PS1/2 PS2 Free Mcboot HDD from PC

[Inotamira]

From what I understand, free mcboot can be booted directly from a hard drive, specifically the internal hard drive on a PS2 Phat. Unless I misunderstand, how would you go about adding the correct files from a computer so you wouldn't need to install it from the PS2 itself.

In other words, I'd like to setup the hard drive from the PC, place it into the PS2 and have free mcboot start up without the need for any disk swapping tricks or a memory card.

 

[migles]

i do have a memory card with a usb plug, and even I need to plug into the ps2 and install it using another way of launching homebrew

you need a way of running homebrew on the ps2. either a modchip or another free mcboot card, or other ways..

 

[Inotamira]

i do have a memory card with a usb plug, and even I need to plug into the ps2 and install it using another way of launching homebrew

you need a way of running homebrew on the ps2. either a modchip or another free mcboot card, or other ways..

I HAVE 007 Agent Underfire and a modified double and know how to do the whole disk swapping trick for it, but considering freemcboot can be loaded directly from the hard drive without the need for a memory card (or so I understand), why couldn't the correct files be added using a PS2 hard drive explorer?

 

[Foxi4]

First the exploit needs to be installed on the PS2 itself, on a memory card - it won't magically work by just putting it on an HDD, the PS2 doesn't know it's supposed to boot that specific file. If it was that easy, the whole game exploit+AR trick wouldn't be around, still.

 

[cracker]

Yeah, it really is a catch 22. Just consider it the way to only need to use a swap trick, etc. once. That is, unless you can get a universal FMCB installed memory card from someone.

 

[Inotamira]

Well after some persistence and a bit of digging, it looks like not a one of you either understood what I meant or knew what you where talking about.
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/un...e-package-obt-119562/index13.html#post1141776

 

[cearp]

First the exploit needs to be installed on the PS2 itself, on a memory card - it won't magically work by just putting it on an HDD, the PS2 doesn't know it's supposed to boot that specific file. If it was that easy, the whole game exploit+AR trick wouldn't be around, still.

it DOES work by 'magically' putting it on the hdd - you need an ide cable, connect the hard drive to the computer, write the correct image to the hd and you are done... why are you telling him the wrong thing? i don't understand how you can be so sure of yourself when you obviously don't know the facts...

Well after some persistence and a bit of digging, it looks like not a one of you either understood what I meant or knew what you where talking about.
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/un...e-package-obt-119562/index13.html#post1141776

it's good that you didn't give up and looked for yourself
-that link you posted is quite new, it has been possible for a while before that, at least it was about 6 months ago when i wanted to do it
--it's been released nearly a year (fhdb)

 

[Foxi4]

it DOES work by 'magically' putting it on the hdd - you need an ide cable, connect the hard drive to the computer, write the correct image to the hd and you are done... why are you telling him the wrong thing? i don't understand how you can be so sure of yourself when you obviously don't know the facts...

Facts are that the FreeMCBoot homepage doesn't even list this as an installation option. I've never even heard of this tool, so if it's a new addition to the PS2 homebrew scene then good for you - it's hardly traditional or established though.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Interesting, until this thread I had never known about this.

In defense of the way everyone else answered the OP, I must admit until I read the links I would have said the same thing. The reason I would have said the same thing is, the exploit is fairly new (about 1 year.) newish exploit plus old system equals hard to find anyone still messing with it. So expecting random people to know about it is probably a bit of a stretch. But on the bright side at least you found the answers and posted them back here to enlighten everyone.

 

[cearp]

Facts are that the FreeMCBoot homepage doesn't even list this as an installation option. I've never even heard of this tool, so if it's a new addition to the PS2 homebrew scene then good for you - it's hardly traditional or established though.

well it's made by the same people, it's in the change logs... etc etc. it's been out for like a year.
i wouldn't call anything about fmcb, homebrew, even ps2 'traditional'.

 

[Foxi4]

Now we know, and knowing is half the battle. Good to see that the PS2 scene isn't completely dead - this tool would be pretty damn useful all those years back when you had to juggle discs or fiddle with third-party memory cards. If someone asks again, I'll definitely link to that new newbie package.

