# Configuring MAME

## Getting Started: A Quick Preface

Once you have MAME installed, the next step is to configure it. There are several ways to do this, and each will be covered in turn.

If you are on Windows, the MAME executable will be called `mame.exe`.

If you are on Linux or MacOS, the MAME executable will be called `mame`.

## Initial Setup: Creating mame.ini From Command Line on Windows

First, you will need to cd to the directory where you installed MAME into. If, for instance, you have MAME installed in `C:\Users\Public\MAME` you will need to type `cd C:\Users\Public\MAME` into the command prompt.

Then you have MAME create the config file by typing `mame -createconfig`. MAME will then create the `mame.ini` file in the MAME installation folder. This file contains the default configuration settings for a new MAME installation.

## Initial Setup: Creating mame.ini From Command Line on Linux or MacOS

The steps for Linux and MacOS are similar to those of Windows. If you installed MAME using the package manager that came from a Linux distro, you will type `mame -createconfig` into your terminal of choice.

If you have compiled from source or downloaded a binary package of MAME, you will `cd` into the directory you put the MAME files into.

For instance, `cd /home/myusername/mame`

Then you will type `./mame -createconfig` into your terminal of choice.

You can then need to edit the `mame.ini` file in your favorite text editor, e.g. Notepad on Windows or vi on Linux/MacOS, or you can change settings from inside of MAME.

## Initial Setup: Graphical Setup

This is the easiest way to get started. Start MAME by opening the MAME icon in the location where you installed it. This will be `mame.exe` on Windows, `mame` on Linux and macOS.

Once MAME has started, you can either use your mouse to click on the Configure Options menu selection at the bottom center of your screen, or you can switch panes to the bottom one (default key is Tab), then press the menu accept button (default key is Return/Enter) to go into the Configuration menu.

Choose Save Configuration to create the `mame.ini` file with default settings. From here, you can either continue to configure things from the graphical user interface or edit the `mame.ini` file in your favorite text editor.