Wii Linux (XWhiite 0.2) with working WiFi tutorial

Requirements

- BootMii (either installed as boot2 or as IOS)
- SD(HC) card (at least 1GB, 2GB recommended)
- USB keyboard

Preparing the SD card

You have to create 2 partitions. One little FAT16/32 for BootMii, HBC and the kernel and one big ext3 for the filesystem ("userland"). You can do this for example with gParted in Ubuntu. If you don`t have Ubuntu installed, use the latest LiveCD. For this tutorial it is important to set the descriptions of the partitions.

- Backup your current BootMii folder
- 1. partition: At least 32 MB, FAT16/32, "kernel" as description
- 2. partition: Remaining free space, EXT3, "filesystem" as description
- Copy your BootMii folder to the first partition

Installing the kernel

The mike kernel must be booted via BootMii! If you boot it with the homebrew channel, wifi and other things won`t work.

There are two ways to boot the kernel:

1.)
The first one (and also the recommended one) is to copy the kernel to the first partition of your sd card, for example to the BootMii folder. To boot the kernel you can use the sd card explorer in BootMii and select the kernel. It could happen that it doesn`t work and return to the BootMii main menu. If this happens try to update to the newest BootMii version (beta4). If it also doesn`t work with beta4 then you have to use the second way.

2.)
With the second way you will have to replace the executable of the BootMii GUI with the kernel. This should always work, but the disadvantage is that the kernel will boot immediately after launching BootMii. So you won`t see the GUI of BootMii. If you need the BootMii GUI you may use a second sd card for Linux only.

- Rename the file "ppcboot.elf" in the BootMii folder to "ppcboot.elf.backup"
- Download the latest mike kernel (mikep5) with your appropriate TV mode:

- 480i PAL: http://downloads.sou...x/...480i(PAL60).elf
- 576i PAL: http://downloads.sou...x/...i.576i(PAL).elf
- 480p PAL: http://downloads.sou...x/...i.480p(PAL).elf
- 480i NTSC: http://downloads.sou...x/....480i(NTSC).elf
- 480p NTSC: http://downloads.sou...x/....480p(NTSC).elf

- Rename the kernel to ppcboot.elf and copy it to your BootMii folder
- If you have BootMii beta1 or beta2 you need to download the latest armboot.bin to prevent an error with the mike kernel: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/mikep1-armboot.bin. Rename it to "armboot.bin" and replace it with the one in your new BootMii folder. If you are running BootMii beta3 or later you might skip this step, because it should already include a newer version of armboot.bin

Installing the filesystem

- Download XWhiite 0.2 to your Desktop: http://hbcapps.com/debian-etch-4.0+whiite-...ite-0.2.tar.bz2
- Open a terminal and login as root (sudo su)
- Change the directory to your Desktop:

- Extract the filesystem to your sd card:

- Backup your xorg.conf:

- Open your xorg.conf and set your TV mode (pal or ntsc):

CODE

gedit /media/filesystem/etc/X11/xorg.conf

- Find the Subsection "Display" in the section "Screen"
- Replace "pal_50" with "ntsc_60" if you have a NTSC TV
- If you have the problem with the "small line" try to remove the lines with "HorizSync", "VertRefresh", "Modeline "pal_50"" and "Modeline "ntsc_60"" in the section "Monitor" and the whole subsection "Display"

- Now you can try to boot your Wii with Linux.

Getting WiFi to work

- Download the necessary debian packages and put them to /media/filesystem/home/wii/:

- nano: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...ch1_powerpc.deb
- wpasupplicant: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...5-2_powerpc.deb
- wireless-tools: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...f.1_powerpc.deb
- udev: http://security.debian.org/debian-security...ch1_powerpc.deb
- libiw28: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...f.1_powerpc.deb
- libvolume: http://security.debian.org/debian-security...ch1_powerpc.deb
- wifi firmware: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gc-linux/f...tar.gz/download

- Boot your Wii Linux
- Open a terminal and login as root (pwd is "whiite")
- Install the packages:

- Extract the wifi firmware:

- Edit the wifi settings:

CODE

nano /etc/network/interfaces

- For WPA 1/2 add this:

CODE

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
        wpa-ssid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
        wpa-psk YOUR_SECRET_GOES_HERE
        wpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
        wpa-pairwise TKIP CCMP
        wpa-group TKIP CCMP
        wpa-proto WPA RSN
        wpa-ap-scan 1
        wpa-scan-ssid 1

- For WEP (ASCII string key) add this:

CODE

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
        wireless-essid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
        wireless-key YOUR_ASCII_SECRET_GOES_HERE

- For WEP (binary key) add this:

CODE

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
        wireless-essid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
        wireless-key s:0123-4567-89

- Test your wifi connection:

- If you get responses: CONGRATULATIONS! Now your Wii will automatically connect your wifi on every boot

And what now?

- Now you can update your system (as root!):

- You can also install a "normal" desktop environment like XFCE4. It`s more comfortable to use, but will use more RAM and will run slower. But it`s quite usable.

- Install whatever you want! Have fun!

Problems and their solutions

Problem: No sound
Solution:


by elmurato
revision 5


PS: If something isn`t clear feel free to ask so that I can improve this tutorial. Thanks!

Sources

http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/WL:whiite-linux
http://www.tehskeen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9777
http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/MINI:KernelPreviewThree
http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/WL:Wifi_Configuration

Edited by elmurato, 09 December 2009 - 11:50 PM.

Looks awesome.
I'm not a big linux user but hearing about this made me want to try it out.
Definitely going to when I find the time.

Thanks for the tutorial, I'll give this a shot when I get a moment.

nice,

. ll
b U d good job!

Edited by Yyhhggtt, 04 January 2010 - 02:38 AM.

great I didn't know that we could install xfce. I have to try it tomorrow hope I get it to work and that the xfce envrionement the wii not to much slowdowns. Thank you so much for this tutorial .

great ,thank you.

Thank you, unfortunately I don't have a USB keyboard

Looks cool. Any chance on a method for installing this using Windows XP? I tried the live CD a while back for something else, it always hung while booting, even after re-burning to make sure i didn't have a coaster.

There is a ext2/3 filesystem driver for Windows and WinRAR can extract linux archives, but I don`t recommend it. And again you will need the partition editor of Ubuntu. If the CD version makes problems, you can try to create a "LiveUSB" stick: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Well done. Very uselful guide.

Excellent Tutorial.
I think this should be stickied imo.

someone sticky please

Elmurato:

I think you are confusing what the Mike info says about wifi only working under mini and not IOS.
WiFi appears to still work if you have BootMii as an IOS (though as of yet I haven't been able to get it to work correctly, but the wifi is detected and it sees my router).
It just won't work if you try to run Linux directly from the Homebrew channel - you have to run it through BootMii.

(I have a newer Wii that cannot install BootMii to Boot2)

That would be great because all the new wii cannot install bootmii as boot2...
so the first requirements should be changed to :
- BootMii (not launched from the HBC) (start with pressing reset if necessary).
- A gamecube controller if bootmii installed as a IOS.

am i right ?

I'm now running this with XFCE4 rather than FluxBox. I find it a much nicer WM and it seems to run faster....

I'm still stuck with two problems though:
1) I've got no sound (unless I run a media player as root - then I get sound)
2) The top and bottom of the screen are missing no matter what I do with xorg.conf

Can anyone shed some light on these problems?
Thank you

Edited by fishears, 02 September 2009 - 05:53 PM.