# Release plan — "drop in your ROM and play" Status: proposal / not yet scheduled. Owner: TBD. ## Goal An end user downloads the GitHub release zip, unzips it, drops their legally-owned GoldenEye 007 N64 ROM (`.z64`, big-endian) into a folder, double-clicks the exe, and plays. No Python, no MSYS2, no manual asset-extraction, no command line. ## Where we are today The Windows bundle produced by `tools_pc/bundle-win.sh` (and uploaded by the `windows-build` CI job) already contains only: the engine exe, its MinGW / SDL2 / zlib DLLs, a README, and licenses. It deliberately ships **no** ROM and **no** game assets. That part is fine. The gap is everything the runtime needs *alongside* the ROM before a level will render: | Dependency | Produced today by | Consumed at runtime by | |---|---|---| | `port/src/romassets_.s` — absolute cart-address symbols for every obseg/ramrom/music asset + `ge007.ld` segment markers | `python3 scripts/gen_romassets.py `, compiled **into** the exe | linker; `&symbol` + `romCopy()` in game code | | `data/pcmodels-/{pcmodels.bin,manifest.csv}` (~1.3 MB) — every model file re-laid-out to PC struct layout, RZ-compressed | `python3 tools_pc/d43_emit.py ` | `port/src/pcmodels.c` (`pcmodelsReserveSize`/`LoadSidecars`/`PatchTable`) | | `data/pccg-/{pccg.bin,manifest.csv}` (~3.6 MB) — every stage `bg/*.seg` + `Tbg_*_stanZ` re-laid-out to PC layout | `python3 tools_pc/d69_emit.py ` | `port/src/pccg.c` | | ROM present at `data/ge007..z64` (or `baserom..z64`) | user copies it | `port/src/romdata.c` maps it at `0x10000000` | Without the two sidecar trees the game shows the intro logos and then crashes in `modelPromoteNodeOffsetsToPointers` (finding D179). The full decomp asset-extraction toolchain (`scripts/extract_baserom.u.sh`, `tools/extractor`, MIPS binutils) is **not** on the runtime path and never needs to reach an end user — it only regenerates the committed `assets/**` `.inc.c` / `.bin` metadata that a plain `git clone` already has. ### Important facts established while writing this plan 1. **`gen_romassets.py` does not need the ROM.** It resolves every symbol for `u`, `e`, and `j` from committed files (`scripts/filelist..csv`, `assets/obseg/file_resource_table.inc.c`, `assets/ramrom/ramrom.s`, `assets/music/*.s`, `ge007.ld`). The ROM is only opened to size the trailing `images` segment, and there is already a CSV-derived fallback when it is absent. So all three `romassets_.s` files can be generated in CI with no ROM. (`docs/building.md` claims PAL/JP need "region-specific prop/font offsets from that region's ROM" — the current generator code shows no such ROM read; treat that sentence as stale, but verify before relying on it — see Open questions.) 2. **`d43_emit.py` / `d69_emit.py` are pure-stdlib Python 3.** They read only the ROM plus committed repo files, and their output is a deterministic function of the ROM. Both carry extensive built-in round-trip validation (re-parse the emitted image, check every field against the N64 source) and exit non-zero on any mismatch. `d43_emit.py` also runs a battery of buffer-fit cross-checks. 3. **The engine is region-locked at compile time.** `REGION_DEFS` in `CMakeLists.txt` differ per region (`VERSION_US/EU/JP`, `BUGFIX_*`, `LEFTOVERDEBUG`, …) and are used in 60+ game files. One exe cannot serve all three ROMs; the release must ship three exes (or one launcher that dispatches to three). 4. **Data/config location is already sane.** `sysResolvePath()` maps `$S/` to `./data/` (next to CWD if present, else next to the exe). `ge007.ini`, `ge007.eep`, and the sidecar trees all live under `$S/`. First launch already writes `ge007.ini` there. The sidecar loaders already search `$S/`, `$E/`, and `./`. 5. **ROM identity checking already half-exists.** `port/src/romdata.c` validates magic / title / cart-ID / country byte. `tools_pc/romverify.c` goes further (recomputes the `n64cksum` 6102 checksum over `[0x1000,0x100000)` using `tools/n64cksum.c`). Canonical SHA-1s for all three regions are in the README requirements table. ## Recommended approach **Two-part: (A) fold the ROM-independent piece into CI now, and (B) add a native first-run converter to the engine so the sidecars are generated on the user's machine from their own ROM.