ReRAC Wiki

ReRAC Launcher Guide

How ReRAC Launcher (v0.3.1-alpha) manages engine builds, verifies and extracts your NTSC-U SCUS-97199 disc image, exports game assets, and organizes data across Windows, Linux and macOS.

Download Launcher v0.3.1-alphaOS-by-OS install steps
  • Launcher v0.3.1-alpha
  • Tauri 2 + React 19
  • Staged SHA-1 ISO setup
  • PNG / WAV / glTF exporter
Metal workshop case holding twin reversible ratcheting socket wrenches and hexagonal steel sockets
Reversible ratcheting socket wrenches and hexagonal bolt drivers

What ReRAC Launcher does

ReRAC Launcher (re-rac/rerac-launcher, latest v0.3.1-alpha, 176 GitHub stars) is a cross-platform desktop application built with Tauri 2 (Rust backend + React 19, TypeScript and Vite frontend). It handles every step between downloading an engine release and playing Ratchet & Clank (2002) on PC, without bundling copyrighted game assets:

  • Multi-version engine management: Hold multiple ReRAC engine builds side by side, switch back to an earlier alpha tag to test regressions, or point at a local Cargo build directory.
  • Safe staged ISO extraction: Extracts into games/rac1/data.staging/ first and only replaces games/rac1/data/ after exit code 0 and a valid extract-info.json, so cancelling mid-run never corrupts an existing install.
  • Background self-updates (v0.3.0-alpha+): Downloads newer launcher builds quietly in the background and prompts to restart only when no game session is running.
  • Multi-game sidebar foundation: Starting in v0.3.0-alpha and v0.3.1-alpha, each game gets its own version selector above Play and its own tab in Version Management, including early page preparation for Going Commando.

Adding & switching ReRAC engine versions

Every engine package ships with a rerac-manifest.json contract file (schema: 1, data_format: 1, supported_discs: ["SCUS_971.99"]). You have three ways to add an engine version inside Settings → Version Management:

  1. Version selector above Play / Release channel tab: Choose a published release directly above the Play button; nothing downloads until you pick it. (Note: while upstream marks early builds as -alpha prereleases, the release channel tab can appear empty depending on channel feed state; use method 2 whenever needed.)
  2. Development → Install from zip…: Select a downloaded engine archive such as rerac-0.3.9-windows-x86_64.zip, rerac-0.3.9-linux-x86_64.zip or rerac-0.3.9-macos-arm64.zip from Download. The launcher unpacks it into versions/development/<version>/, preserves Unix executable bits, clears macOS com.apple.quarantine flags, validates rerac --version-json, and lets you click Set active.
  3. Development → Add build folder…: Register a local Rust workspace output folder containing rerac-manifest.json in place without copying files.

Extracting your SCUS-97199 PS2 ISO

Select Ratchet & Clank in the left sidebar, click Install via ISO, and choose your plain .iso image of the North American 2002 PlayStation 2 release (SCUS-97199, v1.00). Behind the progress bar, the active version’s rerac-extract binary runs three steps:

  1. Identify: Confirms the ISO9660 header and PS2 boot ELF match SCUS_971.99 v1.00 (rejecting raw .bin/.chd/.cso files with code 11 and PAL/JP or sequel discs with code 21).
  2. Copy & SHA-1 check: Copies ~4.4 GiB (2,937 archive slices) while hashing every single file against the extractor’s built-in SHA-1 table. Any damaged sector triggers code 40 and lists the mismatched file in the log.
  3. Prepare fast-load cache: Decompresses WAD segments into cache/v1/ (~438 MiB across 134 cached lumps) so planet transitions load in milliseconds.

The ⋯ secondary menu: Export assets & Re-extract

Next to Play on the Ratchet & Clank screen, click the ⋯ button for two maintenance actions:

  • Export assets…: Opens a modal where you pick an output directory and asset categories (textures, audio, models, levels, collision, text, or all). It converts your already-installed game data into standard .png, .wav, .gltf and .json files without touching your disc or altering games/rac1/data/. See Mods & Asset Export for exact folder paths.
  • Re-extract from ISO: Rebuilds games/rac1/data/ from your disc image if a newer ReRAC build increments data_format or if files were deleted.

In-game Port Options, KBM & strafing quick reference

Once launched, press Enter (or Start on a controller) and open Options → Port Options to configure Preset (Original / Enhanced), Anti-aliasing (up to 8x MSAA), Detail distance, Texture filtering, HUD, Shadows, Aspect ratio (4:3, 16:10, 16:9, Fill ultrawide), Resolution (Window or 416p–2160p), and Fullscreen (F11). Keyboard players move with WASD, rotate the camera by holding Right Mouse Button, jump with Space, swing the OmniWrench with J, fire with K, and trigger Thruster-Pack / Heli-Pack strafing with Z (L2) and C (R2). Full binding table on Controllers & KBM.

