Android: Core fails to load with W+E load segments are not allowed

[xenophobentx]

Description:
On Android, the latest build of this core fails to load due to ELF segments being flagged both writable and executable. This appears to be a regression in the new core version.

Environment:

Device: Odin 2 Portal

Android version: Android 13

RetroArch version: 1.21.0

Core: Flycast

Steps to reproduce:

Install RetroArch on Android.

Download/update flycast core using the Online Updater.

Attempt to load the core.

[gopikrishna5447]

Same here

[INFO] Version: 1.21.0 [INFO] Git: 54af661d95 [INFO] Built: May 1 2025 [INFO] ================================================= [Input]: Found input driver: "android". [Core]: Loading dynamic libretro core from: "/data/user/0/com.retroarch/cores/flycast_libretro_android.so" Failed to open libretro core: "/data/user/0/com.retroarch/cores/flycast_libretro_android.so" Error(s): dlopen failed: "/data/user/0/com.retroarch/cores/flycast_libretro_android.so": W+E load segments are not allowed [Core]: Content ran for a total of: 00 hours, 00 minutes, 00 seconds. [Core]: Unloading core symbols.. [Environ]: SET_PIXEL_FORMAT: RGB565. [Core]: Version of libretro API: 1, Compiled against API: 1 [Core]: Geometry: 320x240, Aspect: 1.333, FPS: 60.00, Sample rate: 48000.00 Hz. [Video]: Set video size to: 960x720. Android EGL: GLES version = 2. [EGL] Falling back to eglGetDisplay [EGL]: EGL version: 1.

[gopikrishna5447]

@xenophobentx mentioning you to inform as I don't know how github issues work and I want people to know the fix I've found.

The builds for android app store or playstore is outdated so I used the libretro buildbot aarch64 build which has a flycast core download option which isn't compiled properly with the proper flags, so here's how I fixed it:

1. Install playstore retroarch plus.
2. Install flycast core. This isn't pulled from libretro server but google server and has a different compilation flag list.
3. Make a backup of that rom, for some reason it is properly signed.
4. Install libretro aarch64 apk
5. Restore the backup

And you're done. Everything works. It's a shame the updates on the core stopped, I would've loved netplay and coop.