** ### Part A — ship all three regions, pre-generate all `romassets` Small, low-risk, unblocks a "download three exes, pick the one for your ROM" release even before Part B lands. - CI `windows-build` becomes a 3-way matrix (`ntsc-final`, `pal-final`, `jpn-final`). Each leg runs `gen_romassets.py ` then `build-pc.sh`. - `bundle-win.sh` collects all three exes (`ge007.ntsc-final.exe`, `ge007.pal-final.exe`, `ge007.jpn-final.exe`) into one bundle, with shared DLLs. - Add a tiny **launcher** `ge007.exe` (≈150 lines C, its own CMake target): reads `data/*.z64` (and `baserom.*.z64`), checks the header country byte + SHA-1 against the three known-good hashes, then `CreateProcess`es the matching region exe. On no ROM / unknown ROM it shows a message box naming the accepted versions and hashes and the folder to drop the ROM in. - Alternative if a separate launcher is unwanted: make each region exe, on detecting a ROM whose country byte is for a different region, re-exec its sibling. Slightly hackier; avoids a fourth binary. ### Part B — native first-run sidecar converter Port `d43_emit.py` and `d69_emit.py` to C as a new engine module `port/src/pcconvert/` (files: `pcconvert.h`, `d43.c`, `d69.c`, `pcconvert.c` orchestrator). On startup, `romdataInit()` (after it has the mapped ROM and region) calls `pcconvertEnsureSidecars(region)`: 1. If `$S/pcmodels-/pcmodels.bin` **and** `$S/pccg-/pccg.bin` exist and their embedded format-version tag matches the build → return immediately (the common case after first run). 2. Otherwise show a "Preparing game data from your ROM (one-time, ~5 s)…" splash / log line, run the two converters, write the four output files into `$S/`, then continue boot. Cache a `pcconvert.stamp` with the ROM SHA-1 + converter version so a ROM swap or engine upgrade re-runs it. The converters need, besides the ROM: - `scripts/filelist.u.csv` - `assets/obseg/file_resource_table.inc.c` - `assets/**/ModelFileHeader.inc.c` (NS/NT per model) - the stage `bg` / `stan` `.inc.c` metadata `d69` reads These are committed text/CSV, a few hundred KB total. **Embed them into the exe at build time** via a CMake codegen step (`file(READ ...)` → `.byte`/`const char[]`), so the release stays "exe + DLLs" with nothing loose. A build-file change is required here (new `add_custom_command` + generated source) — out of scope for this doc, but noted as the one unavoidable `CMakeLists.txt` edit. Reuse: `zlib` is already linked (RZ = `0x11 0x72` + raw deflate — the exact codec `pcmodels`/`pccg` already decompress). The engine already has robust byte-swap helpers in `romdata.c`. The Python round-trip validators should be ported too and run in debug builds / behind an env flag. **Effort estimate:** `d43_emit.py` is ~1000 lines of intricate model-graph simulation (LOD/SWITCH rewire, BSP splice, marker-expansion bounds, DFS placement) + validation; `d69_emit.py` ~500 lines. Call it a 2–4 week focused task with careful diffing of C output against the Python output byte-for-byte on all three ROMs before trust. This is the single biggest work item. ### Interim option (faster Part B, if timeline pressure) Freeze the two emit scripts with **PyInstaller / Nuitka in the Windows CI job** (the runner has Python) into one `ge007-convert.exe`, ship it in the bundle, and have the engine `CreateProcess` it on first run when sidecars are missing. Pure-stdlib scripts freeze into a single clean exe with no user Python. Downsides: ~8–15 MB added to the bundle, Windows-only, and it is a second binary to sign / trust. Recommend this **only** as a stopgap that buys time for the real C port; it satisfies "no user-visible Python/MSYS2" but not "single native binary" or non-Windows. ### Rejected options - **Precompute and ship the sidecars.** They are ROM-derived copyrighted game data (`data/pcmodels-*`, `data/pccg-*` are gitignored precisely for this). Redistribution is not acceptable. Rejected. - **Region-independent sidecars.** `d43`/`d69` output is a function of the ROM; there is no region-independent form to precompute, and even if there were it would still be ROM-derived data. Rejected. - **Bundle CPython + the .py scripts loose.** Meets the letter of "no MSYS2" but not "no Python", ages badly, and is bigger than a frozen exe for no gain. Rejected in favour of the interim freeze if a stopgap is needed. ## CI / release changes 1. `windows-build` → matrix over the three ROMIDs; each leg generates its `romassets_.s` and builds. 