Hacking Homebrew Browser

[teknecal]

Hi all,

I've spent my time thinking what can be made for the Wii that is something new and came up with the Homebrew Browser (HBB). Have a look at the WiiBrew Wiki for more information.

The Homebrew Browser allows you to download the latest homebrew applications and games all through your Wii. No longer will you have to take your SD card out to transfer the files from your computer to the Wii or even use your computer. Once you install a homebrew application and you no longer want it on your SD card, you can delete it as simple as that!

No more dead links, no more extracting files, no more finding out that the homebrew application doesn't include an icon.png and meta.xml in the zip file!

Homebrew Browser WiiBrew Wiki
Youtube Video

Download: Homebrew Browser v0.3.2

 

[.TakaM]

Wow, nice work dude

 

[Vater Unser]

Wow, that's a kickass app.
I'm definitely gonna use it if it's kept up to date

 

[killplaystation]

This is totally awesome, gotta try it

What kind of servers will be backing this?

Your wiki link is missing a "/"

 

[priapism]

wait, i am a bit confused. i like the SD card because it allows me to store way more stuff than the Wii internal memory does. with this new app will all of the stuff on my SD card now be stored in Wii internal memory? i actually can't do that, i don't have the space. am i missing something here?


edit: wait does it download the apps to your SD card?

 

[teknecal]

What kind of servers will be backing this?

Your wiki link is missing a "/"

HBB just connects to the server using HTTP. I might think about adding all the content to another server in the future.

Wiki link corrected, thanks.


QUOTE(priapism @ Jul 4 2008, 11:44 PM) wait, i am a bit confused. i like the SD card because it allows me to store way more stuff than the Wii internal memory does. with this new app will all of the stuff on my SD card now be stored in Wii internal memory? i actually can't do that, i don't have the space. am i missing something here?

This application installs all the homebrew apps you select onto the SD card. It's just a very simple way of installing apps than having to download the homebrew app yourself, extract it, take out your SD card, transfer the files, put back the SD card in the Wii, etc.

 

[priapism]

This application installs all the homebrew apps you select onto the SD card. It's just a very simple way of installing apps than having to download the homebrew app yourself, extract it, take out your SD card, transfer the files, put back the SD card in the Wii, etc.

yeah, i guessed that might be how it worked in my edit. it takes me a while to figure stuff out sometimes. haha.

that is awesome! great work. i will definitely be checking this out.

 

[killplaystation]

will it create rom and save directories when downloading emulators

 

[Jacobeian]

well, it will obviously not download roms for you so you will still have to create the /roms directory yourself

I believe most emulators (last version I've tried) now create the /saves firectory if it doesn't exist

 

[killplaystation]

well, it will obviously not download roms for you

That's clearly not what i was asking

 

[teknecal]

The next update I'm going to make is to add applications which load files from the SD card. In your example of the emulator, HBB would create all needed directories.

 

[Jacobeian]

that's clearly not what i was asking

I know, but this is the reason why I don't think there is a need for that program to create these directories for you since you will still have to fill them yourself on your computer

edit: anyway, it's apparently up to the author, that could effectively be useful for newcomers

 

[killplaystation]

I know, but this is the reason why there is no need for that program to create these directories for you

if you're referring exclusively to the newer snes9x, i wasnt

 

[kedest]

Very nice application, I like it a lot!

 

[Zantetsu]

Very impressive by the looks of it. I'll try it out soon

Edit: Just tried it. Worked very nicely. Very very good app. I usually go over to a friends house a lot who doesn't have a card reader so this would be very good for me when I'm over at his house. Thank you very much!

 

[jservs7]

Nice app. Does this have an option to update only the DOL or ELF files of the apps you already have? That way I won't have to worry about overwriting my icon and xml files.

 

[noONE]

Cool, new version, i've used the 0.1.1 for almost a week now, really great app!
though, i.e i already got Tetris, but the HBB says i don't, because it's in another directory than what the HBB needs, it would be great if it saw that i got the homebrew, whatever directory it is in, and put the update into that folder.

also, a feature to leave the icon.png (and maybe the XML) files as they are, would be awesome, but it's still in early development, take your time

Well, let's see if the autoupdate feature works now

Edit: it indeed works, but every time i boot it up now, it says "new update available! etc.."
btw, i really like the new design

it's much more polished.

 

[teknecal]

Edit: it indeed works, but every time i boot it up now, it says "new update available! etc.."
btw, i really like the new design

it's much more polished.

I've already found two bugs and have updated it, so that's why that's happening. Try updating and that message should go away.

QUOTE(noONE @ Jul 5 2008, 02:20 AM) though, i.e i already got Tetris, but the HBB says i don't, because it's in another directory than what the HBB needs, it would be great if it saw that i got the homebrew, whatever directory it is in, and the update into that folder.

I was hoping to minimise this from happening and I do try to use the original folders names when possible (Tetris 1.2 had the folder name of "Tetris".

 

[jaxxster]

Great App!

 

[noONE]

Yeah, i understand it could be a problem identifieing the homebrews, it's just some ultimate wishes about this app, but it's still great.
i'm trying to name the folders to what the HBB use, but it's not always easy to know, now i.e i've got Duck hunt, in the folder "duck hunt" and the HBB says that i don't got it, so a start would be to know what you're supposed to name them

yeah, i figured that you maybe had one more update after it, so i updated it once more, but it still said that, so i thought it was a bug then.. i'll try updating it again

Edit: ok now the "update available" messege is gone