VGM Players on GNU\Linux

Many traps here. I'll add this page to traps section.

GUI Players

• Audacious - Generally works for a couple of formats. NSF, SPC, and PSF. Lacks many formats, though.
• Deadbeef - Similar to audacious

Command Line Players

Maybe you want to play chiptunes on your RPI, or some other ARM device. This would technically allow you to run it 24/7, as its low power. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options. This is a dangerous area!

• gstreamer - todo
• nosefart - 2.9 srcs compile, but fail to find nsf files in argc/argv switch. Comment that out, and it appears to play, but makes no sound output, and time is off by a large margin (very slow).
• mdxplay - error on compile, due to lack of libm, but fixing that, doesn't play on bb.
• VGMPlay - compiles, but has issue out of the box on bb. garbled audio output (only plays genesis .vgm)
• VGMStream - compiles, but only for streamed (not sequenced, i.e. most) vgm
• sexySPC - x86 architecture only. Will not compile on ARM due to nasm asm.
• xmms2 - No plugins in default debian repos (e.g. festalon which supports nsf in xmms is not available for xmms2.) OR doesn't install correctly in devuan beowulf due to gvfs issue.

Ref:

• https://kkjkok.blogspot.com/2016/?m=1
• https://sourceforge.net/projects/sexyspc/ (readme of src explains only x86 is supported).

Conclusion

Playing vgm from terminal on ARM devices is tough. Beware of the rabbit hole.