2. Commit all three `port/src/romassets_{u,e,j}.s` (or generate in each CI leg — committing is simpler and lets non-CI builds skip the generator). Add an `e`/`j` regen + `git diff --stat` check to the `validate` job mirroring the existing US one. 3. `bundle-win.sh`: bundle all three region exes + the launcher; keep the "no ROM / size ≤ 60 MB" guards (raise the limit only if the interim frozen converter is included). 4. `release` job: unchanged shape (draft pre-release); update `.github/release-notes.md` with the drop-in-ROM instructions + the requirements/hash table. 5. Add a CI check that runs `d43_emit.py --check-only` / a `d69` equivalent against a **CI-only** ROM if one can be provided via encrypted secret; otherwise this stays a manual pre-publish smoke test (the release job is already a human-gated draft). 6. Once Part B lands: a CI step that builds the C converter, runs it and the Python converter on the same ROM (secret), and `cmp`s the outputs. ## Code to be written | File(s) | Rough scope | Notes | |---|---|---| | `port/src/launcher/ge007_launch.c` + CMake target | ~150 lines | ROM detect, SHA-1 match vs 3 known hashes, `CreateProcess` region exe, message-box on failure | | `port/src/pcconvert/d43.c` | ~1000–1300 lines | C port of `tools_pc/d43_emit.py` incl. graph sim + validation | | `port/src/pcconvert/d69.c` | ~500–700 lines | C port of `tools_pc/d69_emit.py` | | `port/src/pcconvert/pcconvert.c` + `.h` | ~200 lines | orchestrator, stamp file, splash text, wired into `romdataInit()` | | CMake codegen for embedded metadata | ~40 lines CMake + generated `.c` | embeds `filelist.u.csv`, `file_resource_table.inc.c`, `ModelFileHeader.inc.c`, bg/stan `.inc.c` | | `tools_pc/bundle-win.sh`, `.github/workflows/ci.yml` | edits | matrix, 3 exes, launcher, notes | | SHA-1 helper (or reuse a vendored small SHA-1) | ~100 lines | for launcher + `pcconvert.stamp`; `romverify.c`'s n64cksum path is an alternative identity check | ## ROM SHA-1 / region handling - Accept a ROM at `data/ge007..z64`, `data/*.z64` (any name — sniff the header), or `baserom.{u,e,j}.z64`. - Verify: N64 magic + "GOLDENEYE" + "GE" + country byte (already done), then SHA-1 against the README table. On a header-valid but hash-mismatched ROM (bad dump, byte-swapped `.n64`/`.v64`, ROM hack): warn but allow a `--skip-rom-check` / ini opt-out; byte-swapped images should be detected and the user told to supply a true big-endian `.z64`. - Region is taken from the country byte (`E`→ntsc-final, `P`→pal-final, `J`→jpn-final), which already drives `pcmodelsRegionForCountry()`. ## Config / data location No change needed. `$S/` = `./data/` (or `/data/`). First run creates `ge007.ini`; Part B additionally creates `pcmodels-/`, `pccg-/`, and `pcconvert.stamp` there. Document that the user makes a `data/` folder next to the exe and drops the ROM in it (the launcher can offer to create it). ## Open questions 1. **Does PAL/JP `romassets` generation truly need nothing from the ROM?** `docs/building.md` says it needs region-specific offsets; the code says otherwise. Generate `e` and `j` in CI and diff against a locally-ROM-generated copy to confirm before committing them. 2. **Does `d43_emit.py` really use `scripts/filelist.u.csv` for all three regions?** It hard-codes `FILELIST = "scripts/filelist.u.csv"` even when `REGION` is `pal-final`/`jpn-final`. Either model file offsets are US-identical across regions (plausible — models live in obseg which may not shift) or PAL/JP model conversion is currently untested. Confirm before promising PAL/JP support in the release. 3. **Launcher vs self-re-exec vs three shortcuts** — pick one UX. 4. **Splash UI for the first-run convert** — reuse the SDL window / a simple progress line, or a pre-SDL Win32 dialog? ~5 s is short enough that a log line + busy cursor may suffice. 5. **Non-Windows.** Part B's C converter is portable; the launcher and bundling are Windows-only today. Out of scope but the C port keeps the door open. 6. **Signing.** Unsigned exes + a "reads your ROM" first-run step will trip SmartScreen. Not blocking, but worth a release-notes note. ## Suggested milestone ordering 1. Part A (3-region matrix + pre-generated `romassets` + launcher) — days. 2. Interim frozen `ge007-convert.exe` wired to first-run — days, optional. 3. Part B C port of `d43`/`d69` + embedded metadata + output diffing — weeks. 4. Drop the interim binary; single-binary drop-in experience complete.