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Lindbergh Loader - RetroBIOS
Type standalone
Classification Embedded HLE
Source https://github.com/lindbergh-loader/lindbergh-loader
Version 2.1.4
Profiled 2026-08-08
Cores lindbergh-loader
Systems sega-lindbergh
Technical notes

Runs the original Sega Lindbergh game binaries on Linux, built and executed as 32-bit x86. The launcher picks the game ELF, exports LD_PRELOAD=lindbergh.so and an LD_LIBRARY_PATH covering the loader directory, the original directory, the game directory and ".:lib:../lib", then system()s the ELF (src/lindbergh/lindbergh.c:315-378, 874-929). Platforms invoke it as lindbergh-loader (Batocera package and generator, RetroBat, ES-DE find rule LINDBERGH-LOADER).

The Lindbergh hardware is emulated inside lindbergh.so with no external firmware. Hooked open() and fopen() redirect /dev/lbb (baseboard), /dev/i2c/0 (eeprom), /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1 (drive, ride, motion boards and card reader), /proc/bus/pci/01/00.0 and /proc/bus/pci/00/1f.0 to /dev/zero and answer from code (src/lindbergh/hook.c:43, 530-615, 641-853). The security board is DIP switches and test/service lines computed in securityBoard.c:98-140, with no keychip dump. eeprom.bin and sram.bin are created on first run and their contents synthesised: eepromSettings.c builds every amSysDataRecord section from constants and recomputes the CRCs (eeprom.c:33-48, baseBoard.c:60-74, eepromSettings.c:24-120). Card_01.crd and Card_02.crd are written from a 56-byte header held in the binary (cardReader.c:227-247). lindbergh.ini and controls.ini are optional; both fall back to compiled-in defaults and can be emitted with --create (config.c:510-516, src/lindbergh/sdlInput.c:790-795).

The one hard external dependency is the NVIDIA Cg runtime. findLibCg() checks LIBCG_PATH from the ini, then /app/lib32/libCg2.so, $APP_IMG_ROOT/usr/lib32/ libCg2.so, ./libCg.so and $LINDBERGH_LOADER_CURRENT_DIR/libCg.so, and exits when none is present (src/lindbergh/shaderPatches.c:1028-1108). Cg 3.1 is a separate requirement: the game ELFs link libCg.so and libCgGL.so, which upstream vendors as libs/Cg-3.1.zip and installs into the runtime library directory (scripts/appimage/make-appimage.sh, scripts/flatpak/com.github.lindberghloader.yml:181-189, 242-245). Batocera copies per-game Cg variants into the ROM directory (lindberghGenerator.py:1027-1050).

Shaders come from the game dump, not from the loader. cacheModedShaderFiles() reads ../fs/shader and /data/Shader relative to the ELF, patches the Cg source and serves the result back through the fopen, fread and ftell hooks (shaderCache.c:474-488, 555-678, src/lindbergh/hook.c:778-808, 1140-1212).

Boot logos and console fonts were user-supplied until 2.0.1, which added built-in copies compiled into lindbergh.so and served from resources/logo.h and resources/font.h. The originals are read only when DISABLE_BUILTIN_LOGOS or DISABLE_BUILTIN_FONT is set, from the game directory (src/lindbergh/hook.c:655-744, 874-926, fread hook at 1159-1181). Batocera exposes both switches as ORIGINAL LOGOS and ORIGINAL FONTS.

Custom cursors and crosshairs load from arbitrary ini paths with no default name and no built-in image (crossHair.c:142-186, customCursor.c:26-33).

15 files | 3 required, 12 optional | 9 in repo, 6 missing | 6 with HLE fallback Categories: 14 BIOS, 1 game data

libCg2.so required in repo
NVIDIA Cg 2.0.0.12 runtime used to recompile the game shaders

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Validation: signature
  • Source: src/lindbergh/shaderPatches.c:1028-1108, src/lindbergh/shaderPatches.c:1110-1170
  • Searched at LIBCG_PATH, /app/lib32/libCg2.so, $APP_IMG_ROOT/usr/lib32/ libCg2.so, then ./libCg.so and $LINDBERGH_LOADER_CURRENT_DIR/libCg.so. The loader reads 8 bytes at offset 0x226d84 and requires exactly "2.0.0.12"; a missing file, a different version string or a failed dlopen of cgCreateContext, cgCreateProgram, cgGetProgramString, cgDestroyContext or cgDestroyProgram each call exit(EXIT_FAILURE). Upstream vendors the build as libs/libCg.so and both installers rename it to libCg2.so so it can sit beside the Cg 3.1 library of the same original name that the games link.

