How to Launch Problematic Games on Data Frog R35S / R36S with the New ArcOS

For games that have stopped working (such as Salt & Sanctuary, Chasm), follow these steps:

Create a Configuration File

1. Create a text file in UNIX encoding with the following content:

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dmixer {
    type dmix
    ipc_key 1024
    slave {
        pcm "hw:0,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        buffer_size 4096
        rate 44100
    }
    bindings {
        0 0
        1 1
    }
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
}
    

2. Save this file with a name like asound.lmao and place it in the folder on your SD card at \roms\ports\, so the path should be: \roms\ports\asound.lmao.

Modify the Game’s Launch Script

1. Open the launch script of the problematic game (e.g., for Chasm, the file is \roms2\ports\Chasm.sh) in a proper text editor that maintains UNIX encoding.
2. Insert the following line into the script (e.g., before the line get_controls):

cp /roms/ports/asound.lmao ~/.asoundrc
    

3. Save the file.

This will ensure that every time you launch the game (or the script), the file /roms/ports/asound.lmao will be copied to the ~ directory as .asoundrc, fixing the launch issue.

The .asoundrc file typically exists but is deleted during the launch of Retroarch in ArkOS. This fix forces the file to be restored at launch.

Alternative Method (Which Did Not Work for Me)

Connect via SSH

1. Connect to the console via SSH (login/password: ark/ark).
2. Open the terminal and edit the configuration file by running:

sudo nano /etc/asound.conf
    

Insert Configuration

1. Paste the following script into /etc/asound.conf:

# anbernic-audio alsa config
# dmix + softvol

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "softvol"
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
}

pcm.ddmix {
    ipc_key 1024
    type dmix
    slave {
        pcm "hw:0,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        buffer_size 4096
        rate 44100
    }
}

pcm.softvol {
    type softvol
    slave {
        pcm "ddmix"
    }
    control {
        name "Master"
        card 0
    }
}
    

Save and Reboot

1. Press CTRL+X to exit, confirm saving with Y, and run the command:

reboot
    

While this should theoretically fix crashes, it did not work for me, so I used the method described above.

By following these steps, you can successfully launch previously problematic games on your Data Frog R35S / R36S with the new ArcOS.