batocera-settings is a commandline tool that can work with regular config files and read/write/change it's content. There are keys and values stored in a file like /userdata/system/batocera.conf.

• It's recommended to use ## This is a text comment for text comments
• It's recommended to use #enable.godmode=hallelujah for commenting values
• It's recommended to descripe content and functions in text form
• It's recommended to add content in sections
• It's recommended to use the form key.description=value

Down here is a small excerpt of a config file

# ------------ B - Network ------------ #
## Set system hostname
system.hostname=BATOCERA
## Activate wifi (0,1)
wifi.enabled=0
## Wifi SSID (string)
#wifi.ssid=new ssid
## Wifi KEY (string)
## after rebooting the batocera.linux, the "new key" is replace by a hidden value "enc:xxxxx"
## you can edit the "enc:xxxxx" value to replace by a clear value, it will be updated again at the following reboot
## Escape your special chars (# ; $) with a backslash : $ => \$
#wifi.key=new key

batocera-setting is utilized by parameters parsed. These parameters can be used in the long and in the short format. It's a relict of RecalBox times thus the expression python batoceraSetting.py -command load -key user.key is used till today but arguments are now parsed to batocera-settings.

As batocera-settings is more modern and supports read/write/change of value let's see how the command line works:

• BATOCERA Basic
  • batocera-settings -r [key] read key from batocera.conf
  • batocera-settings -w [key] -v [value] write value key=value to batocera.conf
  • batocera-settings -f [file] -r[key] read value key from file
• BATCOERA extended
  • batocera-settings -e -r [key] -s [system] iterate keys system.key and if not available use global.key
  • batocera-settings -e -r [key] -s [system] -g [game] iterate keys like above, but start with system.[“game”].key

• BATOCERA Classic format (Unix Style)
  • batocera-settings --command load --key your.key
• BATOCERA Classic short format
  • batocera-settings load your.key

Whenever batocera-settings was called you will receive an exit code number. This will help to identify errors - morover for debugging you can use the status command to held usefull output.

File and Key/Values error
Error Code	Error code explaination	Troubleshooting
EC 0	No Error, value found	You made it!
EC 1	General error, e.g. command line error	Check your command line for correct parameters
EC 2	File error, e.g. the config file is not available	Check file path and r/w access to it
EC 10	Value error, key found but value is empty	Unusual setup but no error at all
EC 11	Value error, key found but it is commented out	Activate the key entry by uncomment command
EC 12	Key not found	Add the key by manual or check your command line for typos

I present here some short scripts, to show you how to make batocera-settings work in your script. As I'm more confident in shell scripting I give you just some small exampels in shell script.

1. bash: Obtain value
2. bash: Activate UART in /boot/config.txt
3. bash: Set a new key
4. python: Obtain a value

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

obtain_value.sh

#!/bin/bash
#This is an example file how batocera-settings can be utilized
#to read a value out from /userdata/system/batocera.conf
 
value="$(batocera-settings --command load --key power.switch.device)"
ret=$?
if [[ $ret -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo "Power Switch detected: '$value'"
else
    echo "No Power Switch detected!"
fi

activate_uart.sh

#!/bin/bash
#This is an example file how batocera-settings can be utilized
#to activate UART in /boot/config.txt
 
batocera-settings /boot/config.txt --command uncomment --key enable_uart
ret=$?
if [[ $ret -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo "UART activated, uncommented enable_uart"
elif [[ $ret -eq 2 ]]; then
    echo "File is write protected!"
    echo "I make boot-partition writeable"
    mount -o remount, rw /boot
    echo "Please restart script"
else
    echo "Key: enable_uart not found"
    echo "Not a Raspberry System?"
fi

activate_uart.sh

#!/bin/bash
#This is an example file how batocera-settings can be utilized
#to set a new key in /userdata/system/batocera.conf
 
value=$(batocera-settings --command write --key core.PS4.emulator --value SONY4EVER
ret=$?
if [[ $ret -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo "PS4 core enabled!"
elif [[ $ret -eq 12 ]]; then
    echo "Key not found! - I add it"
    echo "core.PS4.emulator=" >> /userdata/system/batocera.conf
 
    echo "Please restart script!"
else
    echo "Annother error occoured!"
fi

obtain_value.py

#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#This is an example file how batocera-settings can be utilized
#to read a value out from /userdata/system/batocera.conf with python
 
import subprocess
 
value = (subprocess.check_output(['batocera-settings', 'get', 'power.switch.device']))
if value:
    print "Power Switch Detected: ", value
else:
    print "No power switch detected!"