Where ReRAC Launcher stores files, saves & settings

You can relocate the entire data root at any time from Settings → Folders (which writes a small location.json pointer in the default directory so future updates remember your custom drive). Note: if you tested pre-rename builds before late September 2026, the launcher automatically migrates an older randcrw folder to rerac once on startup.

Operating SystemDefault Launcher Data RootEngine Port Options File
Windows 10/11%LOCALAPPDATA%\rerac (C:\Users\<Name>\AppData\Local\rerac)%APPDATA%\rerac\settings.toml
Linux & SteamOS~/.local/share/rerac (or $XDG_DATA_HOME/rerac)~/.config/rerac/settings.toml
macOS~/Library/Application Support/rerac~/Library/Application Support/rerac/settings.toml
Subfolder / FilePurpose
versions/Installed ReRAC engine builds sorted by source (release channel tags and versions/development/<version>/ ZIP imports).
games/rac1/data/Extracted and SHA-1-verified Ratchet & Clank (2002) archive files (toc.bin, extract-info.json, and cache/v1/). Passed to the engine via --data-dir.
games/rac1/data/exports/Default output folder for ⋯ → Export assets… (PNG textures, WAV audio, glTF models, JSON tables). Never read back by the game.
logs/Per-run logs: extract-rac1-<time>.log, verify-rac1-<time>.log, export-rac1-<time>.log, and rac1-<time>.log.
settings/launcher.jsonLauncher preferences, active version selection, and minimize_while_playing state.

Under the hood: Launcher ↔ Engine CLI contract

CommandContract Behavior
rerac-extract identify --iso <path> --jsonReads the PS2 boot ELF, checks serial (SCUS_971.99), region (NTSC-U) and version (1.00), and emits a JSON disc record.
rerac-extract extract --iso <path> --out <dir> --jsonStreams identify then copy stages into data.staging/, hashing all 2,937 disc files on the fly, writes extract-info.json last, and atomically renames over data/.
rerac-extract verify --out <dir> --jsonRe-hashes the installed games/rac1/data/ tree against the built-in size and SHA-1 table (~2 seconds on NVMe).
rerac-extract export --out <dir> --to <dest> --what all --jsonConverts installed disc data into ~60,000 standard PNG, WAV, glTF 2.0 and JSON files (~3.5 GB in ~10 seconds).
rerac --version-jsonAnswers in milliseconds without opening a window so the launcher can confirm schema: 1, game: "rac1" and data_format: 1.

ReRAC maps PlayStation 2 face buttons, bumpers, triggers and twin analog sticks by physical position across connected gamepads, with multi-controller detection and Linux 8BitDo mapping fixes in v0.3.8-alpha:

ControllerBest For in ReRACHardware AdvantageLink
Sony DualSenseAuthentic PlayStation button layoutSymmetrical twin sticks matching DualShock 2 muscle memory + crisp D-padView on Amazon
8BitDo Ultimate 2 WirelessLinux, SteamOS & Windows desktopZero-drift TMR sticks, charging dock, verified Linux button mapping in v0.3.8-alphaView on Amazon
GameSir Cyclone 2Precision 3D platforming & strafingTMR sticks, hair-trigger locks for L2/R2 Thruster-Pack strafing, 1000 Hz wirelessView on Amazon
Xbox Wireless ControllerPlug-and-play Windows 10/11Native Windows XInput standard with positional face-button mappingView on Amazon

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Macro view of interlocking bronze and steel mechanical gearwheels on a machined frame
Precision mechanical gearwork echoing the OmniWrench and Gadgetron machinery
Desktop gaming PC workstation with dual monitors and tempered glass chassis
Native Rust and Bevy desktop target with 416p-2160p scaling and Fill ultrawide view
Macro view of a handheld mainboard PCB and multi-core GPU silicon package
Multi-threaded Bevy wgpu renderer over Vulkan, DirectX 12 and Apple Metal

Common questions

Why does the launcher say "The game data doesn’t match this ReRAC version"?

Engine exit code 4 means the data_format integer in your installed games/rac1/data/extract-info.json differs from the active engine’s rerac-manifest.json. Click Re-extract and select your SCUS-97199 ISO to refresh the data folder.

Where are my Ratchet & Clank memory card save files stored?

Saves live in a memcard/ directory inside your OS config folder (beside settings.toml: %APPDATA%\rerac\memcard on Windows, ~/.config/rerac/memcard on Linux, or ~/Library/Application Support/rerac/memcard on macOS), unless overridden by memcard_dir in settings.toml or the RC_SAVE_DIR environment variable.

Can I move the 4.5 GB game data folder to another SSD or SD card?

Yes. Open Settings → Folders inside ReRAC Launcher and choose a folder on your secondary drive or Steam Deck microSD card. All installed engine versions, game data and logs move together.