hold the keyboard's shift key, and, on Hakchi2 CE, click Kernel, then click on Uninstall. The user will be prompted for a kernel image file. A NES Classic kernel image file should then be provided. On telnet, type  (maybe it is necessary to boot Recovery Kernel from RAM first), flash the NES Classic .hsqs (?) decrypted system software to the SNES Classic, format userdata partition, and install Hakchi onto the SNES Classic (that should be by now a NES Classic for all intents and purposes, software-wise) (is it necessary to install hakchi ?).

Kernel and HSQS should match the NES Classic version (Shonen Jummp, Europe, etc)

Multi-disc games
create a m3u playlist with the filenames of the discs on each line, add that file as a game, then copy the image files into that game folder; then use retroarch to change discs. does the end of line need to be Linux format?

Games manuals
Some games manuals may be found in:
 * SNES Classic stock games' manuals
 * NES Classic stock games' manuals
 * Sega Genesis Mini stock games' manuals
 * PlayStation Classic stock games' manuals
 * Nintendo of America Customer service
 * Nintendo of Europe UK Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Wii U, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS games manuals (other Nintendo of Europe regions contain some manuals in languages other than English)

.wad files
.wad files (WADs) are files that contain the bulk of Doom (and similar) games. WAD stands for "where all the data is".

The WAD for the shareware version of Doom can be found on the KMFD's Mod Hub.