Fix a missing MAME Plugin Options menu on Android
Enable the global plugins option, verify `pluginspath`, enable the individual included plugin, then completely exit and restart MAME. `Plugin Options` appears during emulation only when an enabled plugin exposes configuration or information. If the Android port omits upstream plugins or its wrapper does not expose these controls, copying ROMs or renaming plugin folders will not restore the menu.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the Android port, claimed MAME revision, plugin name, and whether the Plugins directory and Plugin Data directory are visible in Configure Directories.
- 02
Turn on the global plugins option before checking any individual plugin.
- 03
Verify that `pluginspath` points to the port's actual included plugin folder and that the wanted plugin appears in Configure Options → Plugins.
- 04
Enable only the wanted plugin, completely exit the process, and start MAME again with one authorized machine.
- 05
Open the in-emulation main menu and look for Plugin Options; if it appears but cannot save, verify the `homepath` or Plugin Data destination.
- 06
If the plugin never appears in the individual list, consult the port's official build manifest or maintainer rather than adding unknown plugin archives.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Symptom | Boundary | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| No Plugins directory control | Port or build surface | Confirm upstream-plugin inclusion |
| Plugin listed but Plugin Options absent | Not enabled, not restarted, or no UI | Enable, cold restart, read plugin docs |
| Options appear but reset | Plugin data / `homepath` | Use a writable granted folder |
| Unknown downloaded plugin fails | Version or trust boundary | Remove it and retest included plugins |
Global, path, and individual enablement are three gates
MAME's global switch allows plugins, `pluginspath` makes their code discoverable, and the individual list selects which ones start. Passing one gate does not prove the next.
The menu is conditional
MAME documents Plugin Options as a menu item for an enabled plugin that needs configuration or presents information. Its absence is not by itself proof that all plugin code failed.
Android ports own the packaging boundary
A wrapper can remove plugins, hide directories, or use private storage. This guide gives upstream diagnostics and makes no claim that an unnamed port ships the complete MAME plugin set.
Plugins do not grant rights to game or firmware data. Install code only from the port's or MAME project's official distribution path, and do not share ROM, BIOS, CHD, keys, artwork, or music in a plugin report.