# MESS (Multi Emulator Super System)

Copyright © 1998-2009, The MESS team

Welcome to the MESS guide. In this guide you will find the basics needed to get this fantastic emulator running.

MESS is to computers and consoles as MAME is to arcade machines. i.e. It is an attempt to exactly emulate early computer and console systems. It is based primarily on the MAME source code so versions run in parallel to MAME.

The reason MESS can use MAME as a basis is that most chips in computers and consoles are direct copies of arcade chips just connected a different way. In the guide you need to be aware of some terminology. The word system means the computer or console system being emulated. ROM is generally referred to a system ROM or system BIOS, usuaully something to get the system working or booted. Finally the word software it means the cartridge/ROM/tape/disk etc...image to be loaded onto the system running in MESS.

## How to use this manual

Remember, when you type commands into the command prompt, you should avoid making typos ;-) In this how-to, filenames and other static text are marked with the color brown and command lines or other information that you need to type in are marked with the color green

## Manual Credits

This manual is largely based on the easyEmu guides by Paul Vince. The "Compiling MESS" document was based on the Compiling MAME document at the MAME website. The FAQ has been largely written by Justin and That70sguy.

All trademarks cited in this document are property of their respective owners. Especially, the MESS team would like to thank Nicola Salmoria and the MAME team for letting us play with their code and, in fact, incorporating MESS specific code into MAME. Without it, MESS would be substantially less than what it is right now! ;-)