EPSXe

Introduction
ePSXe is the Enhanced PSX (PlayStation) emulator. It allows you to play PlayStation games from the comfort of your Linux desktop.

Installing
Like most anything else in Gentoo, Portage is here to help you install ePSXe:

You will also need at least one GPU (Graphics) and one SPU (Sound) plugin. If you do not specify any, Portage will pull in and  automatically for you. Others are available; look in for available plugins. Also, if you want to use a gamepad, you will need a plugin for that as well (I use, is another one).

You will need to get a copy of the PSX BIOS. Search online for this. Keep in mind that you are only legally allowed to have a copy of the BIOS if you physically own a PSX console. This BIOS needs to live somewhere that ePSXe can get to it. Good locations would be either /usr/local/games/epsxe for a system-wide install, or ~/epsxe for your personal install. Put the BIOS file(s) you obtained in a "bios" sub-folder. Also create a "memcards" folder, and a "games" folder. Create the virtual memory cards in the memcards folder with Repeat for as many memory cards you want/need. The games folder can be used for any burned CD images you make.

All of these packages will remind you that you need to be in the "games" group to be able to use the programs. Check to make sure you're in the "games" group by typing from a console; if "games" is not listed, you're not in it. Run the following command to add yourself: Then log out and back in for it to take effect.

Once all that is taken care of, it's time to run the program:

Configuring
Once you've opened ePSXe, go to the menu and choose Config --> Bios. Use the Select button, and find your BIOS file. Click OK.

Then go to Config -> Memory Card. Choose the location of the memory card(s) you created earlier.

Go to Config --> Cdrom, and enter the location of your CD-ROM device (e.g., /dev/cdrom)

Lastly, go to Config --> Game Pad --> Pad1 and make note of the keyboard keys that correspond to the various controller buttons.

Optionally, for Pete's MesaGL GPU plugin, you can go into Config --> Video and set the Width and Height of the emulator window as you want it to display on your screen, or make it fullscreen. Keep in mind that the PlayStation was not designed for widescreen displays, so it tends to look nicer in a window. "Standard" window sizes that should keep things in scale are (height x width): 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 and 1600x1200.

If you've installed ammoQ's PadJoy plugin for gamepads, you will need to tell it where your gamepad device is (e.g., /dev/input/js0).

I have not personally tried any of the other plugins; if anyone can fill in any details, especially about what games work best with which plugins, and the best settings to use, please add them here.

Playing
Insert the PSX CD that you want to play and choose File --> Run CDROM, or if you have an image, choose File --> Run ISO. Enjoy!