Skip to main content

Zaparoo Core v2.8.0 released

· 5 min read
wizzo
wizzo
Lead Developer

Happy New Year! Zaparoo Core v2.8.0 is now available. This release fixes a critical bug affecting hold mode, adds beta support for new platforms, mDNS network discovery, blocking hooks, and improved Steam integration.

The highlights:

Download​

New Platform Support​

  • Bazzite and ChimeraOS beta builds are now available for AMD64 and ARM64. These are gaming-focused Linux distributions for Steam Deck and desktop gaming PCs. Feedback welcome as we work toward stable releases.
  • EmuDeck and RetroDECK launcher support on SteamOS. Gaming Mode support is included but still being tested.

Steam Integration​

  • Automatic game detection tracks Steam games launched outside of Zaparoo, showing them in ActiveMedia. This is a new feature and we'd appreciate feedback on how it works across different setups.
  • Game details action opens Steam's game details page instead of launching. Use ?action=details in ZapScript or set it as the launcher default.

mDNS Network Discovery​

Zaparoo now advertises itself on your local network using mDNS. Mobile apps and other clients can automatically find and connect to your Zaparoo instance without needing to enter IP addresses manually. Access Zaparoo using friendly .local addresses like http://mister.local:7497.

[service.discovery]
enabled = true              # Enabled by default
instance_name = "MyZaparoo" # Optional custom name

Blocking Hooks​

Three hooks can now block actions by returning an error: on_scan, on_remove, and the new before_media_start. Scripts executed via **execute: now receive a ZAPAROO_ENVIRONMENT JSON variable with full system state.

[launchers]
before_media_start = "**execute:/path/to/script.sh"

Your script gets access to the current platform, active media, scanned token, and launching media details. Exit with an error to prevent the action.

MiSTer Improvements​

  • Flexible core locations with automatic scanning and caching. Cores can be installed anywhere, not just default directories.
  • Neo Geo fixes for files inside zip archives or extracted game folders being incorrectly indexed as separate games.
  • Alt-core path fixes for the 80MHz N64 and 2X PSX alternative cores.
  • Platform detection headers identify your device's OS, architecture, and platform. Servers can serve different scripts for different devices from the same URL.
  • Faster first scans by pre-warming known hosts in the background when Zaparoo starts.

Reader Improvements​

  • Sleep/wake reconnection for USB readers after your system wakes from sleep. This is new and may need further testing on different systems.
  • External drive reader fixes for stale mount detection, ensuring safer mount/unmount operations.
  • Better NFC diagnostics with visible warnings for NDEF tag reading failures without needing debug mode.
  • Clone tag compatibility improved through upgraded PN532 driver with spec-compliant TLV scanning.

API Improvements​

  • Notification inbox stores persistent notifications that survive restarts. Messages have severity levels and broadcast in real-time via WebSocket. New methods: inbox, inbox.delete, inbox.clear.
  • Centralized validation for all API parameters with clear, human-readable error messages.
  • Root URL redirect to /app/ automatically.

Other Changes​

  • Windows installers are now signed which helps avoid SmartScreen warnings. Thanks to SignPath for sponsoring the project with free code signing.
  • System ID aliases in config options like [[systems.default]] and ignore_system. Use megadrive, N64, or playstation instead of exact system IDs.
  • Opt-in error reporting via Sentry. When enabled, anonymous crash reports help identify and fix bugs. Disabled by default.
  • Zap Link hosts that don't support the protocol are automatically re-checked after 30 days.
  • Launch guard prevents concurrent media launches from causing conflicts
  • Linux platform code refactored into a shared base, reducing duplication across SteamOS, Bazzite, and ChimeraOS
  • Steam code consolidated into a unified package with platform-specific implementations
  • Type-safe advanced arguments for ZapScript with built-in validation
  • Improved process lifecycle tracking prevents zombie processes
  • Better media indexing diagnostics with timing information

Bug Fixes​

  • Fixed hold mode not working due to tag session management bug
  • Fixed data race in RS232 barcode reader connection status
  • Fixed slice mutation bug in reader auto-detection
  • Reduced log noise from auto-detect heartbeat messages
  • Fixed romsets.xml parsing for comma-separated name aliases
  • Added fallback filter for Neo Geo scanning when romsets.xml is invalid
  • Reader connection configuration now properly implies driver enabled
  • Reduced Kodi and EmulationStation API logging noise on Batocera
  • Service now stops cleanly on API bind failure
  • Steam shortcuts.vdf parsing now tolerant of missing optional fields
  • Added validation for API port and listen address settings
  • Fixed fallback matching for auth credentials lookup
  • Transient errors no longer permanently disable Zap Link hosts
  • Fixed Batocera pacman package version sanitization

Thanks to everyone who tested the beta and reported issues! Keep it coming.

As always, feedback and bug reports are welcome on our Discord or GitHub.