RoMM Easy Docker Setup

A simplified Docker Compose setup for RoMM - a ROM manager web application that allows you to scan, enrich, and browse your game collection.

What is RoMM?

RoMM is a modern, web-based ROM manager that helps you:

• Organize your retro gaming collection
• Automatically fetch metadata and artwork from various providers
• Browse your games through a beautiful web interface
• Manage saves, states, and screenshots
• Support for multiple gaming platforms and emulators

Features

• 🐳 Easy Docker deployment with pre-configured services
• 🗄️ MariaDB database for reliable data storage
• 🎮 Multi-platform support for 25+ gaming systems
• 🔌 Multiple metadata providers (ScreenScraper, IGDB, RetroAchievements, SteamGridDB)
• 📁 Organized volume mappings for easy ROM library management
• 🔒 Secure configuration with environment variables

Supported Platforms

Apple

• Mac, iOS, Bandai Pippin, Apple II

Google

• Android

Microsoft

• DOS, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360

Nintendo

• Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color
• NES, N64, 3DS, New 3DS, DS
• GameCube, Pokémon Mini, SNES
• Switch, Virtual Boy, Wii, Wii U

Sony

• PlayStation 1-5, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita

SEGA

• Dreamcast, Game Gear, Master System
• Mega Drive, Pico, Saturn, SG-1000

Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose

Quick Start

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/BillyOutlast/romm-easy.git
   cd romm-easy
   

2. Create environment file:

   cp env.example .env
   

3. Configure your environment (see Configuration below)

4. Start the services:

   docker compose up -d
   

5. Access RoMM:

   • Open your browser and go to http://localhost (port 80)
   • The application will be available once the containers are running

Configuration

Required Configuration

Edit your .env file and configure the following required settings:

# Database Configuration
DB_PASSWD=your_secure_database_password
DB_ROOT_PASSWD=your_secure_root_password

# RoMM Authentication
ROMM_AUTH_SECRET_KEY=your_32_character_hex_key

Generate a secret key:

openssl rand -hex 32

ROM Library Paths

Update the ROM library paths in your .env file to point to your actual game collections:

# Example: Point to your actual ROM directories
Nintendo_NES_PATH=/home/user/roms/nes
Nintendo_SNES_PATH=/home/user/roms/snes
Sony_PlayStation_PATH=/home/user/roms/psx
# ... etc

Optional: Metadata Providers

Configure metadata providers for enhanced game information and artwork:

# ScreenScraper (Free, registration required)
SCREENSCRAPER_USER=your_username
SCREENSCRAPER_PASSWORD=your_password

# IGDB (Free, API key required)
IGDB_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
IGDB_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret

# RetroAchievements (Free, API key required)
RETROACHIEVEMENTS_API_KEY=your_api_key

# SteamGridDB (Free, API key required)
STEAMGRIDDB_API_KEY=your_api_key

Getting API Keys

• ScreenScraper: Register at screenscraper.fr
• IGDB: Create an app at Twitch Developer Console
• RetroAchievements: Get your API key from retroachievements.org
• SteamGridDB: Get your API key from steamgriddb.com

For detailed setup instructions, see the RoMM documentation.

Directory Structure

romm-easy/
├── docker-compose.yaml       # Docker services configuration
├── env.example              # Environment variables template
├── .env                     # Your environment configuration (create this)
└── romm/
    ├── config/
    │   └── config.yml      # RoMM application configuration
    ├── romm_resources/     # Cached images and metadata (auto-created)
    ├── romm_redis_data/    # Background task cache (auto-created)
    ├── assets/             # User uploads (saves, states) (auto-created)
    └── mysql_data/         # Database files (auto-created)

Port Configuration

By default, RoMM is accessible on port 80. If you need to change the port, uncomment and modify the ports section in docker-compose.yaml:

ports:
  - "8080:8080"  # Access RoMM at http://localhost:8080

Managing the Service

Start the services

docker compose up -d

Stop the services

docker compose down

View logs

docker compose logs -f romm

Update to latest version

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Troubleshooting

Service won't start

• Check that all required environment variables are set in .env
• Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are properly installed
• Verify that the specified ROM library paths exist and are accessible

Database connection issues

• Confirm database passwords match between RoMM and MariaDB services
• Wait for the database to fully initialize (check with docker compose logs romm-db)

ROMs not appearing

• Verify ROM library paths in .env point to correct directories
• Check file permissions on ROM directories
• Review the config.yml file for any exclusion rules

Can't access web interface

• Ensure port 80 is not used by another service
• Check firewall settings
• Verify containers are running with docker compose ps

Security Notes

• Change default passwords in the .env file
• Use a strong, randomly generated ROMM_AUTH_SECRET_KEY
• Consider running behind a reverse proxy with SSL/TLS for external access
• Regularly backup your database and configuration

Contributing

This is a community-maintained setup. Feel free to:

• Report issues
• Suggest improvements
• Submit pull requests

License

This project is provided as-is under the MIT License. RoMM itself is licensed under the AGPL-3.0 License.

Related Links

• RoMM Official Repository
• RoMM Documentation
• Docker Documentation
• Docker Compose Documentation

Support

For RoMM-specific issues, please refer to the official RoMM documentation or GitHub repository.

For issues with this Docker setup, please open an issue in this repository.