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Datoso can download DAT files from multiple sources including dat-omatic (No-Intro), Redump, Pleasuredome, and more. This guide covers the complete workflow for fetching DATs.

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Prerequisites

Before downloading DATs, ensure you have:
  • Installed Datoso with at least one seed plugin
  • Configured your download paths (optional, defaults to ~/.datoso/tmp)
Check your installed seeds with datoso seed installed to see what sources are available.

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Basic Fetch Workflow

1

List Available Seeds

View all installed seed plugins:
datoso seed installed
This displays all available sources you can download from, such as:
  • nointro - No-Intro (dat-omatic)
  • redump - Redump
  • fbneo - Final Burn Neo
  • pleasuredome - Pleasuredome
  • And more…
2

Fetch DATs from a Specific Source

Download all DATs from a specific seed:
datoso redump --fetch
This downloads all available DAT files from Redump to your configured download path (default: ~/.datoso/tmp/redump/dats/).
3

Monitor Download Progress

Datoso will display progress information during the download:
==============================
Fetching seed redump
==============================
Downloading Sony - PlayStation.dat...
Downloading Nintendo - GameCube.dat...
...
Finished fetching redump

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Fetching from Multiple Sources

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Fetch All Seeds at Once

Download DATs from all installed seeds: 
datoso all --fetch
This iterates through every installed seed and downloads their DAT files.

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Selective Fetching

Fetch only specific seeds when using all: 
# Fetch only redump and fbneo
datoso all --fetch --only redump fbneo

# Fetch all except nointro
datoso all --fetch --exclude nointro

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Seed-Specific Examples

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No-Intro (Datomatic)

datoso nointro --fetch
Be careful when downloading from datomatic - they sometimes implement captchas. If the captcha fails, you may be temporarily banned. Consider adding delays between requests using configuration options.

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Redump

datoso redump --fetch
Downloads disc preservation DATs for various console systems.

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Final Burn Neo

datoso fbneo --fetch
Downloads arcade DAT files from Final Burn Neo.

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Pleasuredome

datoso pleasuredome --fetch
Downloads MAME-related DAT files from Pleasuredome.

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Download Location

By default, DATs are downloaded to: 
~/.datoso/tmp/{seed_name}/dats/
For example:
  • Redump DATs: ~/.datoso/tmp/redump/dats/
  • No-Intro DATs: ~/.datoso/tmp/nointro/dats/

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Customizing Download Path

Configure a custom download location: 
# Set globally
datoso config --set PATHS.DownloadPath=/path/to/downloads

# Set locally for current directory
datoso config --set PATHS.DownloadPath=/path/to/downloads --local

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Verifying Downloads

After fetching, verify the downloads: 
# Check the downloaded files
ls -lh ~/.datoso/tmp/redump/dats/

# Run doctor to verify seed health
datoso doctor redump

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Troubleshooting

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Fetch Errors

If you encounter errors during fetch: 
# Enable verbose logging
datoso redump --fetch -v

# Check the log file
datoso log

# Run diagnostics
datoso doctor redump
Common issues:
  • Network timeouts: Check your internet connection
  • Captcha errors: Wait before retrying (especially with datomatic)
  • Missing dependencies: Run datoso doctor to check requirements

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Empty Downloads

If no files are downloaded:
1

Verify seed is installed

datoso seed installed
2

Check seed details

datoso seed details redump
3

Run diagnostics

datoso doctor redump

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Next Steps

After downloading DATs, you’ll typically want to:
  1. Process the DATs to organize them for your emulators
  2. Deduplicate DATs to remove redundant entries
  3. Configure DAT properties for specific behavior
The --fetch command only downloads DAT files. To process them into your final structure, use the --process command covered in the Processing DATs guide.

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