libCgGL.so required in repo
NVIDIA Cg 3.1 OpenGL runtime linked by the game binaries

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/lindbergh.c:336-378, scripts/flatpak/com.github.lindberghloader.yml:181-189
  • Resolved by the dynamic linker for the game ELF through the LD_LIBRARY_PATH the launcher builds, not opened by loader code. Upstream takes it from Cg-3.1_April2012_x86.tgz and ships it in libs/Cg-3.1.zip. Game dumps generally carry their own copy in the game directory, so the Batocera generator only writes one when the file is absent or differs.

libCg.so required in repo
NVIDIA Cg 3.1 runtime linked by the game binaries

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/lindbergh.c:336-378, scripts/flatpak/com.github.lindberghloader.yml:181-189
  • Same origin and mechanism as libCgGL.so, and a different build from the 2.0.0.12 library the shader recompiler loads. Batocera keeps the two Cg generations apart as libCg.so.harley and libCg.so.other and copies the matching pair into the ROM directory per game, overwriting the dump's own copy for the titles where it renders shadows and textures incorrectly.

libcrypto.so.0.9.7 optional in repo
OpenSSL 0.9.7 crypto library linked by the networked games

libssl.so.0.9.7 optional in repo
OpenSSL 0.9.7 TLS library linked by the networked games

libopenal.so.0 optional in repo
OpenAL runtime preloaded for Quiz Answer x Answer

segaboot optional missing
Sega Lindbergh boot and hardware check program, version 2.4

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/lindbergh.c:696-698, src/lindbergh/lindbergh.c:892-895, src/lindbergh/hook.c:1625-1632, src/lindbergh/config.h:57-58, src/lindbergh/gameData.c:51-52
  • Run as "segaboot -t" under -s or --segaboot. A 32-bit x86 Linux ELF. 0x38d56318 identifies Segaboot 2.4 and 0xa518b18b the build carrying symbols, but neither is a whole-file checksum and neither belongs in a hash field: src/lindbergh/hook.c computes them as CRC-32 over 0x4000 bytes starting 10 bytes into program header index 2, guarded by p_type == PT_LOAD and p_flags == 5. Declaring one as crc32 gives verify.py a value it can never reproduce. The comparison drives identification only: an unknown CRC logs a warning and startup continues. SEGABOOT 0x0027 and SEGABOOT_2_6 0x0030 in src/lindbergh/config.h are placeholders, not checksums, and no table entry uses them.

logo.tga optional in repo HLE fallback built-in fallback
Lindbergh boot logo, read from /usr/lib/boot on the original system

logo_red.tga optional in repo HLE fallback built-in fallback
Lindbergh Red boot logo, read from /usr/lib/boot on the original system

SEGA_KakuGothic-DB-Roman_12.tga optional missing HLE fallback built-in fallback
Sega Kaku Gothic console font texture

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/hook.c:718-730, src/lindbergh/hook.c:902-914
  • Read from the game directory only when DISABLE_BUILTIN_FONT is set. The built-in is one shared 128x256 atlas (fontTGA) and one metrics table (fontABC) answering all four font paths, so it substitutes for the Sega originals rather than reproducing either of them. The .abc is the metrics sidecar of the .tga atlas, named for the GDI ABC width triple. Header of 28 bytes: renderOffset, renderHeight, atlas width, atlas height, lineHeight, then firstSymbol and lastSymbol as uint16 and a uint32 symbol count; then one 24-byte record per glyph, four float32 giving the normalised UV rectangle followed by leftMargin, width, rightMargin and a pad as uint16. Field names come from JayFoxRox/lindbergh-tools Utilities/src/font.c, written against a real LucidaConsole_12.abc rather than against this substitute. The built-in itself is Liberation Mono Bold rasterised at 18 px: 95 of its 96 glyphs are byte-identical to that rendering, cropped at the UV rectangles its own metrics declare. Liberation carries a 2010 and 2012 digitisation copyright, so it cannot be a 2005 Sega asset. Otherwise the fontTGA array in resources/font.h answers the read.

