Retrom vs verifydump

Retrom is a self-hosted game library service centered on emulation. It scans a server filesystem for games and platforms, then adds them to a library that desktop clients can use to install, uninstall, and play games. Clients are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with a browser client for library access from other devices. Retrom can run with a dedicated server or in standalone mode, where a client runs the server locally; other clients can connect to that standalone server only while the client remains open. It supports cloud saves for built-in and standalone emulators, syncing save data and save states to the server. Emulator profiles can be kept on the server for sharing or restoration, though clients need matching emulator and other client-specific paths to share configurations. Retrom can retrieve metadata and artwork through IGDB, its only listed metadata provider. Steam is its only supported third-party library integration and needs a Steam API key and user ID. Retrom is free under GPL-3.0. The project says it lacks specific security measures and recommends local-network use or a properly secured reverse proxy.

verifydump is a free command-line tool for checking compressed .chd and .rvz disc images against Redump Datfiles. It converts each image into the original format described by the Datfile, adjusts the result to Redump conventions, then checks it against the Datfile. Users provide a Datfile, which can be zipped, followed by image files or folders containing them. The tool says it does not modify user files and stops checking an individual image after finding an error. CHD checks require chdman and binmerge, both available in the system PATH; RVZ checks require DolphinTool in the system PATH. Some Redump cue metadata cannot be represented in CHD. Users can provide original cue files with --extra-cue-source or ignore cue mismatches with --allow-cue-file-mismatches. Verification creates temporary converted files and deletes them afterward; the project suggests a RAM drive for frequent checks or large collections to reduce SSD writes. Windows users can use the offered executable, while Linux and macOS users can install through pipx or another Python package installation method. The package requires Python 3.10 or later and below 3.16. The project directs bug reports and questions to GitHub issues.