III. Custom Launchers (MinUI and GmenuNX) - tiduscrying/trimui-model-s-wiki GitHub Wiki

Why install a custom launcher?

The stock experience may be enough for most people, but those looking for some extra enhancements and features than what the out of box experience provides, MinUI and GmenuNX are fantastic.

Both launchers are simply that, launchers. Neither is a complete firmware replacement for the Trimui, and at it's core, the stock OS is still being used. The launchers just provide a different interface and additional features that can't be done with the original interface. MinUI and GMenuNX also both include options to revert to the stock UI at any time.

Whichever launcher you chose, it may be a good idea to use a separate SD card other than using the one that came with your device. While some may never have issues with the original card, there are always risks involved with using the generic cards provided with devices like this. If you choose to use the original SD card, it would be wise to format it using something like the SD Card Associations "SD Formatter".

MinUI

MinUI aims to take the design language from stock and tidy things up a bit. Enabling advanced menus for emulators and streamlining things are just a few of the key advantages over the stock. MinUI adds a new unified in-game menu that is based off the one used in the stock OS. Differences included disc swapping for PlayStation, being able to access each emulators "advanced" menu for more options and a simplified layout for save states. Additional emulators and games that are not part of MinUI by default are available as simple drag-n-drop .pak files that can be easily added with little configuration required.

Installation

Installing MinUI is incredibly easy to do. Once installed, the installer can also be used to update MinUI, so you are free to keep it on your SD card if desired.

  • First thing first, go download the latest release of MinUI from here
  • Extract the release somewhere safe and convenient on your computer. You should have four items, Roms, readme.txt, TrimuiUpdate_MinUI.zip and version.txt.
  • Using an SD card reader on your PC, plug in the card you intend to use for MinUI.
    • Note that MinUI uses a different, more natural folder structure for Emulators and Roms. If you keep the Roms folder from your stock SD card, you will have to rename the folders for MinUI to see and use them. You can look in the Roms folder from the MinUI archive you downloaded to see the folder names MinUI expects to see.
  • Copy over the Roms folder and the TrimuiUpdate_MinUI.zip folder (still zipped!) onto the root of your SD card. Once done copying, eject the card and insert it back into your system.
  • Boot up your device and navigate to the "Files" app. At the bottom of the list you should see the TrimuiUpdate_MinUI.zip file. Select it to install MinUI.
  • You should see a progress bar indicating that MinUI is copying all of it's files to the right places. Once it completes, you will be launched into MinUI and be greeted with instructions on putting MinUI to sleep.

Additional Games, Systems and Tools

CaveStory & VVVVVVV

Launching "Tips" from within the "Tools" menu in MinUI will show you a variety of tips and tricks about MinUI. In addition to these, you will be able to find QR codes for some additional games ported to MinUI by the developer shauniman such as Cave Story and VVVVVV. Installing these is incredibly easy and will usually involve copying a *.pak folder to the \Games\ directory on your MinUI SD card.

Additional System Entries (Turbo CD, Sega 32X, Mega CD, etc.)

Japanese site "hebinotsubo" has uploaded a little add-on pack that adds additional menu entries for some of MinUI's supported emulators for systems such as the NEC SuperGrafx and Turbo CD, the Sega 32X and Sega Mega CD. That is available here.

Liartes' ports

Another devloper, liartes, has created some additional emulators that utilize MinUI's uniform in-game-menu. You can find these here:

Chocolate-Doom

Doom has also been ported to the handheld via the "Chocolate Doom" source port by neonloop. You can find it packaged up and bundled into a *.pak here.

GMenuNX

GMenuNX is a more advanced launcher that will be familiar to those who have messed with OpenDingux or RetroFW based devices in the past. Utilizing the somewhat popular GMenu interface, GMenuNX allows access to additional emulators, games and apps that otherwise couldn't be launched via the stock launcher. GMenuNX also has the ability to launch the stock emulators and games using the normal stock interface. Some additional applications and games that were ported to the PowKiddy v/q90 via MiyooCFW are also usable on GMenuNX with little modification.

