Batocera

Batocera is a software emulation distribution based around EmulationStation, with support for a huge number of systems and devices.

File paths

Item	Path
Config file	/userdata/system/.config/zaparoo/config.toml
Data directory	/userdata/system/.local/share/zaparoo
Log file	/userdata/system/.local/share/zaparoo/logs/core.log
Mappings directory	/userdata/system/.local/share/zaparoo/mappings

Network share paths use \\BATOCERA\share\system\ prefix instead of /userdata/system/.

Install

Content Downloader

The easiest way to install is directly from Batocera's Content Downloader:

1. Press Start to open the main menu
2. Navigate to Updates & Downloads > Content Downloader
3. Go to the SYS section and find Zaparoo Core
4. Press A to install

After installation, launch Zaparoo from the Ports system in EmulationStation to access the TUI, or use the Zaparoo App on your phone to manage your setup and write tokens.

Terminal

Alternatively, install via SSH or in the Batocera terminal (press F1 to open the file manager, then F4 to open a terminal):

curl -fsSL https://zaparoo.org/install.sh | bash

This installs Zaparoo via the pacman package manager, sets up the startup service, and adds a Zaparoo entry to the Ports system.

Manual install

If you prefer not to use the Content Downloader or the install script, download Zaparoo Core for Batocera from the Downloads page and unzip it. It comes with two files: zaparoo, the Core executable, and zaparoo_service, a service script that runs Core on startup.

Over the network share or from a USB drive (press F1 for the file manager):

1. Copy zaparoo into /userdata/system (\\BATOCERA\share\system on Windows).
2. Create a services directory inside it if there isn't one, and copy zaparoo_service there.
3. Press Start, open System Settings > Services (in the Advanced section), and enable zaparoo_service.
4. Restart Batocera.

Over SSH (default credentials root / linux; see Batocera's SSH guide), copy zaparoo to /userdata/system with scp or WinSCP, then run:

cd /userdata/system
chmod +x ./zaparoo
./zaparoo -install
batocera-services enable zaparoo_service
batocera-services start zaparoo_service

Uninstall

Uninstall Zaparoo Core from Batocera's Content Downloader, the same place it was installed. Batocera stops and disables the zaparoo_service service and removes the package files. Your configuration and data are left in place; see the file paths above if you want to delete them too.

Updates

Core installed from the Content Downloader or the terminal install command is a Batocera package, so Batocera's package manager updates it and Core only shows a notice when a new release exists. A Core copied into place by hand updates itself. See Core updates.

Card-only cabinets

For a child-friendly or arcade-style setup with no visible game library, see the Card-Only Batocera Cabinet community recipe. It shows a single Insert Game Card system while Zaparoo continues launching hidden games from physical tokens.

Readers

Type	Reader	Support	Setup	Notes
NFC/RFID	PN532 USB	Supported	Auto-detected
NFC/RFID	PN532 Module	Supported	Depends on wiring	UART can auto-detect. I2C is supported.
NFC/RFID	ACR122U	Limited	Manual enable	Uses libnfc: MIFARE Classic writing is limited, LED and beeper do not work, and some clone variants are incompatible.
NFC/RFID	RC522	Limited	Via Simple Serial	Requires a microcontroller; not a direct USB reader.
Barcode and QR	Zaparoo App camera	Supported	Via Zaparoo App
Barcode and QR	RS-232 scanner	Supported	Manual config
Optical and Media	Optical Drive	Supported	Manual config
Optical and Media	External Drive	Supported	Manual enable
Custom and Virtual	MQTT Reader	Supported	Manual config
Custom and Virtual	Simple Serial	Supported	Manual config
Custom and Virtual	File Reader	Supported	Manual config
Displays and Integrations	TTY2OLED	Supported	Manual enable

Each reader's page has setup steps and troubleshooting. See readers to compare them, or the setup guide to pick one for your setup.

Launchers

Launcher	Notes
EmulationStation	150+ systems via Batocera's emulators
Kodi	Movies, TV, Music (Kodi mode only)
Shell Scripts	Custom .sh file execution

Kodi integration only works when Batocera is in Kodi mode with the API enabled. See LibreELEC for API configuration details.

See Launchers for the full list of supported systems and launcher details.

Troubleshooting

Zaparoo is not running. Check the service from a terminal (F1, then F4): batocera-services status zaparoo_service, and start it with batocera-services start zaparoo_service.

Zaparoo is missing from Ports. The Ports entry comes with the package. Reinstall Zaparoo Core from the Content Downloader.

A reader is not detected. Check the reader's page under readers for the exact driver and any manual configuration.