SEGA_KakuGothic-DB-Roman_12.abc optional missing HLE fallback built-in fallback
Sega Kaku Gothic console font metrics

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/hook.c:732-744, src/lindbergh/hook.c:916-928
  • Read from the game directory only when DISABLE_BUILTIN_FONT is set. The built-in is one shared 128x256 atlas (fontTGA) and one metrics table (fontABC) answering all four font paths, so it substitutes for the Sega originals rather than reproducing either of them. The .abc is the metrics sidecar of the .tga atlas, named for the GDI ABC width triple. Header of 28 bytes: renderOffset, renderHeight, atlas width, atlas height, lineHeight, then firstSymbol and lastSymbol as uint16 and a uint32 symbol count; then one 24-byte record per glyph, four float32 giving the normalised UV rectangle followed by leftMargin, width, rightMargin and a pad as uint16. Field names come from JayFoxRox/lindbergh-tools Utilities/src/font.c, written against a real LucidaConsole_12.abc rather than against this substitute. The built-in itself is Liberation Mono Bold rasterised at 18 px: 95 of its 96 glyphs are byte-identical to that rendering, cropped at the UV rectangles its own metrics declare. Liberation carries a 2010 and 2012 digitisation copyright, so it cannot be a 2005 Sega asset. Otherwise the fontABC array in resources/font.h answers the read, with ftell returning fontABClen.

LucidaConsole_12.tga optional missing HLE fallback built-in fallback
Lucida Console font texture

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/hook.c:683-695
  • Read from the game directory only when DISABLE_BUILTIN_FONT is set. The built-in is one shared 128x256 atlas (fontTGA) and one metrics table (fontABC) answering all four font paths, so it substitutes for the Sega originals rather than reproducing either of them. The .abc is the metrics sidecar of the .tga atlas, named for the GDI ABC width triple. Header of 28 bytes: renderOffset, renderHeight, atlas width, atlas height, lineHeight, then firstSymbol and lastSymbol as uint16 and a uint32 symbol count; then one 24-byte record per glyph, four float32 giving the normalised UV rectangle followed by leftMargin, width, rightMargin and a pad as uint16. Field names come from JayFoxRox/lindbergh-tools Utilities/src/font.c, written against a real LucidaConsole_12.abc rather than against this substitute. The built-in itself is Liberation Mono Bold rasterised at 18 px: 95 of its 96 glyphs are byte-identical to that rendering, cropped at the UV rectangles its own metrics declare. Liberation carries a 2010 and 2012 digitisation copyright, so it cannot be a 2005 Sega asset. Otherwise the fontTGA array in resources/font.h answers the read.

LucidaConsole_12.abc optional missing HLE fallback built-in fallback
Lucida Console font metrics

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/hook.c:697-709
  • Read from the game directory only when DISABLE_BUILTIN_FONT is set. The built-in is one shared 128x256 atlas (fontTGA) and one metrics table (fontABC) answering all four font paths, so it substitutes for the Sega originals rather than reproducing either of them. The .abc is the metrics sidecar of the .tga atlas, named for the GDI ABC width triple. Header of 28 bytes: renderOffset, renderHeight, atlas width, atlas height, lineHeight, then firstSymbol and lastSymbol as uint16 and a uint32 symbol count; then one 24-byte record per glyph, four float32 giving the normalised UV rectangle followed by leftMargin, width, rightMargin and a pad as uint16. Field names come from JayFoxRox/lindbergh-tools Utilities/src/font.c, written against a real LucidaConsole_12.abc rather than against this substitute. The built-in itself is Liberation Mono Bold rasterised at 18 px: 95 of its 96 glyphs are byte-identical to that rendering, cropped at the UV rectangles its own metrics declare. Liberation carries a 2010 and 2012 digitisation copyright, so it cannot be a 2005 Sega asset. Otherwise the fontABC array in resources/font.h answers the read.

lindbergrc optional missing
Lindbergh site configuration read by Sega's lxmaster boot supervisor

  • System: sega-lindbergh
  • Source: src/lindbergh/hook.c:650-653
  • An INI file, sections [develop], [terminal], [segaboot] and [keychip]. It is read by Sega's lxmaster boot supervisor, not by the games; the per-title rc files that do ship in game dumps are xinit client scripts, a different thing. The fopen hook rewrites /root/lindbergrc to lindbergrc in the game directory, and the loader neither creates the file nor substitutes for it.

gamecontrollerdb.txt optional in repo game_data
SDL gamepad mappings added on top of the built-in table

Generated on 2026-08-23T16:12:06Z