I want to play some ROM's on my machine and I used RetroArch as my frontend to do so as it is popular. Unfortunately it will periodically freeze up on me and will take me to start the program back up multiple times to get it to work. Since it is only a frontend, I was just going to download the core it uses and play directly from that program and circumvent the use of a frontend in this case RetroArch. I cant find the program in question's package or repository anywhere, and if I find it its just like a core per se not a standalone application. Any help would be appreciated!

At what point does it freeze up? When you're playing a game? Or when you're using the "Online Updater"?

If it's when you're using the "Online Updater", check that it's actually set to download stuff into folders that you have write permissions for.

Don't know what you're saying.

Your profile says you're using Mint. Are you installing RetroArch using the ppa?

it will freeze sometimes while playing a GBC game on gambatte, and others it will hang on the main menu and the 'waves' will move for a sec then stop. I installed the retroarch using the ppa, what I was referring to was the just installing gambatte -the backend- so I didn't have to deal with the lag of retroarch, and how do I check the online updater?