AAhead Shell

A console‑grade game launcher for the Anbernic R36S. The machine kept hidden, the games brought forward.

Version	v1.0  (hardware validation)
Platform	Anbernic R36S — internal validation.  Other Linux handhelds — not yet supported.
Requires	Validated dArkOS / ArkOS base. 640×480 screen. PortMaster is not required.
Download	No public build while v1.0 completion and device acceptance are in progress.
Previous build	v0.1.0 withdrawn; it was an incomplete prerelease, not a safe product installer.

What it is

AAhead Shell replaces the “wall of 20,000 ROMs” with a calm front‑end that sits on top of RetroArch and gives the R36S a real face: a Home screen with Continue Playing and a curated library, per‑game art, editorial descriptions, and the emulator kept out of sight.

What it does

• Home / Library / Search / Discover navigation.
• Curated catalog with per‑game cover art and editorial descriptions.
• Assist: curated, per‑game cheat toggles injected into RetroArch.
• Display presets — per‑system aspect, integer scaling, shader overlays.
• Save‑state browsing and slot selection.
• Device tools: Wi‑Fi, backup to a second SD card, power profiles.
• Systems: SNES, Genesis / Mega Drive, PS1, N64, Saturn, Dreamcast, Sega CD / 32X, and more.

Controls

D‑pad	Move between games and rows
A	Open / launch
B	Back
Y	Search
L / R	Switch sections

Install

Installation instructions will return with the verified v1.0 package. The withdrawn prerelease should not be installed.

Notes

• First boot scans your installed games and matches them to the catalog; games with no art still appear, just without a cover.
• There is no current public build. v1.0 remains internal until the complete device acceptance matrix passes.

Changelog

1.0 RC — hardware validation; not publicly released.
0.1.0 — 2026-06-30 — withdrawn incomplete prerelease.
Full history: CHANGELOG.TXT.