* Drop-in ROM: first-run sidecar conversion, no Python (issue #6, Part A + interim)
The release bundle now turns a dropped-in NTSC-U ROM into a playable game
with zero tooling: when data/pcmodels-* / data/pccg-* are missing at boot,
the engine spawns the frozen prepare-assets converter shipped in the bundle
(prepare-assets/ge007-convert[.exe], PyInstaller --onefile), waits for it,
and re-checks before continuing (port/src/romconvert.c, called from
romdataInit after ROM validation). Failure aborts boot with a message
instead of the later D179-class crash.
- prepare-assets.py: runs in-process via runpy when frozen (no user Python
to exec); NTSC-U-only gate with a clear message for PAL/JP ROMs; d88's
sibling import needs an explicit sys.path entry (run_path does not set
one). Verified: frozen exe output byte-identical to the unfrozen path and
to the shipped sidecars.
- CI (linux + windows): PyInstaller freeze step before bundling
(ensurepip / --break-system-packages for MSYS2's pip-less python).
- bundle scripts: copy ge007-convert into prepare-assets/ (hard-fail if not
frozen), size guard 60 -> 120 MB.
- Release notes: US-only drop-in instructions, no Python required.
- D258: PAL/JP filelist naming defects documented; multi-region deferred to
the Part B follow-up.
* CI: install pip via pacman on Windows (MSYS2 ensurepip is disabled); regen findings index for D258
- README: manual Contents TOC dropped (GitHub auto-generates); Download
table moved to the top with Quick start under it; Status compressed to
a Working paragraph + tight known-issue list (D-numbers live in the
release notes / finding log now); How-it-works tightened.
- Pages (docs/index.md): demo gif is the hero; download table up top;
new How-it-works and Honest-status sections; legal footer; the 19-shot
playtest gallery unchanged.
- Options overlay is now gamepad-driven: README Steam Deck section, the
bundle README (new @DECK@ block on Linux, controller column added to
the controls table), and the release-notes template all document
Select / D-pad / A / B / Start instead of a Steam key-mapping workaround.
A stock MSYS2 MINGW64 shell ships neither `zip` nor `unzip`, so
`tools_pc/bundle-win.sh` failed at the packaging step for a local release
build (the M-45 handoff's documented v0.1.0 cut path). CI is unaffected
(it `pacman -S zip unzip`, so the `zip` branch is still taken).
Fallback order: zip -> 7z on PATH -> "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" ->
powershell Compress-Archive. Verified end-to-end: bundle builds, unpacks
to a clean dir, prepare-assets runs, ge007.x86_64.exe boots -level_09 to
frame 2100+ crash-free.
- tools_pc/bundle-linux.sh: package a Linux build (exe + README + licenses +
prepare-assets) as a .tar.gz. Mirrors bundle-win.sh's ROM / size guards and
prepare-assets assembly. No shared libs bundled — the generated README tells
the user to install SDL2 / zlib / libGL from their distro.
- tools_pc/dist/README.md.in: made OS-neutral via @PLATFORM@ / @EXE@ / @DEPS@ /
@LICENSE_EXTRA@ tokens; refreshed the known-issues list (dropped the stale
"ladders don't work" line — D177 fixed M-36; added black sky + missing HUD
weapon icon).
- .github/workflows/ci.yml: linux-build now packages + uploads the Linux
bundle; the release job attaches both platforms to the draft pre-release.
- .github/release-notes.md: rewritten for the two-platform NTSC-U alpha with
the prepare-assets step and current known issues.
Alpha scope: NTSC-U only, one-time prepare-assets step (Part A launcher and
Part B native converter from release-dropin-rom-plan.md remain follow-ups).
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01V4pK3pT83YnPsBp3Ey4RP2
d88_emit.py appends the 21 Usetup*Z stage-setup files (object placement, AI
scripts, pads/nav) to the same data/pccg-<region>/ sidecar d69 produces.
Without it the port has no setup data for any level and segfaults on load
before frame 1 (this was mis-filed as D185 'd69 regression' — it was a
missing pipeline step). Vendor d88_emit.py + its one local import
d88_propdefs.py; run d43 -> d69 -> d88 --regen.
Verified: fresh d43+d69+d88 from an assembled bundle produces pccg.bin
(3604378 B, 74 rows) and pcmodels.bin byte-identical to the known-good
sidecars; -level_09 and -level_20 boot crash-free against them.
The Windows bundle from bundle-win.sh / CI was unrunnable on its own (D179):
the port loads two ROM-derived directories (data/pcmodels-<region>/ and
data/pccg-<region>/) that are gitignored and cannot be shipped.
Add tools_pc/dist/prepare-assets/prepare-assets.py — a stdlib-only wrapper
(no compiler, no N64 toolchain, no network) that:
- auto-detects the ROM near the bundle, verifies SHA-1 -> region
(NTSC-U / PAL / NTSC-J), rejects unrecognised / byte-swapped dumps
- runs d43_emit.py + d69_emit.py against a vendored input tree
- writes data/pcmodels-<region>/ and data/pccg-<region>/ next to the exe
bundle-win.sh assembles prepare-assets/ fresh at package time (emit scripts
from tools_pc/, filelist.u.csv + file_resource_table.inc.c + the 512
modelFileHeader.inc.c files as vendored inputs) so it can never drift from
the scripts. Vendored inputs are decomp layout/symbol metadata, not game
assets. bundled README gets a one-time "prepare-assets" setup step.
Verified end-to-end: from a bundle containing only exe + DLLs + a US ROM,
prepare-assets.py produces all four output files byte-identical to
d43_emit.py / d69_emit.py run from the repo root. Bundle 14.1 MB (< 60 MB
guard). Error paths (no ROM / unknown SHA-1) tested.
Resolves BACKLOG "Alpha release — asset-prep tool" steps 1-3; step 4
(clean-machine smoke test with the game actually running) still owed.
- tools_pc/bundle-win.sh: package a Windows build for distribution — exe +
MinGW/SDL2/zlib runtime DLLs + README + license texts, into
dist/goldeneye-pc-port-<ver>-win64/{,.zip,.zip.sha256}. Hard-fails if a
ROM image or an oversized blob lands in the bundle; verifies the DLL
closure with ldd.
- tools_pc/dist/README.md.in: the bundled README template (ROM-supply
instructions, run steps, controls, legal), @VERSION@-substituted.
- CI: build tag trigger (v*); windows-build now packages the bundle every
run and uploads it; new release job (tags only, contents: write scoped
to it) attaches the bundle to a DRAFT pre-release for a human to
smoke-test and publish.
- README: Download section + Legal reworded to cover pre-built binaries
(engine only, no game data, permissive runtime libs bundled with their
licenses).
- .gitignore: /dist/ (root bundle output; tools_pc/dist/ template stays
tracked).
Cutting a release: tag vX.Y.Z-alpha, push; CI builds + drafts the
pre-release; smoke-test with a ROM, then Publish.
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GULf6knbsqfsnW39tMr9WT
James Dansereau