Getting started

Install

You need Android 8.0 or later.

1. On your handheld, download the APK from clamshell-fe.com/download.
2. Open it. The first time, Android asks you to allow installs from your browser or file manager.
3. Open Clamshell. Setup walks you through your screens, a data folder, your games and emulators.

You can run setup again any time from Settings › About › Run setup again.

Set up your ROM folder

Clamshell reads one ROM folder with a sub-folder for each system. Name the sub-folders the way ES-DE or Batocera do:

ROMs/
├── gba/
├── snes/
├── psx/
├── n64/
└── megadrive/

To choose the folder, open Settings › Library › ROM folder and pick the top folder (ROMs in the example), not one system's folder.

If you don't have system folders yet, open Settings › Library › Make system folders. It adds a folder for each system your installed emulators play. Each one has a systeminfo.txt that lists the file types it takes. Copy your games in, then choose Settings › Library › Rescan library.

Choose an emulator for each system

If you have more than one emulator for a system:

1. Open Settings › Systems and choose the system.
2. Choose Emulator. Automatic uses the first installed one in the recommended order, or

pick a specific emulator.

To use a different emulator for one game, select the game, press X and choose Choose emulator….

Systems only appear here once they have games. Clamshell's list of emulators updates by itself about once a day. To check now, choose Settings › Systems › Update emulator definitions.

Make Clamshell your home screen

Open Settings › About › Finish setting up and choose Home button. Follow the prompt, and pressing Home will open Clamshell.

The same checklist also helps you pick a Home style and add an account for game descriptions and ratings. All of it is optional.