Installation

  • Fetch the latest version from developer eggs' Dropbox folder here. It should be like Trimui_GMenuNX_YYMMDD.zip, based on the date it was released.
  • Extract the release somewhere safe and convenient on your computer. You will have a few folders, Apps, lib, and Roms along with some files TrimuiUpdate_GmenuNX.zip, TrimuiUpdate_GMenuNX_MinUImenu.zip, Trimui_gmenunx_en.txt and Trimui_gmenunx_jp.txt.
    • You have the choice to install GMenuNX with or without MinUI's additional unified in-game menu. You can do so with the TrimuiUpdate_GMenuNX_MinUImenu.zip installer.
  • Using an SD card reader on your PC, plug in the card you intend to use for MinUI.
    • Note that GmenuNX uses the same folder structure as the stock UI does, so all of your Roms should show up in their respective emulators lists. If they aren't visible by default, they can be easily added via GMenu itself.
  • Copy the Apps, libs, and Roms folder to your SD card along with your desired TrimuiUpdate_GmenuNX zip file. Eject your card and insert it back into your system.
  • Boot up your device and navigate to the "Files" app. At the bottom of the list you should see the TrimuiUpdate_GMenuNX.zip file. Select it to install GMenuNX.
  • It should only take a few seconds until you are launched into GMenuNX.

Additional Games, Systems and Tools

MiyooCFW

Some apps and games from MiyooCFW are compatible GmenuNX with little to no modification. Do note that some of them have issues graphically or with control bindings. These may be fixed further down the line, but for now are being posted as-is.

EDIT 08-06-21: eggs has released a new version of GmenuNX that includes an option to fix games with Miyoo button bindings! After updating to the latest release, you can press SELECT on a link in the "Miyoo" section (or wherever you're storing your Miyoo ports) and go into "EDIT"; There should be an option titled "Miyoo Button Assignment" that is OFF. Select it to turn it on and the controls should be fixed! Thanks, eggs!

Type Name Details Status
App mplayer Media player Works
App ST SDL Terminal Works, but not necessary; Terminal app already included with GmenuNX
Emulator bittboy-msx MSX Emulator Personally untested
Emulator crocods Amstrad CPC 6128 Emulator Personally untested
Emulator Frodo2go Commodore 64 Emulator Personally untested
Emulator gambatte GameBoy & GameBoy Color Emulator Works, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator gpsp_rumble GameBoy Advance Emulator Works, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator Handy Atari Lynx Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator ngpcemu NeoGeo Pocket/NeoGeo Pocket Color Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator oswan Bandai Wonderswan Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator pico8 Lexaloffline Pico 8 Simulator Untested, but not necessary; Use port done by Liartes
Emulator PocketSNES Super Nintendo Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator PokeMini Pokemon Mini Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator smsplusgx Sega MasterSystem & GameGear Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator snes9x4d Super Nintendo Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Already included with GmenuNX
Emulator Speccy Sinclair ZX Spectrum Emulator Personally untested
Emulator Stella Atari 2600 Emulator Untested, but not necessary; Use port done by Liartes
Emulator Vectrex Vectrex Emulator Untested
Game Canonball Canonball game port Works, needs additional files placed under /Apps/Games/canonball
Game CaveStory CaveStory game port Works great, may need files remapped. SDL Cursor always in top-left corner of screen Cursor issue fixed by eggs! Download the fixed version here.
Game CircuitDude Circuit Dude game by Crait Works great. Be sure to use Miyoo button assignment option
Game EvilAustrailians Evil Australians game Works great
Game gnp Ganbare Natsuki-san Portable port Severe graphical issues, currently unplayable
Game Heroes Heroes of Might and Magic game port Severe graphical issues, Currently unplayable
Game Methane Super Methane Bros. Port Severe graphical issues, Currently unplayable
Game MidnightWild Midnight Wild game by Crait Works great. Be sure to use Miyoo button assignment option
Game OpenTyrain OpenTyrian shmup port Works great
Game Quake Quake game port Requires additional files; Place full id1 folder under /Apps/Games/quake
Game Quake 2 Quake 2 port Requires additional files; Place full baseq2 folder under Apps/Games/quake2
Game SOD Wolfenstein Spear of Destiny port Requires additional files; Place full *.SOD game files under /Apps/Games/sod/. Controls limited to face buttons only
Game stransball2 Stransball arcade game port Severe grapical issues, Currently unplayable
Game yatka "Yet Another Tetris Klone" port Works great

Chocolate-Doom

Doom has also been ported to the handheld via the "Chocolate Doom" source port by neonloop. You can find it packaged up here. Extract the files to the root of your SD card. There should be new entries under "Games" and "Settings" for Doom, Doom-Mods, and Doom Setup.