 

[Inotamira]

Facts are that the FreeMCBoot homepage doesn't even list this as an installation option. I've never even heard of this tool, so if it's a new addition to the PS2 homebrew scene then good for you - it's hardly traditional or established though.

That's all very good and well, but the fact is, as soon as mcboot was able to be booted straight from the HDD unassisted (where I download mcboot this is a listed capability of it), I honestly saw no reason why you couldn't install it from a PC and as the link shows. not only is this possible, their is a tool built to do it for you.

 

[Foxi4]

That's all very good and well, but the fact is, as soon as mcboot was able to be booted straight from the HDD unassisted (where I download mcboot this is a listed capability of it), I honestly saw no reason why you couldn't install it from a PC and as the link shows. not only is this possible, their is a tool built to do it for you.

Often times the filesystem stands in the way - systems like FATX on the Xbox or PFS on the PS2 are custom and as such it takes a while for proper tools that handle them a 100% to pop up, not to mention that you still need an exploit that'll launch the desired binary from the desired source - previously your only option on a vanilla PS2 was the memory card slot, you only accessed other devices after you've softmodded the system. I'm glad that someone made it happen though - it'll help all those who had to rely on volunteer installations a great deal.

 

[Inotamira]

Now we know, and knowing is half the battle. Good to see that the PS2 scene isn't completely dead - this tool would be pretty damn useful all those years back when you had to juggle discs or fiddle with third-party memory cards. If someone asks again, I'll definitely link to that new newbie package.

Honestly the best place I've found to get things for PS2 home brew is SKS Apps, they usually post the most outstanding changes for each revision of an application or loader, including FreeMcboots HDD option. Glad I could inform you guys about this, glad I could find it really.

 

[Inotamira]

as a curious bit of info, after using this free mcboot doesn't boot in the same fashion as it does on a memory card. You have to wait for it to boot similar to a PS2 game. The home screen 3D cube thing shows up first with that loud tone, then it goes into mcboot

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Now we know, and knowing is half the battle. Good to see that the PS2 scene isn't completely dead - this tool would be pretty damn useful all those years back when you had to juggle discs or fiddle with third-party memory cards. If someone asks again, I'll definitely link to that new newbie package.

I will keep this in mind too, very very useful for those PS2's with dead lasers in them.

Of course the problem now is finding Network adapters and working IDE hard drives... (By working IDE drives I mean one's that will actually work with the adapter.)

I think I will hang on to my hoard of 3 Network adapters for the time being. lol

 

[Foxi4]

as a curious bit of info, after using this free mcboot doesn't boot in the same fashion as it does on a memory card. You have to wait for it to boot similar to a PS2 game. The home screen 3D cube thing shows up first with that loud tone, then it goes into mcboot

Different exploit, different boot sequence, I'd wager. Anywho, be sure to grab the essentials now that you're modding the system - uLaunchELF (file manager, possibly in your noobie package already), OpenPS2Loader and SMS (Simple Media System) are good places to start.

 

[Inotamira]

I will keep this in mind too, very very useful for those PS2's with dead lasers in them.

Of course the problem now is finding Network adapters and working IDE hard drives... (By working IDE drives I mean one's that will actually work with the adapter.)

I think I will hang on to my hoard of 3 Network adapters for the time being. lol

Finding both of these are actually pretty easy, do a simple Google search for IDE hard drives (you can find capable maxator up to 1TB) and they aren't to expensive untill you breach 250gb (which I got a 250 for 15 dollars).A simple Google search for them yields plenty of places to buy them, theirs a chart some where that'll tell you which ones work that is also easy to find through Google. As for the adapters, they still sell them at game stop I think, but usually they're REALLY easy to find

 

[Inotamira]

Different exploit, different boot sequence, I'd wager. Anywho, be sure to grab the essentials now that you're modding the system - uLaunchELF (file manager, possibly in your noobie package already), OpenPS2Loader and SMS (Simple Media System) are good places to start.

As I've done this before, I know what to do in that reguard ;p but awesome enough all of these come included in the newbie package ^.^ (or atleast the origonal in that thread did, I don't know about this newer simple one, if not I'll get them of course x3)

 

[Inotamira]

I actually needed this becuase currently I don't even have a controller ;;; but I'll have one of those awesome Logitech wireless ones soon